The Importance of Posture

Posture is a fundamental aspect of achieving a good and fluent guitar performance. It’s likely that your teacher has emphasized the significance of posture, and you’ve probably experimented with various ways of holding the guitar and positioning your body and hands. While posture is highly individual, based on the anatomical conditions of each player, there are basic principles that should guide your choice of posture. These principles are best discussed with your teacher, as the work on posture is ongoing and never truly ends.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

One common mistake is to blindly, religiously, or fanatically copy someone else’s posture. This approach, often seen in the past, is merely cosmetic and doesn’t consider the individual needs of the player. On the other hand, completely disregarding traditional methods in an effort to avoid the “old school” can also lead to ineffective results. The key is to think critically, try different approaches, discuss them with your teacher, and remain open to change and new ideas.

The True Purpose of Posture

Ultimately, your posture should allow you to perform music with all its aspects, for as long as needed, with minimal effort and the desired quality. It’s important to understand that a good posture doesn’t automatically guarantee a good sound. The sound originates in our minds, and our desire to produce it leads us to adopt a certain posture that aligns with that goal. In other words, our perception and understanding of a good sound drive us to find the best way to produce it. Therefore, posture should never be considered in isolation from the music itself.