Just over 6 months into my journey and I can feel my enthusiasm beginning to wane for the first time.
Not sure if it’s because I tend to suddenly go from ‘I can do this’ and things working and then the next day picking my guitar and suddenly I can’t play a note.
Anyway, one of my constant frustrations has been that my guitar slips off my knee when playing. I’ve got a cheap Dreadnought epiphone dr-100.
I sit and play it and it slips on my knee and over a couple of songs i am constantly having to jerk it back up.
I bought a strap but don’t really feel comfortable with it although I keep practicing.
So, my question is - is it a size, a shape thing? Is it the way I sit? It’s varnished underneath and sometimes I wonder if it wasn’t so shiny and slippy… Is there some for of grip that can be attached to it or am I doing something wrong?
Whilst I’m struggling a bit to stay motivated it’s just another annoyance I don’t need.
I’m just finishing up the power chords session and didn’t particularly enjoy it but felt it important to try and push through.
I’m not a fan of blues either but want to make sure I try to learn all the lessons so will stick with it.
James, you don’t mention you chair type and sitting position.
If your knees are below your hips the guitar can slip down your thighs.
Definitely wear a strap.
But, try lowering your seat height or raising your knee height. Some people use a foot rest to achieve this.
I generally cross my legs when I play sitting, which is always. While I find crossing my legs comfy, it also raises my leg some so it’s not lower than my chair. That said, my guitar still slips down. I just slide it back up and keep on playing. I don’t even think about it when I’m sliding it back up. Apparently after years of doing this I don’t even realize I’m sliding it back up. Probably not a great answer for you, but that’s what I do it seems. Guess I could do the strap, but for some reason I don’t do straps so much. Personal preference I’d assume.
fwiw, my guitar is a Epi DR-500, so I’d assume similar to yours. Sliding down also happens when I play my dreadnought (alverez) 12 too. Might be the size of the guitar I guess. I just don’t think it’s brand of guitar that it slides though.
A foot rest might help, that’s a great shout.
I also think the guitar is just a little on the large side.
I really want a Taylor guitar or similar but obvs they’re fairly pricey.
I think after Christmas I’ll go and try and few and buy something a touch smaller.
I also fancy an electric but need to do a bit of reading on them as I’ve never so much as held an one. I’d need a small amp too.
Thanks for the responses, food for thought for now.
On another note - I spent three hours learning Cast no Shadow (Oasis) and Another Brick in the Wall (Floyd) tonight.
I still can’t play them very well but really enjoyed trying.
James, as I read your original post, it occurred to me that “Guitar slipping” might have carried two meanings. I think that waning enthusiasm is part of the beginner journey - it’s part of mine anyway. It looks like you found some inspring songs to work on, and thereby showed that issue the door. Well done!
Of course, “pricey” varies from person to person, but the Taylor Academy models or 100-level aren’t too bad. I have a 114e, which seems to go around $700 on the used market, maybe less if you buy from an individual instead of a shop.
That is very common. And it is something you are more likely to experience if you you move quickly through the course without time for consolidation. 6 months in and you’re working through Grade 2 and on to power chords. That is fairly rapid. Your foundations may not be super string and stable so you will be liable to up and down moments.
You definitely need to get used to playing with a strap otherwise your fretting hand ends up supporting the neck and can’t move as freely, making playing even harder.
Not all straps are equal either. A wider strap will spread the weight more so should be more comfortable (although this is more relevant to electric guitars which tend to be heavier).
I can vouch for the Taylor Academy series guitars being a good choice, it’s what I started with and obviously their GS-Mini is a much loved small acoustic. They aren’t cheap but a cheap guitar isn’t such good value if it’s not comfortable to play
Along the same lines as Alexyd, I always use a piece of chamois leather on my leg (the stuff used for cleaning cars) which means that I don’t have to hold the guitar in a death grip to stop it moving.
…of course I then have to think of another excuse for my terrible playing
Another reason a guitar (especially an acoustic) will move away from you is if your strumming arm - upper arm - is squeezing the body too tight in a hug, pulling it in to your torso, the lower portion of the guitar will counter it by moving away from you.
I think it’s all been said. Get used to wearing a strap. It frees your mind and body from worrying about holding the guitar, and helps with posture. I also bought a cheapo plastic footstool to keep my right leg elevated a bit. And I started learning on a dreadnought that felt like I was wrestling an alligator, so I invested in a really nice OM/concert sized guitar by Alvarez and that made a huge difference.
Hi James I have the same problem due to a rotund waist (ie beer belly) I use a strap fairly tight to keep it in place but it is a pain as it does slip a bit.
I tend to play/practice most night for several hours and have done for my whole journey.
I work out of hotels a lot and so it’s either guitar or sitting in the bar.
I didn’t realise that I had progressed quicker than others… Feels like a crawl to me.
But, on the flip side I’ve practiced a considerable amount more than Justin’s minimum 20 mins.
