reply to sitting posture

by Frank
(Ridgefield, CT.)

The high footstool can certainly have a lot to do with back pain. This type of position throws your hips out of alignment, and can lead to lower back discomfort.

Thus, many classical guitarists are opting for alternate sitting positions. A simple lowering of your footstool and placing a rolled up towel or cloth under the bout of the guitar to provide elevation may be a solution.

A-Frames and other devices that can be placed on your left leg to prop up the guitar can also help. You can adjust the height with some of these devices, while keeping both feet flat on the floor. Definitely more comfortable for your lower back than the footstool arrangement.

I'm convinced, that the footstool position is just not for everybody. Prominent players such as Paul Galbraith today, with his "cello" position, and all the way back to Fernando Sor, provide examples of guitarists searching for and utilizing sitting alternatives.

There are also players today,like Grigory Goryachev, who cross-over between classical and flamenco repertoire, who sit in the contemporary flamenco position (guitar on the right leg) a la Paco de Lucia.

All this is to say that the "proper" sitting position can be something that is more personal than standardized. Search for what will give you the most comfort, support of, and access to the whole playing surface of the guitar. You will find that in different positions, one of the above factors will be slightly compromised in favor of another.

Be open to change, and progressive alterations in your search, until you find what really works best for you, your body, and your ease of playing.

Hope this helps a bit...

Frank

This a wonderful, thoughtful response and very helpful. Congratulations Frank for the work you put into this.

Trevor M.