Hi all, I’ve had quite a bit of trouble over the past year or so getting the correct wrist position, I’ve experimented with tons of strap positions, sitting, standing, I’m aware I need to keep my wrist more straight but when playing low notes on the fretboard I’m finding this more difficult, especially when I’m barring (as seen in the video). You can see in some of my videos I quite often have a bent wrist angle, it causes pretty bad fatigue and I’m having to conciously try and train myself not to do it.
I really want to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome and damaging my wrist, so I’m trying to correct my posture. I’ve managed to get it as flat as I reasonably can with this riff I’m playing but it has a slight bend, but I have to bend a bit further when playing the notes on the 4th fret on D & G strings, is this OK? It feels much better but I’m mostly feeling it in my forearm muscles when playing it on repeat.
Also any tips recreating this when standing up? Sitting with the guitar on my right leg seems to be more comfortable these days. When standing with the strap at a similar position to sitting, it feels like my left arm is too far away from me and I have to bend my wrist more to reach the low strings.
Disclaimer: I am not qualified to give medical advice. However I have had wrist pain in the past and I have an ongoing issue with my elbow which I am able to manage and still play guitar.
The problem may not be a posture thing. Holding and playing guitar is always going to be in an unnatural position. What I found is that by doing stretching exercises it counteracts the strains which develop from holding arms and hands in an unnatural angle. The exercises demonstrated in this video from 3:30 have helped me. This guy talks about his elbow injury but the same exercise also works for wrists.
This may well be connected to the wrist issue. Sometimes you can get tension in the forearm which then puts extra strain onto the wrist. The elbow, muscles, tendons and wrist are all interdependent. Sometimes you can get pain in one spot caused by tension in another spot.
I am no expert but based on Justin’s and a guitar teachers advice, there are several things I noticed in your brief video. I had to adjust my posture several times until I got it right. I have mild arthritis in my upper back, probably caused by an operation, if I do not sit properly then I get back pain and muscle issues on the right side by my lower shoulder blade…
You are sat in a chair with side arms, this is not recommended at all as it will impede your fretting hand and possibly strumming action. You also want to avoid chairs that are going to force your elbow forward. You should always sit on a reasonably firm but comfortable chair with no arm supports, so your feet are initially flat and knees bent at right angles. Some recommend a drummer throne.
You appear to be slumped forward over the guitar, and to the left, this may be due to the chair, your back you should try and keep straight with shoulders level to the ground.
Your 1st finger looks to be quite high and sticking above the fretboard quite a way, most would recommend tip of finger resting on the 6th string or just above it. Again this may be due to what is happening with the back of the chair and your fretting arm.
A music teacher recommended that I use a foot support under my right leg to raise the guitar slightly and to tuck it in to my hip, ensuring that the fretboard is around 90 degrees to the ground, and the neck tilted upward at about 15 to 20 degrees. By doing this the guitar is firmly held on position, and you should find a comfortable position and easier to play.
Finally once you have the sitting position sorted you should adjust your strap so that it is right on the point of supporting the guitar when sitting, then when you stand up it is nearly in the same position.
I would try the above out and see if it helps, it is likely to feel odd for a bit.
From an ergonomic point of view, this isn’t such great advice. Raising one leg will result in tilting of your pelvis and sideways bending of your spine.
My beat up body was rebelling.
After a year plus, this is where I’ve landed.
It leaves my wrist pretty straight,
and I can fret with nice vertical fingertips as needed.
I’m now more comfortable with a modified “classical” posture–
but with both feet flat on the floor so my spine stays straight
Purchased a smaller guitar–the dreadnought was killing my shoulder.
I sit on the edge of the chair, with the guitar between my legs.
Roll my hips forward to try to preserve the curve of the lower back
The strap goes to the headstock, so I can pull against it with vibrato and pull offs (just learning these)
Forgot to add that if I stand up, the guitar is in the same position as when I’m sitting.
And if I’m wearing a leather belt?
It creates a lot of “squeaking” as the guitar back moves against the leather plan ahead: no leather belt when performing for others
The strap is a bit rough, so it doesn’t slide around.
Good luck Rick → 'sure you’ll find a good spot eventually.
and I’m still not convinced this is where I’ll end up, evolving abilities call for different solutions.
@chris_m thanks, this video looks useful, I’ve been meaning to start stretching before and after but I always forget
@AJSki2fly ok, this is useful info thanks, I’ll look into adjusting my seating situation to see if I can get the right angles on my wrist. I do have a foot rest and occasionally use it for classical position which seemed to help somewhat but ultimately I always seem to end up fatigue. Although I’m now concerned about using that because of the spine bending that @LadyOfTheCastle mentioned … the reason I have my finger higher is it seems to reduce the pressure on my wrist, if I use my finger tip I seem to need to fret harder to get a cleaner note on the higher strings. This does seem to be helping, and the neck is much lower than I typically play with.
@mundeli this is not far off the position I’ve been experimenting with too but I just couldn’t seem to get the wrist position right. I’ve also found classical uncomfortable without a foot stool to bump my left leg up slightly, perhaps the smaller guitar is making it easier for you. Thanks for the tips, I’ll give this classical position another shot.
You look to have quite large hands which may be a reason, most people say you should play with what is most comfortable for you personally. But the greeting hand is a tricky one as some habits may be bad and can be problematic later on. I am not experienced enough to say if what you are doing is OK or not perhaps one of the teachers, or a more experienced player can advise?
Rather than a foot stool, you can use a lift. Before you buy anything, just use a small throw pillow, or a rolled up hand towel, in the right leg under the waist of the guitar. A foot stool (or stack of books) is perfectly acceptable, but can cause back issues in the long run. Especially for us older beginners. I use a lift.
My suggestion is to find a friend to help position the guitar in space such that you can play it without stress on your wrist, back, or neck. Then research everything out there to support guitars until
You find how best to hold it as close to that position as you can. There are even stands that hold the guitar static in place so you can just walk up to it and play!
Your fretting arm posture looks okay to me. It’s very hard to avoid some bending on the wrist, particularly when barring, unless you use the “classical” guitar position with the guitar between your legs, but I’m not seeing an extreme bend that would be cause for concern. When standing, the higher the guitar is on your body (the shorter your strap is), the less bend you will have.
Stretching is always good, and I recommend active stretching (repeated quick stretches, just holding for a second or two) before playing and passive stretching (holding a stretch for up to 30 seconds) after playing.
I wonder if some of the tension you’re feeling in your forearm may be due to pressing on the strings with too much force, particularly when barring? You could try practicing to find the least force necessary to get the strings to sound, and periodically checking in while practicing to see if you’re still using the light tension or if you’re tensing up. Likewise, check in to see if your arm and forearm feels relaxed or tense while you’re playing (I know I tend to tense up when playing something challenging). Periodically checking in and making sure you’re relaxed may help with that as well.
plan ahead: no leather belt when performing for others
… the reason I have my finger higher is it seems to reduce the pressure on my wrist, if I use my finger tip I seem to need to fret harder to get a cleaner note on the higher strings. This does seem to be helping, and the neck is much lower than I typically play with.