Introduction To Guitar Positioning and Tuning
You are now about to learn about how to position a guitar and tune it in this simple guitar lesson.
Let us first start with guitar positioning. Begin by finding an armless chair that has good support for your back. You should sit comfortably with your back against the chair. Slouching is not good because you will develop bad guitar habits and a sore back. Check that there is enough room at both your sides to move your arms.
Once seated, place the guitar on your lap with the strings facing outward. The guitar body should be on the leg that is farthest from the headstock. If you are right handed, the guitar body should rest on your right leg. The majority of acoustic guitars will have curved indentations that are great for playing the guitar on your leg. If you are holding the guitar properly then the sixth string should be close to your chest and the first string should be close to your feet.
Your fret hand will be your left hand if you are right handed, and if you are left handed, then it will be your right hand. You should grip the neck of the guitar gently with your fretting hand. You thumb should be placed behind the guitar’s neck. The other fingers should be floating on top of the strings, slightly curled. Bend your fingers naturally when pressing the strings unless the instructor tells you otherwise.
Next we are going to discuss guitar picking techniques. When beginning to play the guitar, you should purchase a set of guitar picks. A guitar pick is a small flat tool that you use to strum the guitar. Picks are relatively cheap so you can buy a few at a time to keep handy. There are different types of guitar picks but it is best to start with one that is not too hard or too flimsy. Picks are made of rubber, wood, stone, plastic, tortoiseshell, and metal. They are usually in the shape of a triangle but other shapes are available from manufacturers.
Now that you are seated properly and are holding the right pick, we proceed with the lesson on strumming the guitar.
The hand holding the pick will be nearest the bridge of the guitar. Now open your strumming or picking hand. The palm should be facing you. Then make sure the thumb is next to the index finger. Twist your wrist a little to point the knuckle of the thumb towards you. With your free hand you should slide in the guitar pick between your index finger and thumb. That way, the pick is secure. It should end just right behind your thumb’s knuckle.
The pick should be held firmly, with about ½ inch sticking out of your fingers and the pointed part, pointing away from your fist. The hand you are strumming with should be over the sound hole if you are using an acoustic guitar or over the guitar body if you are using an electric guitar. Place your strumming hand above the strings.
Your picking hand should not sit on the body or stings of the guitar. With the use of your wrist, not your arm, pick the lowest string only and strum it downward. If the string clatters too loudly, try to strum a little more gently. Then strum it again, this time, upwards.
Repeat this a few times. With the minimum of movements, do short pick upwards and downwards. Now try repeating this process with the rest of the strings.
Holding the pick always feels awkward at first. At the beginning, you also will have to spend more time practicing your picking or strumming. Your downstrokes and your upstrokes should sound the same. Also remember you will sound bad at first but this will change with practice. Just be patient and you might turn out to be the next guitar superstar!
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