Upper back has always been my issue, getting my foot pedals comfortably situated under my microphone has always been a battle. Thanks for all this advice!
@@jony3775 I know that problem all too well! I found that if I weigh down the mic stand base, I can extend the boom arm closer to my face, giving me a much better peripheral of my pedals. A quick glance down is all I need after that.
Everything you said is me. Started the acoustic guitar in April and my elbows hurt, my wrists hurt, my forearms kind of hurt and the left side of my kneck/traps. My instructor looked atvme like i was nuts last week whwn i told him how much pain I was in. This was so helpful. Thank you.
Brilliant video, very insightful, I've learned a lot from this, I've just come across your UA-cam channel by chance, and I'm so glad I did, I'm currently relearning guitar after having a operation on having a cancerous brain tumor partially removed which has left my left side of my body partially paralysed, so meant I've had to really work alot more harder to get my left side of my body working to a point where I can literally pick up my guitar 🎸. Let me tell you it's been frustrating yet disheartening but my stubborness and determination & motivation to pick up my guitar again has kept me going, so relearning body posture and holding a guitar in the right way so I can at least use my left hand again to make a chord has been challenging. But I'm persistent yet hopeful I can make some progress. 👍
Kept thinking I needed a 3/4 or half size acoustic because my EKO Dreadnought is too heavy that's why my upper back/shoulder wing always in pain after standing playing for over 30mins? but I'm now going to check in on my posture first for a while before rushing to the guitar shop.!
I read an article that talked about a study in 2018 that said the cause of back pain for 80% of Americans was bad posture. I new it was a problem for my students at the time but I didn't think it was so widespread. I hope this helps you.
I happened upon this video right B4 I fell asleep last night. You appeared in my dreams as a saint.😊 When I woke up, I remembered the saint in my dream & kept wondering why the face seemed so vivid & familiar, even now, while I’m awake (I think 😬 jk) Then you showed up again in my UA-cam History. & I’m like OHHHH! Okay. Now it makes sense. 🤣🤣🤣 Even the saintly representation in my dream makes sense. Music is a very spiritual existence. HEY KEVIN, thank you for being here for us.❤️🙏🏽😊
At 71 years old (multi instrumentalist) and still performing I can attest to the fact that bad posture is a #1 ENEMY. I'm living proof. But, still working on it. This video should be a MUST see for anyone teaching ergonomics of playing.
This incredible and insightful therapy session was likely the best guitar lesson I’ve ever had I was starting to believe I would have to give up the guitar because of muscle ache in my back and my side Thank you
Just what I was looking for thank god lol I keep looking for a better place to sit while I play but I already know it’s my bad posture that’s messing me up. Thank you 🙏🏻
I started playing when I was twenty one and took no notice of posture until I was in my fifties and started getting neck, arm and back pain. I had to stop playing altogether until I realised it was slumping over the guitar whilst practicing that was causing the problem.
Omg so insightful I have bad posture and shoulder instabilty due to playing the guitar improperly and far too tensed up concentrating lol. I have a smaller acoustic but when I play my friends larger normal one it's worse. Its extremley painful. It makes my scapular Wing whilst playing and backache. My physio rubbished my claims it could be from playing the guitar. So infuriating. Thanks for the video.
same here, 15 years i try to find the ideal postion but there is less information. your video is awsome! combined my exp with some new input. i tryed this and if i get my position i CLOSE EYES and try to feel play some different riffs or songparts with focus of this instruction. thx 4 sharing works fine (speacially wholetone stretches fit better)
Due to heavy cell phone and computer usage, the number 1 posture problem people have is forward head posture. I developed this 1 month after starting to take guitar lessons. It wasn't just from guitar playing but the learning from a book had me in a bad position to play. You feel discomfort in the shoulder blades, base of the skull, and even have a head ache from it. Everything is connected so when something gets thrown off everything else is off as well and it can lead to pain. I had to switch to 1 flatter pillow when sleeping, do yoga, and now I have to watch how I am positioned when playing guitar to correct this and avoid pain.
It's really true. I can't remember where I read it but I think that approximately 68% of Americans have some kind of back issue, largely due to poor posture. Mine used to be horrible until I started paying attention to it. Good for you for working on your posture!
Generally, you just want something that's comfortable and will allow you to sit up straight. I'm not a fan of sitting on the couch but an office chair or a stool can be very good. This video here shows my demonstration of sitting with the guitar (ua-cam.com/video/vz3y4WQThdI/v-deo.html). Take a look at that and see if that answers some of your questions. If not, please feel free to hit me up again. Good luck!
It's such a breath of fresh air to scroll down the comments & see that the person u r watching has been kind & appreciative enough to comment to EVERY SINGLE one. U just dont see that much! Thanks for that! And also, I have watched this one twice so far. Im just beginning to think that theres something in me wrong to where I just cant get it. Which I know practice is key!! It's so hard to "unlearn" a bad habit though ugh! I stay so mad at myself. Another problem is I broke my back 2 years ago & am starting to get arthritis & tendonitis in my wrists which messes up my wrist & my double jointed left thumb causes problems which the correct hand positions.
I know reading this u might think "did she even watch my videos like she said" lol. I promise u I did. Im just thinking that theres SO many problems that they cant all be fixed. And I cant unlearn them all. I just didnt have money it takes to get a teacher good like u. One that teaches fundamentals...not just basics.
@@mrs.hollerbredkennels-jana7891 Thank you so much for the kind words. I do my best. And yes, I believe you've watched the videos. :) I'm sorry to hear about the back injury. I can't even imagine what that's like to live with. Keep this in mind though: it's not even a marathon, there's no finish line for this type of exercise. I still have to think about my posture and make adjustments several times a day. Take it slow, and practice one element at time for a few days. You'll get there. You can cut yourself a little slack. :)
@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar Thank you, I needed to hear that. It's just rough playing with so many physical problems. And I'm 41 so I shouldnt be this way yet lol. I was a cheerleader for years & I busted my body up pretty good. Im thinking as I got older it's taken a toll. With technique & posture, I guess Im trying to fix it all overnight & I'm overwhelming myself. I do appreciate ya very much.
Awesome! I'm glad you like it. I'm going to be putting up more content soon so if you haven't done so already, be sure to hit the notifications bell. Got any particular questions you'd like me to address?
I just became your 900th subscriber because of this video. I’m a musician of 10+ years and I’ve been feeling held back by my body when it comes to my playing. Your explanation of how to build proper posture at the 6:48 mark has opened my mind and body for posture and holding a guitar. Thank you 🙏 and keep rocking 🤟
Thanks for subscribing! I'm glad to hear that it helped so much. A lot of my focus on this channel is body mechanics so if you haven't done so already, check out the other videos here on the channel. I've got a playlist for guitar lessons. If you've got questions on anything, hit me up in the comments and I'll answer as best I can or possibly make a future video on it. I hope you continue to find success. Rock on!
Just found out my L5-S1 vertebrae is pinching. I risk eventually havine dropped foot syndrone. This is one of the things I'm working on. I realize that slouching with a crossed leg while playing can't be helping.
Awesome job, mate! Very recognizable and indeed, nobody seems to point these things out. Mich appreciate all your efforts and guidance, thank you so much!
Bro, very helpful info. I am suffering from left hand shoulder pain while playing guitar most of the times. Please request you to make a new video on whatever you explained showing it practically holding guitar. Will be very thankful to you and also will be helpful for all guitar players as well.
Hey Ramesh, glad you like it. Check out these two videos (if you haven't already). ua-cam.com/video/BqEmoJ2cags/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/incUdhZigHA/v-deo.html If you don't get the answers you're looking for let me know and I'll definitely make a new video to answer your questions. This video is meant to briefly show how addressing your posture on a regular basis can help your playing. The two links above talk about how to sit with the guitar and how to orient your left hand to avoid pain. Let me know if they help. Good luck!
@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar Bro, today read your message. Saw the video link. very helpful. Many thanks for your help. Needed your guidance on few more things. Can you please share your any personal email id ? Want to clear few things personally which i cannot share openly. Thanks again.
@@RameshKumar-ng3nf at the risk of sounding a little stand-offish, can you be a little more specific? I'm not sure what help I can be outside the areas of guitar playing and music and it just seems a little strange that things relating to that can't be shared.
@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar not sure what you understood my previous message. No where i have mentioned i needed your help outside the areas of guitar playing or music. My words are completely misunderstood by you. I have a physical pain for which i am taking medications and it has affected by guitar playing which is my passion . I didn't wanted to mention here my health problems in detail and ask to you and share for each and everyone to read because multiple people will write multiple comments and might divert my mind as already i am disturbed by that health issue . Thats the only reason i asked your personal email id to communicate one-on-one . I didnt expect you to completely misunderstand my words mentioning outside of guitar playing. How can i ask you something outside of guitar playing ? Anyways, Thats fine, if you dont wanted to guide me. No problems at all..
Hey Ramesh, you're absolutely right. I completely misunderstood what you were asking me, and I'm sorry about that. I hope there are no hard feelings. If you'd like, you can send me a PM through my Facebook page. facebook.com/KevinOShaughnessyMusic/ You'll find the "Send Message" button on the right. This is only a temporary feature for that page as I like to keep the conversations public. This channel especially is growing into a community of people like yourself who are struggling with different things in their efforts to make music. While it's a small channel and I'm still working out the kinks, my hope is that contributors sharing their experiences will help others on the channel. That said, I totally get that sometimes people would want to keep things more private. I hope that clears up any confusion and I'm sorry again for the misunderstanding. I'll look forward to getting your message.
I came from classical, played intensively for years without any injury ever, started electric which involves a completely different setup, didn't have the fundamentals explained to me, and now I'm starting to develop shoulder pain (although I'm not playing intensively at all. But I guess me not doing any workout whatsoever doesn't help my muscles to be strong and support the joints). When I asked questions about these fundamentals, the answer was "There are many opinions on it so find your own way I guess". I guess it was silly of me not to insist. Still I find it crazy that people are allowed to teach without any awareness of posture, ergonomics, and how lacking in these can lead to long-term injury.
I agree. I think a large part of the issue comes from the difference between fine art and folk art. Fine art has a methodology and pedagogy whereas folk art is just passed down, word of mouth. Most practicioners of folk art (like electric guitar players) are generally limited to only teaching how they figured out how to do what they do. And in my observation, they don't tend to look very deeply into their own technique in order to properly demonstrate it. There are exceptions, of course, but they seem to be hard to find.
Sooo how do you look down and do this at the same time? You have to tip your head forward at least a little bit, and therefore ruin the entire gravity thing you were talking about
You practice enough so that you don't need to look down very often. Also, if you watch some of my other videos on ow to sit with the guitar and how to stand with the guitar, you'll see that I orient the headstock away from my body so the guitar is on around a 45-degree angle from my hip. This puts the neck out far enough so that it's easier to see what position you're playing in. As long as you can keep your head up 75 to 80% of the time, you're fine.
I am a beginner for guitar but I struggle to playing over 30 minutes because my back hurts. Do you have suggestions when it comes to looking at the fret board for long periods of time? Thanking you for making this informative video
Hi Tim. Thanks for watching. I'm glad you're getting something out of it. The short answer to your question is: don't look at your fretboard for long periods of time. What you really want to look at when you look down at the guitar is what from that vantage point would be the top of the neck where the redundant fret markers usually are. As a beginner this can be tricky but you want to train yourself to glance down at the top of the neck to confirm your position, and then use your sense of touch to confirm you're on the correct string. Try this: Pick a riff or a lick to work on. Look over to the fretboard and make sure your fingers are going to hit the right strings. Now sit up and look at your fingers from the upright posture described in this video. Make note of any apparent differences. Then close your eyes and try to become aware of the feeling of the strings under your fingers. Finally, try playing the passage without looking. Try to only glance down if you need to shift positions. It will definitely take a little time and you may feel like you're going backwards for a time but this period usually doesn't last long and the payoff is totally worth it. Let me know if you want me to put together a follow up video demonstrating this idea. Subscribe to my channel (if you haven't already) and you'll be notified when it comes out. Thanks again for watching and let me know if you have any other questions.
I am 49 and I do have some minor lower back and some arthritis in my left hip and some neck pain But I do go to the gym One very important question I always want to ask and guitarist and physical therapist Is what specific exercise should all the guitarist do at the gym to strength weak area and use to prevent any further damage so they can player longer ?
Unfortunately, there's no specific exercise I can offer for "all the guitarists". Every weak spot is different. However, what I will suggest is to clearly define what "play longer" means to you. How long can you play now? How long would you like to play? Keep in mind though that if you're looking at professional musicians as a guide, remember that they take breaks during the set. If you're watching a 2 hour Rock show, the guitarist will be off stage during the bass solo. If you're watching function bands, almost everyone takes a break during the piano/vocal ballad. So few people play an entire 120 minutes of music. They may play in actuality 75 or 90 minutes. You have to remember also that they conditioned themselves over many years to do that. So once you've measured how long you can comfortably play now, and you've figured out how long you would like to be able to play, The you can begin to incrementally "add a song to your set." Let's say you can currently play comfortable for 30 minutes but you want to do 90. That's probably a starting point of say, 7 songs and a target of 21 songs. With a doctor's or PT's guidance, play 7 songs every day for two weeks. Then play 8 songs for two weeks. If you keep this up, it will take you about 28 weeks (roughly 7 months) to hit the goal. You may also experience setbacks, injuries, special occasions and the like so it could take a year or more. Best thing you can do is define your goal and work at it a little each day. Playing music is a lot like sports. Hope that helps. Good Luck!
Hi there Sir , Those were some great tip On how to increase my playing time Thank You I will start to put those in over time Now about Exercises For example I use a 5 lbs weight to do wrist strengthen Maybe I should ask what Exercise do you do to strengthen your wrist and forearms ? What Exercise do You do to strengthen Your back? What Exercise do You do to Strengthen Your inner neck muscles ? I usually practice for 20 minutes and then get up and stretch and run in place for about 1-2 mins
The truth is, I didn't have any specific exercises for different muscle groups when I was first learning how to play. Just playing should give you all the work out you need. These days, I do exercise almost daily but the goal is overall physical conditioning and is not playing specific. I find stretching to be more important than exercises, personally. Stay tuned because I'll be putting together a couple of videos on that soon. If you're having trouble in the arms, it could be that the muscles are tight and need to be stretched rather than worked. It could also be that the guitar needs a setup or perhaps a more involved adjustment. This is a very common cause of many playing problems and can usually be taken care of for short money at a local guitar store. If your back hurts when you play then following the steps in this video while in a seated position should provide some relief. In time, a habit will likely develop and the issue should solve itself. For the neck, I would ask if you're trying to hold your head out over the guitar so that you can see the frets. If so, stop. Try practicing "feeling" your way around the fretboard. It's an under-used sense that is very helpful in playing. When you do need to look at what you're doing, simply drop your chin instead of extending your neck out over the guitar. This should relieve some of the strain. Hope that helps.
Thanks Kevin Yes I also workout out to try to stay fit it does it more challenging and difficult as I get older Iam 49 but I want to keep practicing and playing guitar so I do a lot of walking and go to our small gym with comes with our apartment But yes stretching video would probly be very use for all of us older guys trying to maintain or prevent injury looking for to it Kevin thank you so much for all your’s your assistance
Also as a follow up. It seems like as an acoustic guitar player, steel string players adopt the casual/folk position and nylon players use the classical, few people seem to break this rule. Having said that in my research it seems from a pure ergonomics perspective and longevity kind of focus, the classical position seems to be superior, any thoughts on this? And recommendations for steel string players? I am a bigger guy (6'1) with long arms, but I am still concerned about the long term implications of playing a dreadnought guitar.
Thanks for the comment. I had always intended to record a followup video concerning how to sit properly but never got a round to it. Yes, this posture works for sitting. Simply follow the procedure described in the video, then lower yourself into the chair. I found that it took a little while for my lower ab muscles to strengthen up a bit but now it feels perfectly natural. As for your other question, the only superior position is the one that allows you to play what you want to play without pain. It's true, certain genres have tendencies about how they recommend positioning the guitar but if it doesn't work for you, go with the other. For example, I've noticed Zakk Wylde from Ozzy Osbourne's band has adapted a classical guitar positioning to a standing position. Stay tuned and I'll do a sitting posture video for next week.
@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar thank you. One more question! I find that once I lift my sternum higher, my pelvis tends to tilt forward (lower back arch). I understand to hold it in place you need to push the belly button in place ... but how do you keep your stomach flexed like that and breathe / be tension free? thanks so much
@@MatthewChenDirector This first thing to remember is to avoid rigidity. Yes, you pull your belly button in, but usually, it's just a little bit. You should find that you don't need to flex hard. When breathing, try practicing expanding your rib cage slightly instead of your belly. And finally, make sure that you sit on the edge of your chair. If you're holding the guitar in a Folk/Rock like position, drop the left leg (or the right, if you're a lefty) so that your foot is under the chair. I found this helps maintain that neutral spine a great deal. I'll put it in the next video.
@@MatthewChenDirector Hey. I don't know if you saw it yet but I wanted to let you know that the new video on sitting with the guitar is up. You can leave a comment on the video and let me know if it's helpful and if you have any other questions. Here's the link: ua-cam.com/video/vz3y4WQThdI/v-deo.html I hope it helps.
Wow I have not found any guitar tutorial like this, there are just focus in the theory and the instrument, Glad found this channel Sorry my bad English, just wanna say thank you
I recently broke my ribs so I've been home for 6 weeks. I took up the guitar again but I've had a shoulder pain from. Work. It was very small but it got really bad playing guitar. It's in my right shoulder blade area. I pay attention to my posture and try to pooch out my chest rather than slump over while watching my shoulders. I even place the guitar on my left leg when sitting. I still have the pain at a subtle level. Any tips or help? Has anyone done this before?
I'm sorry to hear that. That sounds really painful. No one that I've ever taught has had an experience quite like yours so this is not something I've never even remotely looked into. My first thought is that if it got really bad playing guitar (even if it got better after switching legs), stop. It seems to me your shoulder is telling you it's not ready yet. Take a little more time, and address the issue with your doctor. In the meantime, if you still want to further your playing I suggest two things. 1. Focus on intellectual music lessons, and 2. "Think Practicing." Intellectual music lessons are things like music theory. You could get a book and do it that way or look up the names of the notes that make up the chords you know how to play and start there. You could move on to learning different scales or getting familiar with the names of the notes on the neck. If you're already familiar with all of that there are plenty of other subjects to choose from. "Think Practicing" is imagining playing through all of the songs you know. It sounds stupid, I know. But once, when I was younger, I was without my guitar for 3 months. I didn't want to forget the songs I knew so a friend introduced me to what he called "think practicing". Imagine playing through each song perfectly. The tone, the fingerings, the picking, everything down to the smallest detail. It's hard to stay focused on it but the brain does remember. When I got that guitar back, not only did I remember how to play the songs, I could play some of them better. I hope that's helpful. Good luck!
The short answer is: it depends. First, let me just say that I'm not a doctor or PT or anything like that, but my general philosophy is to avoid such products unless they're really needed. If someone has a physical limitation and a product like this can help, go for it. I've never used and ErgoPlay but I've looked at some reviews and from what I've seen, people who have them seem to like them. I don't see any issue with using one as long as it's not being used to short-cut good posture and technique. Having the guitar in the proper playing position is critical, and it will be different for every player. If an ErgoPlay will help achieve this, I see nothing wrong with it.
Been playing for a year and a half and my sister and dad told me my back curves in at the bottom bulges right out going up and then back in I'm only 17 abit worrying and the only thing I think it is is playing basically i stand like an old man an i never noticed lol
Yeah, it's funny how this posture thing creeps up on you. I. :) It's good you noticed it now while it's still relatively easy to do something about it.
Hey Juan, Thanks for the feedback. I will probably make a follow up to this in the future as I've had a few requests for it. But the point of this video (and I realize it's not as clear as it could be) is that if you fix your over all posture, the work of fixing your posture while you play will be done for you. That's why I didn't demonstrate anything with a guitar. Hope that makes sense.
do you have any specific advice for taller players? i am 6'5 and have very long arms and long hands. (when i stand up ,the tip of my middle finger is 4 inches away from the start of my knee cap. from sitting down and playing my dreadnought acoustic , i have a lot of wrist pain in my fretting hand and upper shoulder pain in my strumming arm and now i'm starting to have lower back pain .I really love guitar but my body is in so much pain . :(
Hey Mark, that sounds tough. There could be dozens of issues to look at. First, I would say that the posture information in this video applies to sitting down. Once you find the sweet spot your back pain should go away (assuming there isn't a more serious issue). As for the fretting hand, I have two videos that might be helpful if you haven't seen them already. ua-cam.com/video/BqEmoJ2cags/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/incUdhZigHA/v-deo.html Another thing to try is to check the setup on your guitar. Heavier strings with a lower action can help alleviate the need for putting excess pressure on the string. Or if the neck is bowed the strings could be too high which would require more effort from your fretting hand. If you try all of that and still have problems I would seek the help of a physical therapist. In the meantime, send me a link to a video of your playing if you like and I'll tell you what I see. Good luck!
Very nice tips. Thank you very much. But I was rather disappointed, since it was all theoretical. I was expecting you to actually play the guitar while keeping the good posture you mentioned.
For that, check out the follow-up videos. standing: ua-cam.com/video/QmYmZpL8Vds/v-deo.html, and sitting: ua-cam.com/video/vz3y4WQThdI/v-deo.html. Hopefully, these will give you what you need. Feel free to hit me up with any questions. Good luck!
This is ESSENTIAL information. Only 9k views? Thank you so much Kevin, this helps A LOT !
Believe it or not u did a better explanation about posture than the last 4 physical therapists I worked with
Wow! Thanks. I'm glad you're finding it useful.
Upper back has always been my issue, getting my foot pedals comfortably situated under my microphone has always been a battle. Thanks for all this advice!
@@jony3775 I know that problem all too well! I found that if I weigh down the mic stand base, I can extend the boom arm closer to my face, giving me a much better peripheral of my pedals. A quick glance down is all I need after that.
@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar HEY! THANKS!! 😎👍
Everything you said is me. Started the acoustic guitar in April and my elbows hurt, my wrists hurt, my forearms kind of hurt and the left side of my kneck/traps. My instructor looked atvme like i was nuts last week whwn i told him how much pain I was in.
This was so helpful. Thank you.
Brilliant video, very insightful, I've learned a lot from this, I've just come across your UA-cam channel by chance, and I'm so glad I did, I'm currently relearning guitar after having a operation on having a cancerous brain tumor partially removed which has left my left side of my body partially paralysed, so meant I've had to really work alot more harder to get my left side of my body working to a point where I can literally pick up my guitar 🎸. Let me tell you it's been frustrating yet disheartening but my stubborness and determination & motivation to pick up my guitar again has kept me going, so relearning body posture and holding a guitar in the right way so I can at least use my left hand again to make a chord has been challenging. But I'm persistent yet hopeful I can make some progress. 👍
Hey I hope you're better now. How is it going now?
I see this information improving the longevity of guitar playing! Very good! Amazing!
Kept thinking I needed a 3/4 or half size acoustic because my EKO Dreadnought is too heavy that's why my upper back/shoulder wing always in pain after standing playing for over 30mins? but I'm now going to check in on my posture first for a while before rushing to the guitar shop.!
Oh, so I just came here because my back is aching. Thank you for this, now I know that my posture is bad. Thank you again :D
I read an article that talked about a study in 2018 that said the cause of back pain for 80% of Americans was bad posture. I new it was a problem for my students at the time but I didn't think it was so widespread. I hope this helps you.
I happened upon this video right B4 I fell asleep last night. You appeared in my dreams as a saint.😊 When I woke up, I remembered the saint in my dream & kept wondering why the face seemed so vivid & familiar, even now, while I’m awake (I think 😬 jk) Then you showed up again in my UA-cam History. & I’m like OHHHH! Okay. Now it makes sense. 🤣🤣🤣 Even the saintly representation in my dream makes sense. Music is a very spiritual existence. HEY KEVIN, thank you for being here for us.❤️🙏🏽😊
Great advice for beginners like myself 😁 👍 I will stay tune for more instruction on playing 🎸
At 71 years old (multi instrumentalist) and still performing I can attest to the fact that bad posture is a #1 ENEMY. I'm living proof. But, still working on it. This video should be a MUST see for anyone teaching ergonomics of playing.
This incredible and insightful therapy session was likely the best guitar lesson I’ve ever had
I was starting to believe I would have to give up the guitar because of muscle ache in my back and my side
Thank you
Just what I was looking for thank god lol I keep looking for a better place to sit while I play but I already know it’s my bad posture that’s messing me up. Thank you 🙏🏻
I started playing when I was twenty one and took no notice of posture until I was in my fifties and started getting neck, arm and back pain. I had to stop playing altogether until I realised it was slumping over the guitar whilst practicing that was causing the problem.
Omg so insightful I have bad posture and shoulder instabilty due to playing the guitar improperly and far too tensed up concentrating lol. I have a smaller acoustic but when I play my friends larger normal one it's worse. Its extremley painful. It makes my scapular Wing whilst playing and backache. My physio rubbished my claims it could be from playing the guitar. So infuriating. Thanks for the video.
same here, 15 years i try to find the ideal postion but there is less information. your video is awsome! combined my exp with some new input. i tryed this and if i get my position i CLOSE EYES and try to feel play some different riffs or songparts with focus of this instruction. thx 4 sharing works fine (speacially wholetone stretches fit better)
Thank you, this is really was I was looking for!!!! 🙏🏼
Due to heavy cell phone and computer usage, the number 1 posture problem people have is forward head posture. I developed this 1 month after starting to take guitar lessons. It wasn't just from guitar playing but the learning from a book had me in a bad position to play. You feel discomfort in the shoulder blades, base of the skull, and even have a head ache from it. Everything is connected so when something gets thrown off everything else is off as well and it can lead to pain. I had to switch to 1 flatter pillow when sleeping, do yoga, and now I have to watch how I am positioned when playing guitar to correct this and avoid pain.
It's really true. I can't remember where I read it but I think that approximately 68% of Americans have some kind of back issue, largely due to poor posture. Mine used to be horrible until I started paying attention to it. Good for you for working on your posture!
Thank you for the information. Do you have any suggestions for what kind of chair should I sit on while playing guitar.
Generally, you just want something that's comfortable and will allow you to sit up straight. I'm not a fan of sitting on the couch but an office chair or a stool can be very good. This video here shows my demonstration of sitting with the guitar (ua-cam.com/video/vz3y4WQThdI/v-deo.html). Take a look at that and see if that answers some of your questions. If not, please feel free to hit me up again. Good luck!
Good information. Right posture must be good for the playing.
Doing some research now on posture since my hand started hurting after 10+ years playing, good stuff, and you are right it is kind of overlooked.
Glad I could help.
It's such a breath of fresh air to scroll down the comments & see that the person u r watching has been kind & appreciative enough to comment to EVERY SINGLE one. U just dont see that much! Thanks for that! And also, I have watched this one twice so far. Im just beginning to think that theres something in me wrong to where I just cant get it. Which I know practice is key!! It's so hard to "unlearn" a bad habit though ugh! I stay so mad at myself. Another problem is I broke my back 2 years ago & am starting to get arthritis & tendonitis in my wrists which messes up my wrist & my double jointed left thumb causes problems which the correct hand positions.
I know reading this u might think "did she even watch my videos like she said" lol. I promise u I did. Im just thinking that theres SO many problems that they cant all be fixed. And I cant unlearn them all. I just didnt have money it takes to get a teacher good like u. One that teaches fundamentals...not just basics.
@@mrs.hollerbredkennels-jana7891 Thank you so much for the kind words. I do my best. And yes, I believe you've watched the videos. :)
I'm sorry to hear about the back injury. I can't even imagine what that's like to live with. Keep this in mind though: it's not even a marathon, there's no finish line for this type of exercise. I still have to think about my posture and make adjustments several times a day.
Take it slow, and practice one element at time for a few days. You'll get there. You can cut yourself a little slack. :)
@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar Thank you, I needed to hear that. It's just rough playing with so many physical problems. And I'm 41 so I shouldnt be this way yet lol. I was a cheerleader for years & I busted my body up pretty good. Im thinking as I got older it's taken a toll. With technique & posture, I guess Im trying to fix it all overnight & I'm overwhelming myself. I do appreciate ya very much.
@@mrs.hollerbredkennels-jana7891 Glad I could help. :)
Thanks for the steps!
1. rounded back, slumped shoulders, back arched
2. neutral pelvis
3. belly button in slightly
4. chest up shoulders back and down
THIS IS A GAME CHANGING VIDEO!
Just subscribed! This is the most sensical and to the point video on posture I've ever watched.
Awesome! I'm glad you like it. I'm going to be putting up more content soon so if you haven't done so already, be sure to hit the notifications bell. Got any particular questions you'd like me to address?
I'm here cause my neck! Thanks 🙏
I just became your 900th subscriber because of this video. I’m a musician of 10+ years and I’ve been feeling held back by my body when it comes to my playing. Your explanation of how to build proper posture at the 6:48 mark has opened my mind and body for posture and holding a guitar. Thank you 🙏 and keep rocking 🤟
Thanks for subscribing! I'm glad to hear that it helped so much. A lot of my focus on this channel is body mechanics so if you haven't done so already, check out the other videos here on the channel. I've got a playlist for guitar lessons. If you've got questions on anything, hit me up in the comments and I'll answer as best I can or possibly make a future video on it. I hope you continue to find success. Rock on!
Just found out my L5-S1 vertebrae is pinching. I risk eventually havine dropped foot syndrone.
This is one of the things I'm working on. I realize that slouching with a crossed leg while playing can't be helping.
I hope this helps. Good luck!
Awesome job, mate! Very recognizable and indeed, nobody seems to point these things out. Mich appreciate all your efforts and guidance, thank you so much!
Happy to help.
HE IS NOT LYING! NOBODY TEACHES THIS!
THIS IS AN ONTIME VIDEO - A GAME CHANGING!
The only teacher that told me my posture was important was my Classical guitar teacher! In the sitting position!
Bro, very helpful info. I am suffering from left hand shoulder pain while playing guitar most of the times. Please request you to make a new video on whatever you explained showing it practically holding guitar. Will be very thankful to you and also will be helpful for all guitar players as well.
Hey Ramesh, glad you like it. Check out these two videos (if you haven't already).
ua-cam.com/video/BqEmoJ2cags/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/incUdhZigHA/v-deo.html
If you don't get the answers you're looking for let me know and I'll definitely make a new video to answer your questions. This video is meant to briefly show how addressing your posture on a regular basis can help your playing. The two links above talk about how to sit with the guitar and how to orient your left hand to avoid pain. Let me know if they help.
Good luck!
@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar Bro, today read your message. Saw the video link. very helpful. Many thanks for your help. Needed your guidance on few more things. Can you please share your any personal email id ? Want to clear few things personally which i cannot share openly. Thanks again.
@@RameshKumar-ng3nf at the risk of sounding a little stand-offish, can you be a little more specific? I'm not sure what help I can be outside the areas of guitar playing and music and it just seems a little strange that things relating to that can't be shared.
@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar not sure what you understood my previous message. No where i have mentioned i needed your help outside the areas of guitar playing or music. My words are completely misunderstood by you. I have a physical pain for which i am taking medications and it has affected by guitar playing which is my passion . I didn't wanted to mention here my health problems in detail and ask to you and share for each and everyone to read because multiple people will write multiple comments and might divert my mind as already i am disturbed by that health issue . Thats the only reason i asked your personal email id to communicate one-on-one . I didnt expect you to completely misunderstand my words mentioning outside of guitar playing. How can i ask you something outside of guitar playing ? Anyways, Thats fine, if you dont wanted to guide me. No problems at all..
Hey Ramesh, you're absolutely right. I completely misunderstood what you were asking me, and I'm sorry about that. I hope there are no hard feelings. If you'd like, you can send me a PM through my Facebook page. facebook.com/KevinOShaughnessyMusic/ You'll find the "Send Message" button on the right.
This is only a temporary feature for that page as I like to keep the conversations public. This channel especially is growing into a community of people like yourself who are struggling with different things in their efforts to make music. While it's a small channel and I'm still working out the kinks, my hope is that contributors sharing their experiences will help others on the channel. That said, I totally get that sometimes people would want to keep things more private.
I hope that clears up any confusion and I'm sorry again for the misunderstanding. I'll look forward to getting your message.
Lifesaver.
Thank you so much!
I came from classical, played intensively for years without any injury ever, started electric which involves a completely different setup, didn't have the fundamentals explained to me, and now I'm starting to develop shoulder pain (although I'm not playing intensively at all. But I guess me not doing any workout whatsoever doesn't help my muscles to be strong and support the joints). When I asked questions about these fundamentals, the answer was "There are many opinions on it so find your own way I guess". I guess it was silly of me not to insist. Still I find it crazy that people are allowed to teach without any awareness of posture, ergonomics, and how lacking in these can lead to long-term injury.
I agree. I think a large part of the issue comes from the difference between fine art and folk art. Fine art has a methodology and pedagogy whereas folk art is just passed down, word of mouth. Most practicioners of folk art (like electric guitar players) are generally limited to only teaching how they figured out how to do what they do. And in my observation, they don't tend to look very deeply into their own technique in order to properly demonstrate it. There are exceptions, of course, but they seem to be hard to find.
Sooo how do you look down and do this at the same time? You have to tip your head forward at least a little bit, and therefore ruin the entire gravity thing you were talking about
You practice enough so that you don't need to look down very often. Also, if you watch some of my other videos on ow to sit with the guitar and how to stand with the guitar, you'll see that I orient the headstock away from my body so the guitar is on around a 45-degree angle from my hip. This puts the neck out far enough so that it's easier to see what position you're playing in. As long as you can keep your head up 75 to 80% of the time, you're fine.
Thank you 👍🏻
@@jatinthanekar You’re welcome! I’ve got some follow-up videos on my channel if you need more help.
I am a beginner for guitar but I struggle to playing over 30 minutes because my back hurts. Do you have suggestions when it comes to looking at the fret board for long periods of time? Thanking you for making this informative video
Hi Tim. Thanks for watching. I'm glad you're getting something out of it. The short answer to your question is: don't look at your fretboard for long periods of time.
What you really want to look at when you look down at the guitar is what from that vantage point would be the top of the neck where the redundant fret markers usually are. As a beginner this can be tricky but you want to train yourself to glance down at the top of the neck to confirm your position, and then use your sense of touch to confirm you're on the correct string.
Try this:
Pick a riff or a lick to work on. Look over to the fretboard and make sure your fingers are going to hit the right strings. Now sit up and look at your fingers from the upright posture described in this video. Make note of any apparent differences. Then close your eyes and try to become aware of the feeling of the strings under your fingers. Finally, try playing the passage without looking. Try to only glance down if you need to shift positions.
It will definitely take a little time and you may feel like you're going backwards for a time but this period usually doesn't last long and the payoff is totally worth it.
Let me know if you want me to put together a follow up video demonstrating this idea. Subscribe to my channel (if you haven't already) and you'll be notified when it comes out.
Thanks again for watching and let me know if you have any other questions.
I am 49 and I do have some minor lower back and some arthritis in my left hip and some neck pain
But I do go to the gym
One very important question I always want to ask and guitarist and physical therapist
Is what specific exercise should all the guitarist do at the gym to strength weak area and use to prevent any further damage so they can player longer ?
Unfortunately, there's no specific exercise I can offer for "all the guitarists". Every weak spot is different. However, what I will suggest is to clearly define what "play longer" means to you. How long can you play now? How long would you like to play?
Keep in mind though that if you're looking at professional musicians as a guide, remember that they take breaks during the set. If you're watching a 2 hour Rock show, the guitarist will be off stage during the bass solo. If you're watching function bands, almost everyone takes a break during the piano/vocal ballad. So few people play an entire 120 minutes of music. They may play in actuality 75 or 90 minutes.
You have to remember also that they conditioned themselves over many years to do that. So once you've measured how long you can comfortably play now, and you've figured out how long you would like to be able to play, The you can begin to incrementally "add a song to your set."
Let's say you can currently play comfortable for 30 minutes but you want to do 90. That's probably a starting point of say, 7 songs and a target of 21 songs. With a doctor's or PT's guidance, play 7 songs every day for two weeks. Then play 8 songs for two weeks. If you keep this up, it will take you about 28 weeks (roughly 7 months) to hit the goal. You may also experience setbacks, injuries, special occasions and the like so it could take a year or more.
Best thing you can do is define your goal and work at it a little each day. Playing music is a lot like sports. Hope that helps. Good Luck!
Hi there Sir ,
Those were some great tip On how to increase my playing time
Thank You I will start to put those in over time
Now about Exercises
For example I use a 5 lbs weight to do wrist strengthen
Maybe I should ask what Exercise do you do to strengthen your wrist and forearms ?
What Exercise do You do to strengthen Your back?
What Exercise do You do to Strengthen Your inner neck muscles ?
I usually practice for 20 minutes and then get up and stretch and run in place for about 1-2 mins
The truth is, I didn't have any specific exercises for different muscle groups when I was first learning how to play. Just playing should give you all the work out you need. These days, I do exercise almost daily but the goal is overall physical conditioning and is not playing specific. I find stretching to be more important than exercises, personally. Stay tuned because I'll be putting together a couple of videos on that soon.
If you're having trouble in the arms, it could be that the muscles are tight and need to be stretched rather than worked. It could also be that the guitar needs a setup or perhaps a more involved adjustment. This is a very common cause of many playing problems and can usually be taken care of for short money at a local guitar store.
If your back hurts when you play then following the steps in this video while in a seated position should provide some relief. In time, a habit will likely develop and the issue should solve itself.
For the neck, I would ask if you're trying to hold your head out over the guitar so that you can see the frets. If so, stop. Try practicing "feeling" your way around the fretboard. It's an under-used sense that is very helpful in playing. When you do need to look at what you're doing, simply drop your chin instead of extending your neck out over the guitar. This should relieve some of the strain.
Hope that helps.
Thanks Kevin
Yes I also workout out to try to stay fit it does it more challenging and difficult as I get older Iam 49
but I want to keep practicing and playing guitar so I do a lot of walking and go to our small gym with comes with our apartment
But yes stretching video would probly be very use for all of us older guys trying to maintain or prevent injury looking for to it Kevin thank you so much for all your’s your assistance
I will also slowly start adding that to my practice and playing
About tried to feel more with my fingers and less with my eyes
You might have said this in the video but just to make sure this advice also works for sitting yes?
Also as a follow up. It seems like as an acoustic guitar player, steel string players adopt the casual/folk position and nylon players use the classical, few people seem to break this rule. Having said that in my research it seems from a pure ergonomics perspective and longevity kind of focus, the classical position seems to be superior, any thoughts on this? And recommendations for steel string players?
I am a bigger guy (6'1) with long arms, but I am still concerned about the long term implications of playing a dreadnought guitar.
Thanks for the comment. I had always intended to record a followup video concerning how to sit properly but never got a round to it.
Yes, this posture works for sitting. Simply follow the procedure described in the video, then lower yourself into the chair. I found that it took a little while for my lower ab muscles to strengthen up a bit but now it feels perfectly natural.
As for your other question, the only superior position is the one that allows you to play what you want to play without pain.
It's true, certain genres have tendencies about how they recommend positioning the guitar but if it doesn't work for you, go with the other. For example, I've noticed Zakk Wylde from Ozzy Osbourne's band has adapted a classical guitar positioning to a standing position.
Stay tuned and I'll do a sitting posture video for next week.
@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar thank you. One more question! I find that once I lift my sternum higher, my pelvis tends to tilt forward (lower back arch). I understand to hold it in place you need to push the belly button in place ... but how do you keep your stomach flexed like that and breathe / be tension free?
thanks so much
@@MatthewChenDirector This first thing to remember is to avoid rigidity. Yes, you pull your belly button in, but usually, it's just a little bit. You should find that you don't need to flex hard.
When breathing, try practicing expanding your rib cage slightly instead of your belly.
And finally, make sure that you sit on the edge of your chair. If you're holding the guitar in a Folk/Rock like position, drop the left leg (or the right, if you're a lefty) so that your foot is under the chair. I found this helps maintain that neutral spine a great deal. I'll put it in the next video.
@@MatthewChenDirector Hey. I don't know if you saw it yet but I wanted to let you know that the new video on sitting with the guitar is up. You can leave a comment on the video and let me know if it's helpful and if you have any other questions. Here's the link:
ua-cam.com/video/vz3y4WQThdI/v-deo.html
I hope it helps.
Kevin, is that the same for sitting? Thanks for the video!
Hey Kevin. Yes, it's basically the same thing. Check out this video for a more complete demonstration.
ua-cam.com/video/vz3y4WQThdI/v-deo.html
Wow I have not found any guitar tutorial like this, there are just focus in the theory and the instrument,
Glad found this channel
Sorry my bad English, just wanna say thank you
I'm glad I could help. Welcome!
I recently broke my ribs so I've been home for 6 weeks. I took up the guitar again but I've had a shoulder pain from. Work. It was very small but it got really bad playing guitar. It's in my right shoulder blade area. I pay attention to my posture and try to pooch out my chest rather than slump over while watching my shoulders. I even place the guitar on my left leg when sitting. I still have the pain at a subtle level. Any tips or help? Has anyone done this before?
I'm sorry to hear that. That sounds really painful. No one that I've ever taught has had an experience quite like yours so this is not something I've never even remotely looked into. My first thought is that if it got really bad playing guitar (even if it got better after switching legs), stop. It seems to me your shoulder is telling you it's not ready yet. Take a little more time, and address the issue with your doctor.
In the meantime, if you still want to further your playing I suggest two things. 1. Focus on intellectual music lessons, and 2. "Think Practicing."
Intellectual music lessons are things like music theory. You could get a book and do it that way or look up the names of the notes that make up the chords you know how to play and start there. You could move on to learning different scales or getting familiar with the names of the notes on the neck. If you're already familiar with all of that there are plenty of other subjects to choose from.
"Think Practicing" is imagining playing through all of the songs you know. It sounds stupid, I know. But once, when I was younger, I was without my guitar for 3 months. I didn't want to forget the songs I knew so a friend introduced me to what he called "think practicing". Imagine playing through each song perfectly. The tone, the fingerings, the picking, everything down to the smallest detail. It's hard to stay focused on it but the brain does remember. When I got that guitar back, not only did I remember how to play the songs, I could play some of them better.
I hope that's helpful. Good luck!
Hi there. What are your thoughts on the ergoplay tappert guitar support. Would you suggest such a product for comfort and support
The short answer is: it depends. First, let me just say that I'm not a doctor or PT or anything like that, but my general philosophy is to avoid such products unless they're really needed. If someone has a physical limitation and a product like this can help, go for it. I've never used and ErgoPlay but I've looked at some reviews and from what I've seen, people who have them seem to like them. I don't see any issue with using one as long as it's not being used to short-cut good posture and technique. Having the guitar in the proper playing position is critical, and it will be different for every player. If an ErgoPlay will help achieve this, I see nothing wrong with it.
thank you
You're welcome.
Thank you so much for this!!!
You're welcome. I hope it helps.
Been playing for a year and a half and my sister and dad told me my back curves in at the bottom bulges right out going up and then back in I'm only 17 abit worrying and the only thing I think it is is playing basically i stand like an old man an i never noticed lol
Yeah, it's funny how this posture thing creeps up on you. I. :) It's good you noticed it now while it's still relatively easy to do something about it.
The information is really useful but; it would have been great to demonstrate all the strategies with a guitar????????
Hey Juan, Thanks for the feedback. I will probably make a follow up to this in the future as I've had a few requests for it. But the point of this video (and I realize it's not as clear as it could be) is that if you fix your over all posture, the work of fixing your posture while you play will be done for you. That's why I didn't demonstrate anything with a guitar. Hope that makes sense.
do you have any specific advice for taller players? i am 6'5 and have very long arms and long hands. (when i stand up ,the tip of my middle finger is 4 inches away from the start of my knee cap. from sitting down and playing my dreadnought acoustic , i have a lot of wrist pain in my fretting hand and upper shoulder pain in my strumming arm and now i'm starting to have lower back pain .I really love guitar but my body is in so much pain . :(
Hey Mark, that sounds tough. There could be dozens of issues to look at. First, I would say that the posture information in this video applies to sitting down. Once you find the sweet spot your back pain should go away (assuming there isn't a more serious issue).
As for the fretting hand, I have two videos that might be helpful if you haven't seen them already.
ua-cam.com/video/BqEmoJ2cags/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/incUdhZigHA/v-deo.html
Another thing to try is to check the setup on your guitar. Heavier strings with a lower action can help alleviate the need for putting excess pressure on the string. Or if the neck is bowed the strings could be too high which would require more effort from your fretting hand.
If you try all of that and still have problems I would seek the help of a physical therapist. In the meantime, send me a link to a video of your playing if you like and I'll tell you what I see.
Good luck!
@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar i will definitely do this . Thank you and I will view your Lin as well
@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar ua-cam.com/video/rW2SgDcPdyo/v-deo.html
@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar ua-cam.com/video/_ZcXBkla5W4/v-deo.html
Excellent advise. Now I have to start all over again because I’m a gorilla! Not really. Thanks.
Nice channel
Thanks! It's a work in progress so feel free to hit me up in the comments here and tell me what you'd like to see more of.
Kevin O'Shaughnessy sure, im watching your videos every night because i have some back problems, i will ask if there is any question 🖒🖒🖒
I'm sorry to hear about the back problems but I hope this helps. I'll have more soon.
Very nice tips. Thank you very much. But I was rather disappointed, since it was all theoretical. I was expecting you to actually play the guitar while keeping the good posture you mentioned.
For that, check out the follow-up videos. standing:
ua-cam.com/video/QmYmZpL8Vds/v-deo.html, and sitting:
ua-cam.com/video/vz3y4WQThdI/v-deo.html. Hopefully, these will give you what you need. Feel free to hit me up with any questions. Good luck!
@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar Ohh awesome, thank you!
I’m not alone. F**k
😂
I always thought sticking your butt out was good posture guess im wrong
Word of advice. Try and half what you have to say. Just get to the point.
So true. That was one of my earlier videos. The more recent ones are a bit more concise.
Painful to watch.