One of the first problems beginning guitar players run into is how to sit with the guitar. The obvious choices are either on your left leg or on your right leg. Not so obvious is that whichever leg you choose, the guitar has to be raised a little, with the neck angled slightly up.

Traditionally, the guitar has been held on the left leg. This is referred to as classical guitar position. It offers the most stability and freedom of movement for your hands. It offers 4 points of support as it sits on your left leg, with the lower bout resting on your right leg, the upper bout leaning against your chest, and your right forearm resting on top of the lower bout. This keeps the guitar very balanced as well as stable.

Holding the guitar on the right leg might be considered more of a folk or contemporary position. It is not usually as secure as the classical position because there are only 3 points of support: the leg, the chest, and the right forearm. Many times people start playing this way and find that they have trouble changing chords. This is because they are using their left hand to help support the neck. Every time they let go of a chord the neck moves slightly, making it difficult to land on the next chord. This is even worse if you have a large guitar like a dreadnought or jumbo.

The next thing to consider is how to get the guitar raised a little. This can be accomplished in a couple of ways. The traditional approach is to place your foot on a footstool or block of some sort; even a couple of telephone books can work. There are also various contraptions available that either attach to the guitar or sit on your leg which allow you to keep your feet flat on the floor. If the right leg approach works for you, you could also cross your right leg over your left, either at the knee or the ankle. This works for me but is probably not the most ergonomically acceptable. I have sat with my right ankle crossed over my left knee for an entire 45-minute set, only to stand and try to walk off stage with no feeling in my foot. The audience probably though I was standing there begging to be asked for an encore!

The most important thing to consider is that the guitar must be completely secure without either hand helping to help support it. This allows each hand the freedom to be in a good position to do it’s job, whether it be strumming, picking or fingerpicking for the right hand, or playing chords and scales for the left. In any case, find a position that works for you and stick with it.