How do you play? (Standing / Sitting)

[tapper mike]

About 95% of the time I'm sitting.

I saw a Parks and Rec show today. The lead guitarist had the guitar slung low and he was pouring his soul as well as his body into every note. It was a good show. This guy wasn't young or fit and had some type of truss to support his back and the guitar. Still I was impressed with the passion he put into playing. I play standing about once a year if that. Years gone by when I was performing live it was all standing and I'd put on a show for the crowd.

[mystran]

I'd say I probably play about 1/3rd of the time standing and 2/3rds sitting, but that's not really the whole story, because the "sitting" further needs to be divided (roughly half and half I guess) into "sitting upright holding guitar on a strap" (in which case the instrument plays about exactly the same as if I was actually standing) and "sitting casually holding guitar on the leg" (where the guitar is fundamentally in a different position).

That said, my guitar (and especially the neck of the guitar as I tend to try to keep the thing about as vertical as possible) is actually higher when I'm standing or sitting upright, which makes it slightly easier to play. When sitting casually the neck points a bit more forward. Trying to stand and keep the guitar low in order to look cool makes it impossible for me to play anything that requires the slightest bit of dexterity in the fretting hand and kinda makes my wrist hurt too. The only situation where I'd do this is if I'm borrowing someone's guitar in a jam and that's the way their strap is setup.

[eLawnMust]

I have a banjo in the bathroom, play right on the toilet... With the banjo of course...

[tapper mike]

It seems odd to me to stand and go through the whole physical emoting of playing while alone. I stand all day at work and the last thing I want to do is stand when I get home. While standing works against me for standing as well as classical. I sometimes feel that my music (especially when there is a lot of vibrato and passionate bending isn't cutting it because I'm not living in the moment of performance.

Right now I'm tired and I don't want to get my energy up before I lay down for sleep because then it will make it harder for me to sleep.

[zerocrossing]

Lately I’ve been practicing while on a stationary bike.

[ugo]

I went with “mostly standing.” With the way I play bass, standing gives me a more comfortable playing angle for both arms when I’m largely staying below the 12th. Also, I just can’t keep my ass in the chair when I’m really digging it. Not that I move around at all…I just feel the groove and energy so much more when standing.

However I’ll sit when playing melodically above the 12th and whenever my right forearm has to be more horizontal (chordal stuff, guitar, etc). I sit with the ABG but only due to its proportions, and with the stick because the belt hook is incompatible with comfortable pants (I use a lap bar).

[Cuauhtli]

Sitting down about 95%, standing about 5%, and lying down about 0.1%.

[Ciderwell]

Standing -
When recording it feels more natural, and sometimes I need to move with the rhythm like how Carlos Santana moves on 'Smooth', dancelike, and too restricted seated. Funnily enough I recently purchased a guitar learning exercise book to get back to basics, and back to sitting in a chair.

[Tiles]

Lying in my chair. Feet on the desk. Like a real boss !

[jamesrichmond]

Guitar can be either, or feet up on the console.
Banjo is almost always standing.
Mandolin/mandola is almost always sitting.

[mountainmaster]

I prefer playing seated in the classical position: Guitar resting on the left leg and neck pointing upwards. That is how I play at home.

When I play with the band (practice or gig) I always stand.

Like mystran I need the guitar neck to point upwards. Unfortunately most guitars are prone to neck diving when attached with a strap.

I have many guitars but just one or two with a neck dive light enough to qualify for band playing, provided that I use a strap which maintains a good grip on my shoulder. That means slip-sliding seatbelt straps are out of the question.

[mystran]

I have many guitars but just one or two with a neck dive light enough to qualify for band playing, provided that I use a strap which maintains a good grip on my shoulder. That means slip-sliding seatbelt straps are out of the question.

The very slippery straps have another problem as well though: the length adjustment never stays very long where you set it (contributing to the neck diving issues by letting the strap get longer) unless you lock it down with something (eg. perhaps a safety pin).

[mystran]

I prefer playing seated in the classical position: Guitar resting on the left leg and neck pointing upwards. That is how I play at home.

I actually like my guitar high enough that (at least with your average S-type electric body), I'd need an uncomfortably high footstool (most of them don't even go high enough) if I wanted to rest it on my leg and keep my back straight, so strap works out much better.

[Cuauhtli]

Waiting for the inevitable: "Playing Born to be Wild while riding a Harley (preferably driving, not in the sidecar) with the amp strapped to my back."

[tapper mike]

I've only experienced neck dive while standing once when I was demoing a guitar. I didn't purchase it.


They do sell stools intended for classical guitarists that have a triangular base and are low to the ground.
Expensive


I found a short metal three leg chair with triangular seat at Meijer for $15 it sits low to the ground so you don't need a huge foot stool