When you’ve already bought a guitar and decided to master it, there’s no need to wait any more.

Well, if that be case, let’s go ahead and start at the beginning. Just like any other instrument, a guitar must be held properly for getting the best out of it. Any awkward pose makes it difficult for the player to play even the simplest of melodies on this most effective musical instrument of all times. The whole thing appears so labored that many would be guitarists drop the idea before they even touch the instrument.

The first rule is to be comfortable while holding the guitar. So, go get yourself a straight-backed chair and sit on its front edge with your back straight. Gently lift the guitar and place it on your right thigh with the strings and sound hole facing outwards. If you’re right handed, the neck should point towards your left. If you’re a left hander, don’t worry, you have Jimi Hendrix for company! Place the guitar on your left thigh and let the neck point towards your right. The neck should point slightly upwards; say 30 or so.

But remember, comfort and ease is the watchword. A slight deviation here and there which might make you more comfortable wouldn’t bring the heavens crashing down.

Let’s go to the next step and see how your arms should be draped around the guitar. The hand positions described here are for a right hander – it’d be just the opposite for a left hander.

Just let your right arm lie gently over the guitar in such a way that the fingers hang loosely over the sound hole. You’d use these fingers to pick the strings. See to it that you don’t require a lot of wrist movement while doing so. People have ended up with carpal tunnel syndrome while strumming hard on their guitars; so take care not to overstrain your wrist.

Let’s now go over to your left hand – the “fretting” hand, so to say. The back of the neck is curved so you’ll find your palm fitting snugly over it. Keep your fingers curled so that your fingertips can freely press the strings. Now, what to do with the thumb?

With four fingers poised over the strings let your thumb curve over the neck while you’re constructing chords and let it remain at the back of the neck when you’re playing scales. This, once again, is a guideline and comfort and ease should be the watchword while you hold the guitar.

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