In the previous Guitarist Postures & Motions class, we broke down the Punk Rock Guitarist’s stance… a highly risky posture that may cause injury… but also legends!
Welcome to the second session of the semester, where we tone things down a bit. We suspect you might want to try these moves at home… and we’d rather you not end up in a neck brace.
Without further ado, today’s study…
Classical Guitarist Postures & Motions
A wonderfully quiet but dangerously skilled animal, this one.
The classical guitarist may look calm, maybe even dull but those fingers could run a high-paced fretboard marathon.
So how do they do it? Look no further… we figured it out! It’s all about anchoring to Mother Earth.
Classical Posture Breakdown
Classical guitarists are the mountains of guitar land. Once they sit on that stool, nothing moves them. Their legendary stability comes from the sacred Three-Point Anchoring System:
- Butt on the stool.
- Left foot on the footrest.
- Right foot on the ground.
Once mastered, this posture lets them channel the Earth’s energy straight into their fingers.
Goodbye tremors… Hello steadiness.
That steady flow of geological power fuels ten perfectly synchronized digits gliding over the strings in eternal motion… and they won’t even break a sweat.
But Beware: Side Effects
If they do sweat, it’s mainly because of a severe case of performance anxiety, also known as perfectionism.
They’ve been trained too well at the academy… So well that now they can’t perform without:
- Stiffening the neck to lock the head in place,
- Staring anxiously at the music score,
- Freezing the feet to avoid tapping the tempo.
It’s tragic. They do feel the music, no doubt about it.
But imagine how ecstatically good it would be if they loosened up… just a little.
Should You Practice This Posture?
Definitely yes! A little academic knowledge never hurt anyone. So, a little academic posture would never hurt anyone… as long as you remember to breathe.
So sit tall, anchor deep, and please… Loosen up a little… pretty pretty please.
Bonus Training Notes:
- If your left foot slips off the footrest, you lose 20 credits in stage dignity.
- If your right foot taps the tempo, you lose 50 academic credits.
- Over-polish your nails for +5 tone, −10 spontaneity.
- Remember: the stool is both your throne and your prison.
Now you know how to sit like a classical guitarist, and survive the performance anxiety… Go practice the classical stance!
Until next time… Class dismissed.
