Posture and freedom of movement
- Develop an appropriate relaxed posture and hand position, in line with the learner’s physiology, age and muscle development:
- supporting and balancing the instrument comfortably (without the hands)
- maintaining the guitar at the appropriate angle by either using a foot stool or raising the guitar with a suitable support
- ensuring that both hands can move freely
Show learners how to hold the guitar at the correct height and angle relative to the upper body, by means of a footstool or other adjustable support device. Make sure the left arm and right forearm can move freely while the guitar remains secure.
Reinforce the importance of always taking a moment to ensure that posture is correct before starting to play, whether in the lesson or in individual practice.
Creating effective exercises and drills to enable learners to adopt appropriate posture is invaluable in large-group and whole-class teaching. It promotes independence, giving learners the necessary skills to recreate the desired posture in their individual practice.
Be aware of learners’ individual physical characteristics and make adaptations as appropriate.
Ask learners to describe the teacher’s and other learners’ posture, e.g. comfortable, relaxed, hunched, tense. Suggest some adjustments.
The aim is to support the instrument in a manner that will facilitate a musical and technically secure performance. learners should sit tall on the front of the chair, shoulders relaxed and level, left knee pointing forwards and right leg pointing to the side. The guitar should rest on the left thigh, held in place by the weight of the right arm and contact with the right thigh, its head at eye-level. The head of the guitar should be high enough to allow the left shoulder to stay relaxed and not tilt or twist the upper body to the left.
Encourage learners to evaluate their posture by use of a mirror.
Video-recording could also be used for this purpose, but it is vital to check the policy of the school or other organisation you are working in with regards to any form of recording. Children must never be videoed without parental consent and all policies regarding use and storage of recordings must be adhered to.
If learners have photographic permission, encourage them to take photos of themselves and annotate them to identify elements of good posture. This can be done with a photo editing app or presentation programs such as PowerPoint or Google Slides.
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