Hello NC,
One short video is worth more than 1000 words…although Adrian did say good things.
Greetings ,Rogier
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Hi NC,
I’ve got the same model and while my strumming arm gets numb after playing about 30-40 minutes without resting much, I’ve never felt anything close to my armpit. My elbow tends to be close to the top binding of the guitar. Could it be that you lean over too much while playing or you are straining your shoulders?
When playing, try to keep your arms and shoulders as relaxed as you can and adjust the angle of the neck so that it feels comfortable (i.e. it’s not necessary to have it completely horizontal).
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Thanks all for the help, I raised my chair a little bit this morning so the guitar sits slightly lower now and didn’t have a problem practicing this morning for about 45min.
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I have a crap shoulder - arthritis, frozen - and rotator cuff problems, too. My Fender dreadnought was (yuk, yuk) dreadful. No matter what I did I couldn’t play longer than 45 minutes because of the pain. I went way down in size to a Taylor travel size guitar (GS Mini) and my shoulder is fine and the sound from that little thing is great. Good luck.
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Hi All,
Recently I switched from an acoustic guitar to an electric guitar and I rewatched this lesson.
However, I still have some issues to find the most comfortable position with my electric.
The biggest problem that I have is that it feels unstable, especially when I am trying to switch chords fast.
I am trying different things but I still have two questions. Maybe the answers would be helpful to others too.
- First, what is the right angle between the plane that is created by the arms (blue line) and the guitar neck (red line) ? I know that it cannot be too big or too low
but maybe there are some tips or fretting arm position that can be a guide here
- Second, what can be the tilt angle of the guitar when I am putting it on my right leg (red line). Cause, to be honest, when the guitar is “too straight”, it is too wobbly for me:
Thanks in advance for any tips 
And sorry for a"messy" photos, but I wanted to be clear about my questions
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@Aroo46
Thanks for the pics, making it easier to understand your questions.
From what I see you may benefit from wearing a strap, bringing the guitar more left and in front plus raising the neck up.
See advice I gave here: Beginner's safe space - #468 by Richard_close2u
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Definitely get a strap. If for no other reason than it will save your guitar from damage by preventing it falling onto the floor in a moment of clumsiness. A strap also allows you to let go of the guitar and fiddle with a metronome, iPhone, iPad, tab sheets, etc.
I’m a relative novice, but I believe there’s no ‘right’ way to hold a guitar. We come in all different shapes and sizes. Keep playing and you will eventually find the way that works for you.
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A foot rest may also be helpful if you do a lot of playing sitting down. For me personally it keeps my strat resting comfortably against my torso rather than wanting to fall forwards whenever I move. The slightly higher position also prevents the hunching you see on so many players, which is much better for your back.
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Yes, I also use a foot rest under my right foot. Without it, it feels like the guitar wants to slide off my leg (I keep my guitar strap loose, so the guitar isn’t actually hanging off my shoulder).
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@Richard_close2u thanks for sharing the topic, it is really helpful 
@jacksprat @Goffik thanks also for your feedback, I will definitely have a go with the strap.
I’m also thinking about the foot rest, cause sometimes I found myself getting the right heel up, so that all the leg is going a bit up and then the guitar feels more stable
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Chris - tighten that baby, make it earn its keep.
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I leave the strap loose when sitting too. Tightening it puts it in an uncomfortable position when I stand up to play and I really don’t want to be adjusting it every time I decide to switch. I know Justin advises the same position for both sitting/standing, but that doesn’t work for me.
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I always play with a strap seated, both acoustic (and electrics, many years ago.). Always hated the way the guitars didn’t feel properly supported, the neck moves around, and feels like it wants to slide off my lap.
That said, I very recently discovered I can “pin” my acoustic to my right leg with the weight of my right arm, if lower the headstock enough.
Picture and explanation here:
I still play with a strap…for me, having the headstock so low disrupts my fretting hand, and I have to slouch to securely pin the guitar. But it might be something to experiment with if you don’t like a tighter strap.
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Hello All, I am in the middle of Beginner Grade 1. The more I practice the more I seem to be struggling to find a comfortable way to hold my guitar, a Yamaha FG 800. I’ve tried both the right and left thigh. No matter how or on what I sit, the guitar feels too big. The neck is constantly wobbling. I am thinking of trying a smaller guitar, but I’ve read that can be a problem too.
I am about 6 feet, or 182cm tall, with a beer belly. I’ve never been called ‘big’ but some have described my body as ‘thick.’ Not to be confused with ‘think in the head.’ although that frequently applies too.
Just curious if anyone else has struggled with this and had a breakthrough, or perhaps some insight?
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I’m not comfortable with my acoustic being positioned with the waist on either thigh. I use a strap, even sitting, and position the lower bought on my right thigh.
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I struggled for a while finding a comfortable way to sit with a guitar.
I now use strap while sitting and the position I aim for is roughly the same while standing. It feels a little awkward at first as you are probably used to turning the neck towards yourself a bit to see it… but this position is very consistent and makes playing while standing very easy.
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Hi Skip, I think a lot of us need some time to find a comfortable position for the guitar in the beginning. Everybody’s body is different. I also had some issues with a “moving” headstock at the beginning, especially while switching chords. I play a dreadnought too and what helped me enormously was a slight change of the position of my right (strumming hand) elbow. I saw a video here of someone who had her elbow on the outermost right “edge” on top of the guitar. At that point, my elbow wasn’t that far outside, more on the highest point of the guitar body. With the elbow more to the edge, I received a more stable position, as the weight of my elbow in this angle is enough to fix the guitar. I don’t need my fretting hand at all to hold it. Try out different approaches, I’m sure something will work for you!
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@newstrings, your topic has been merged with this one…lots of good advice in this thread…hope you read it…
Also, this one…with more advice, and lots of pictures.
Some anecdotal evidence that might apply to you. My girlfriend is also tall - 5’10’ - and has a belly. She has found that classical position with strap is currently the best sitting position for her.
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Struggling with the pressure of the right arm making the neck fly up or away from me when i pull my fretting left hand off the guitar. If i counter to reduce the pressure on the guitar by holding my right arm up a bit, it causes pressure on the right shoulder which Justin says to avoid. Please note i am unable to play in the position Justin shows that most players use which is the guitar waist on the right leg. I can only play with a strap holding the guitar in my upper mid section. I try to anchor the bottom bout on my right leg but the neck still flies up and away from the right arm pressure. Help! Got to solve this or i wont get anywhere.
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@TGFNM14
Kurt - wearing a strap is no problem at all. Go for it. Quite hte opposite, it is a good thing to adopt.
I’m struggling to get a mental picture of why your neck flies up. Are you able to take a photo or a short video to share?