-
How to hold?
I have a fender acoustic guitar that I find a little difficult to put my arm around in order to pick with my right hand and the neck I have to put aimed away from my body how about a 30° angle for my left hand to be able to fret. Is this common? Or am I doing something wrong?
-
2 Replies
-
I was always uncomfortable playing on a full size acoustic, if that is what your Fender is then I understand fully. I’m not a small person, I’m an almost 6 ft tall man but found it awkward to get my arms around the 42” Takamine. I can actually reach around but it digs into my arm and even bothers my chest when I’m playing it.
So I’ve tried a couple of mini or parlor sized guitars if you will. The one I’m sticking with currently is 38″ and has a much narrower body (14″ instead of 16″). It’s slightly thinner too, all resulting in a very light and compact acoustic. It’s more comfortable than my electric because the electric is way heavier. You can check my profile for info on the guitar.
-
Hey Doug, everyone has their own experience with there guitar. It could be the guitar is too large, or your seating is too low or scrunched up, or you need to look at your hand while picking. So you pull th e body in and possibly lean the bottom out slightly in order to see your hand. This would cause you to push the neck out possibly.
Other things could be age and less flexible – possibly arthritis , shorter arms, weight can affect one’s ability to reach around the body comfortably.
If you’re a newer player, that could be a part of it, because you haven’t built up muscle memory or dexterity yet.
I agree with @petelanger that a smaller bodied guitar might help you reach around it easier.
Log in to reply.