Standing or sitting?

giggsy

Was thinking about this yesterday when I was working on my playing speed - playing sitting or standing adds a different dynamic to the technique - what do you think is the better way to learn? (obviously if you are going to performing live, the majority of the time you'd be standing - or sliding across the stage on your knees - so standing would be the better practice)

Bob-Dubery

The way I'm inclining (in the spirit, the flesh is still occasionally weak) is to ALWAYS practice with a strap on the guitar and the strap over my shoulders. Doing it this way should help to have the guitar in more or less the same position whether sitting or standing. OK.... I'm not one of those guy who wears the guitar way down by his knees.

Singing may be a little easier standing than sitting. And I would think that the guitar would be more stable and the position more constant when using a strap than it would be with the guitar just slung across a knee.

[deleted]

I vote for standing. It's better on the back and spine, you'll need to be comfortable with standing if you play live (well, unless you stick to acoustic), you can move around to check on your stuff on the stove while you're still playing, and playing sitting down after learning to play standing up is easier than the other way around.

Jack-Flash-Jr

giggsy wrote: Was thinking about this yesterday when I was working on my playing speed - playing sitting or standing adds a different dynamic to the technique - what do you think is the better way to learn? (obviously if you are going to performing live, the majority of the time you'd be standing - or sliding across the stage on your knees - so standing would be the better practice)

I'd say aim for a mix of the two. Also, if you're used to runnning scales while seated, try 'em standing every now and then.

NorioDS

Definitely both. Sitting, you can focus your attention on speed-related exercises and so on but, once you've got them down pat, if you don't practise them standing as well, you won't be able to perform them on a stage. At least, that's what Meir told me. I've never been on stage ?

[deleted]

Norio wrote: Definitely both. Sitting, you can focus your attention on speed-related exercises and so on but, once you've got them down pat, if you don't practise them standing as well, you won't be able to perform them on a stage.

Occam's Razor says why bother with the sitting, then? ? I think giggsy can practise speed-related stuff while standing (if he even wants to).

/stamping foot

Keira-WitherKay

people actually stand and play??? :? for me sitting all the time ........ thats the benefit of acoustic /classical/flamenco music no need to get too tired standing i have a way comfortable chair ...and even a pillow for my back live and in rehearsal...... only thing is one needs to sit at constant height to be comfortable so a chair becomes part of your stage rig .........

PeteM

If I'm just doodling around or teaching I can sit but I always stand for both acoustic and electric when playing seriously. I like to move around with the music - it helps with expression (just my way). Also I find that I get fitter standing during practice and prepares me better for the live gigs. Even in the early days when I played in pit orchestras and doing session work, I used to stand. The other guys thought I was crazy. The worst for me is sitting or half-siting on a bar stool - don't know how people can do that - I've got to have my feet on terra firma.

Fingerpicker

I prefer standing, easier to sing and it shows off my XXXXL white lycra Elvis Presley suit better. Just kidding. I do prefer standing because I like to move around, like PeteM. I suspect that the audience prefer it as well as you are not as hidden behind mike stands, music stands lights and other paraphenalia (sp?) such as peoples heads (in a small, stageless venues). Other guitarists like to watch your fretboard techniques and it loses impact if you are sitting down and looking down at your strings.

Seventhson

I sit when I am learning songs or practising my speed. But standing up I find much more fun to do.

Renesongs

+1 Bob If you can manage to adjust your strap so that there is no difference between standing or sitting then you already ahead of the game. This of course means that you guitar may seem a little unfashionably high on your body. But then we get into high and low slung guitar debate, low down looks so cool but is so much more difficult to manage so do you want to look cool or sound cool is the question you have to ask here.
BTW practice standing up as much as possible - get used to carrying that load on your shoulder and stop slouching (sorry I was just looking at my profile pic)

LooneyAtTheGate

Yes i agree with Renesongs.

The strap length must be a balance between a sitting position length and a standing position length that isn't too nerdy. Er, don't look at my profile pic.

As Dimebag said: "You can't go to war sitting down!"
He did all his studio recording standing up. :'(

Jack-Flash-Jr

LooneyAtTheGate wrote: Yes i agree with Renesongs.

The strap length must be a balance between a sitting position length and a standing position length that isn't too nerdy. Er, don't look at my profile pic.

As Dimebag said: "You can't go to war sitting down!"
He did all his studio recording standing up. :'(

You try playing seated with an explorer shape ?
Miss the guy, really do.

giggsy

Thanks for all the replies - always great to hear what you guys think. Generally been practicing speed and technique while sitting but once I have those down I play standing

PeteM

giggsy wrote: Thanks for all the replies - always great to hear what you guys think. Generally been practicing speed and technique while sitting but once I have those down I play standing

Do you find that you can play as fast and as well standing after practicing sitting. Surely your hands and arms are in different positions? I would have thought that you would need practice them all over again in the standing position. Just a comment.

3ight8all

I don't think it matters as long as you keep your guitar in the same position while sitting or standing. If you are sitting you can pop your foot up onto something(telephone books or whatever) and rest part of the guitar body on your leg against your body. This will keep the guitar centered as if you were standing.

giggsy

PeteM wrote:
giggsy wrote: Thanks for all the replies - always great to hear what you guys think. Generally been practicing speed and technique while sitting but once I have those down I play standing
Do you find that you can play as fast and as well standing after practicing sitting. Surely your hands and arms are in different positions? I would have thought that you would need practice them all over again in the standing position. Just a comment.

At the moment what I am working on is relearning to play the guitar properly (never got round to doing that when I first started), so most of my exercises are to build control, stamina and speed - when I get on to more advanced playing, and when my lefty hand will be moving up and down the fret board a lot more, than there may be some bigger differences.

singemonkey

Stratisfear wrote: I vote for standing. It's better on the back and spine,

That's all very well, when you play a strat ?

I play sitting mostly. I don't find it changes things that significantly. If you get worried about it, you can play classical style which is a more similar position to standing. The key for me is to be practised enough not to find myself staring down at the fretboard when performing.

For classical I'll haul out the footstool and everything. I must say, I still find it difficult to find a position where the guitar is super-stable (where I can remove my hand and it doesn't move) and where my back and shoulders feel perfectly relaxed. It did improve when I realised that it's the upper bout that's meant to be against your torso, not the whole back of the guitar :-[

But I don't really see much point in standing generally when I don't have any gigs on the horizon. When they come, I'll practise my "moves" again 8)