Does anyone here practice standing up? I've noticed that I hunch over and I'm very tight and strained when I play. I'm trying to strech out and get comfortable while practicing but it's tough. Even when standing I can feel my left shoulder tensing up and I'm having difficulty keeping my thumb centered behind the fretboard in the correct position - I always stray and my fingers aren't always centered across the strings. It's tough getting comfortable and relaxed to practice. Anyone else have these issues?
I am hunched like that when I sit and have to make a concious effort to sit straight. (my wife always helps me with this). Its from playing that way for years and years. Im straighter now though cause Im aware of it. It is very important IMO that you practice standing up and sitting. I have found that I can play something sitting but cant do it standing. Its been discussed before here on the forum. So I do it both ways so Im comfortable either way. Back in the day it was cool to have the guitar hung low. Now they get higher and higher. This has also been discussed here. Wear it higher and its like you're sitting. Same position more or less. Or closer anyway...
Make sure you have your strap adjusted to a comfortable position. Unfortunately, the coolest 'looking' position is not the most comfortable, lol. But really, that can make a huge difference. Also, if you sit down and hunch over the guitar for hours while practicing (we all do it!), when you stand up it is likely you're going to assume the same position, so unless you gig a lot, maybe standing to practice would be a good thing.
I've always heard it's best to practice in the same position that you perform. I've noticed that when recording I almost always get a better take when I'm standing.
"Unfortunately, the coolest 'looking' position is not the most comfortable, lol." -- Agreed :RoCkIn I guess the 50/50 idea works best. I do sit A LOT at work so I'm trying to practice standing up to maybe stretch out and burn some more calories, who knows? It's amazing when you start thinking about your positioning and how your body tenses when you play... I definitely have to make a conscious effort to get comfortable and try to play with good form.
On a slightly different but related note, an interesting thing to do is set up a metronome or drum machine while you practice scales or whatever and pattern your inhale and exhale to the metronome...for example, if the click is hitting on 1/4 notes, inhale for 2 measures and exhale for 2 measures, at whatever tempo is comfortable for you to breathe. A lot of tension problems originate with holding or breathing irregularly. Standing can actually help you breathe better as well. Ok enough yoga bs...
...just checked out your website John...wow! Welcome to TGP!(belated) ...I always play standing up...but you should also practice while laying on your back with your legs "running." This is for the Angus Young effect...
You give incredibly important advice and then dismiss it! Don't do that! Yes - breathing is pretty critical, obviously. It's important to both and stand and sit in such a way that you can manage your breathing...but then again, I have to both stand and sit for my gigs, about half and half.... (I've had amazing results from students by doing nothing but calling attention to their breathing patterns and getting them to change them.)
I usually do the opposite - flop back in a chair like a lazy bum. I've noticed that my shoulder hurts if do that too much.
That has always been my advice as well. If you only practice while sitting down, you will definitely notice a difference when you perform standing up. Even if you set your strap at a similar "height" as when you are sitting down, you still have the guitar in a slightly different position (on your knee, farther from your body, etc.), and the angle that your hand grips the neck won't be the same. I'm not saying that you can't make the transition, but it just seems easier to me to practice the same way that you perform. I find it a lot easier to play while sitting down, but I always practice while standing up now.
You can also work on those awesome rock star stage moves!! :RoCkIn Seriously, if I sit while practicing, I tend to stare at my left hand, so I have to get up and move around.
Oh, that's a habit I have that I'm trying to break. I have to have an eye on lefty at almost all times, or bad things happen.
Staring at the fingerboard is one area that I have moved away from by standing while practicing, closing my eyes while practicing scales (3 octaves up the fretboard.... it takes a while but you start to "feel" the spaces in between the notes and you don't need to look at the fretboard nearly as much. It's get tougher when you move between different guitars with different fret spacing, fret size, etc... The best way to not look at the fretboard while practicing is when you read music. One more great reason to learn how to read.
I very rarely sit when I'm playing, unless it's with an acoustic guitar. I used to be a knuckle gazer but made a conscious effort years ago to "feel" the notes on the neck, even to the point of changing as many as 12 positions without looking. My success ratio wasn't too great at the beginning, but I almost never miss when I do it now. It's all muscle memory.
I practice at least part of the time standing up, since that is how I do most of my performing...I do try to keep my instrument height and posture consistent whether I am sitting or standing...
