cant play too well when standing

  • Thread starter Thread starter rockabilly1955
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rockabilly1955

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anybody have any advice on how to play better while standing?? i usually sit and play guitar, and seems alot easier probably because i can see the strings i need to pick. Oh yeah, thats the key right there, i play lead rockabilly guitar which is mostly single note picking and that is why i find it harder to play standing up, because i cant see the strings and end up missing a string or picking the wrong one, especially the higher note strings. Any advice guys???????
 
rockabilly1955 said:
anybody have any advice on how to play better while standing?? i usually sit and play guitar, and seems alot easier probably because i can see the strings i need to pick. Oh yeah, thats the key right there, i play lead rockabilly guitar which is mostly single note picking and that is why i find it harder to play standing up, because i cant see the strings and end up missing a string or picking the wrong one, especially the higher note strings. Any advice guys???????
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lol..you have the opposite problem of me. I can't play my electric sitting down. :D Now my acoustic I have that same problem as you.

Its just practice. If you always play sitting down, then standing up will feel different unless you shorted the strap by leaps and bounds. Just play standing up every day for the next month or so...or longer.
 
It sounds like you have your strap too long. Sit down with the guitar and adjust the strap until it feels right. Then when you stand up it should be pretty close.
 
ocnor said:
It sounds like you have your strap too long. Sit down with the guitar and adjust the strap until it feels right. Then when you stand up it should be pretty close.
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That's what I was gonna say.....shorten the strap. The top of the guitar body may be touching your chin and you may look like an idiot...but you playing will be better. :D
 
One thing that helps is to give up looking at your fingers when you play... A way to start is to watch yourself playing in a mirror (playing guitar, that is).
 
practice practice practice

i bet in 10 years you wont even remember this problem! :P
 
I agree, give up looking at the strings. How else are you supposed to make eyes at the hot little rockabilly chick while you solo?

If you have that much trouble playing without looking, practice in the dark.
 
i had the same problem when i started playing in my first band........shorten the strap. i don't know how in the hell some guys play with the guitar down to their knees.
 
In addition to shortening the strap, you might also change the angle of the guitar a little. Try playing with the headstock a little higher instead of the more level angle sitting position. It just takes practice to get the feel for playing standing up.
 
I'm a bass player and had that issue too, training helps, and as I've trained the neck of the bass has risen, so I play almost upright..
Don't look half bad to me, and helps on small stages and training closets. :D
 
I can actually remember when I felt that way. I learned to play while sitting down in my bedroom, so when I started trying to stand up and play with friends it was harder. Like everybody said, adjust the strap or angle to make it more comfortable if you can, but just stick to playing standing up for a while.

Now I don't really like playing sitting down.
 
I play guitar standing up all the time now, i had the same problem when i was younger & first started gigging. You get a better feel of the guitar when you play standing up i think, it becomes less of an eye to hand coordination thing and instead you just feel your way around. :eek:
 
TravisinFlorida said:
i had the same problem when i started playing in my first band........shorten the strap. i don't know how in the hell some guys play with the guitar down to their knees.
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Long arms or short legs, sorry trav :D
 
I have been having the same problem. I have always sat down to play.
Standing up is so weird. Guess starting out on the spinet piano, just made it seem more natural to sit...I do however, stand at the keyboards, because it seems awkard to sit. But I didn't have to get used to it.(but that is all about height of instrument) ..which is why the strap adjustment makes a lot of sense....Thanks for asking the question rockabilly, and thanks to you guys for answering....I am going to try all of the suggestions though and see what happens in a few weeks....Also, the one about playing in the dark to practice hitting notes without looking...that is great!!

TRUE :)
 
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