1.     Posture

Your sitting and standing posture is very important when practicing guitar. There is no strict ‘rule’ on how to hold it but we must make sure it doesn’t put a strain on our bodies. Most of the time you will be sitting while you practice so it is important to relax your shoulders and keep your back straight. Hunching over is something you should avoid as much as possible! You should also use an armless chair so that nothing gets it the way of your good posture.

2.     Holding the Guitar

It is very common for beginners to slide the bottom of the guitar outwards to look at the frets. Make sure you bring the guitar in tight to your body so that it is nice and straight. If you need to see what your hands are doing try setting up a mirror so that you don’t have to lean over. 

3.     The Guitar Strap

Just because you are sitting down it doesn’t mean that you don’t need the strap! The strap will help keep the guitar in place so that you don’t have to hold it in place with your hands. Adjust the strap so that the guitar is in roughly the same place when you are either standing or sitting.

4.   Raising the Right Leg

You may find it more comfortable to slightly raise the leg on your picking hand side. You can do this by resting your heel on a chair leg or you could even use a small box or item that you can rest your foot on. This is very common in classical guitar playing.

5.     Relax and Breathe

This may seem very obvious but it is surprising how much tension a beginner can experience early on. It is important to understand that whenever you are playing you should always be relaxed.  Make sure to avoid tension, even when playing something difficult. If you feel your body tensing up while you play, take a few minutes and relax. All great guitar players make it look easy because they always remain loose and comfortable. Consciously think about your breathing as this greatly helps with relaxation.