Left Leg/Right Leg

[boombox]

Just been having bit of a practice tonight. Anyway, had a bit of a moment, an epiphany, as it were, which I thought I'd share.

I've often seen people playing in different positions, classical, casual, almost lap steel style, standing etc and have had a bit of an issue in the past myself with playing an OM comfortably (fixed by using a properly adjusted strap). So I thought I'd have a go at trying to play the same piece (Andy McKee's 'For My Father' - man, does that put some tension on your A string and play havoc with tuning!) in different sitting positions on my L32.

To cut a long story short, I now understand why Andy plays standing up as he does and Antoine Dufour has his fancy strap. It appears to me that when playing fingerstyle, a more 'classical' posture with the guitar on the left leg with the headstock elevated doesn't half make things easier. Tried a number of different fingerstyle pieces, all with the same result. Old news perhaps to many here, but I've been an electric rhythm guitarist for so many years, I'd always naturally played low slung, so this is a really big thing to me.

So I thought I'd add a poll to see what everyone else does. (NB Any southpaws will need to transpose left and right.)

BTW, I think I am going to fall into the modified classical camp - have never been one to get on with footstools and that big ole jumbo sits very nicely on my leg.

[riverdog]

hey boom,
good poll bud...i grew up unschooled as a guitarist so learning on my own i developed bad habits, bend strings downward etc...not many players around me or videos to look at in the 70's...so i like to play casual right leg at home and standing with a strap if its a gig, but sometimes i like sitting using a strap to pull the neck up if its a challenging, stretchy piece or if i feel lazy...
riverdog

[JB]

yup, good poll ... definitely the right leg for most of my casual steelstring and electric playing.

However when playing my classical it's raised left leg

[Rick Jones]

Right leg for me, and low slung when stood up....just bad habits lol.

Really need to stand up and play more, I used to, but I was a competitive powerlifter, and tore my quadriceps quite badly a few years ago, which meant sitting was all I could do. I sing better stood up, and frankly my singing needs all the help it can get!

[Loki]

I'm in the other camp.

I find it best to stand on one leg (a la Jethro Tull ), but in a hammock.

This means that until I perfect that technique I can't inflict my playing on anybody.

I should achieve competence in both about the same time.

[mutley2209]

in the buff on top of an erupting volcano, preferably sitting

[riverdog]

in the buff on top of an erupting volcano, preferably sitting

Mutley my man you crack me up! Keepin' it rollin' on the forum bud!
Gotta give a shout out to John/Greypicker. Where are ya bud, you gotta weigh in on this my friend. You playin' "Leo" on the right leg lately?
riverdog

[boombox]

I always fancied this style!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExSNjdGtTBc

Not sure if that one might invalidate your Avalon warranty!

[riverdog]

I like your style John, however it did not work to well for my son who wears braces and I had to take him to the orthodontist with his strat attatched to his face! Not to mention the look on the faces of the folks in the waiting room! Just kidding ya'll! Although I don't recommend showing Jimi Hendrix videos to your kid if he wears braces and plays guitar, I'd probably hide the lighter fluid too!
riverdog

[Paudman]

After playing the guitar since 1972, I've just voted that I rest it on my LEFT leg... instead of the right that I've used for forty years...
DOH!