Avoid back pain when playing the guitar

Playing an instrument is a rewarding hobby for some and a way of life for others. Whatever your level of investment in your instrument, you may experience pain after practicing, especially if you practice for a long period of time.

Whether sitting or standing, right-handed or left-handed, you use one side of your body differently than the other when playing guitar. The shoulder, hand, and forearm on the side you use to move around the fretboard are working more than the ones on the side you strum. If you stand up while playing, this imbalance is exacerbated by the strap. Right-handed players bear the weight of their guitar on the left side, which is also the fret side, and vice versa for lefties. The extra work these muscles do causes them to tighten and shorten after prolonged use. Muscles that are tight become weak as they are not flexible enough to do the job without potential injury. This can cause the muscles on the other side to try to compensate throughout the day, causing tension on that side as well.

The following tips will help prevent neck, shoulder, and back pain caused by overuse of guitar playing.

Warming up

You might think that a guitar warm-up means finger exercises on the fretboard. These are important, both for the quality of the interpretation and for the muscles of the fingers and forearm. However, the rest of your body must also be warmed up. The neck, back, shoulders, and hips should be stretched before the practice session. This ensures that the muscles are flexible and have received fresh nutrients and oxygen from the increased blood flow to get the job done.

proper posture

One of the most important postural tips to keep in mind when playing guitar is to keep your shoulders down and your spine straight. Many people, especially new players, will slouch over the instrument and tense their shoulders as they concentrate on playing. Body awareness is one of the best protections against poor posture when playing guitar. Whether you’re sitting or standing, do your best not to slouch over the guitar. For new players or those used to looking at the fretboard, this may take some practice. Start relying on the dots that indicate fret numbers on the side of your guitar’s neck, or make your own indicators out of colored tape. Keep your neck as straight as possible. Make sure your shoulders don’t roll toward your head.

If you’re standing up, play around with the length of your guitar strap. Some people prefer to keep the guitar low, while others like it very high. Ergonomically, the best position is the one that establishes the weight of the guitar body at its center of gravity, which is around navel level for men and hip level for women. If the guitar is lower, it will increase the stress on the shoulder. If it’s taller, you may find yourself shrugging your shoulders. Check out the DuoStrap, designed to allow both shoulders to share the weight of your guitar: http://www.gruvgear.com/duostrap-signature.

The seating position for standard guitars involves resting the “waist” of the guitar (the indentation between the upper and lower half of the body) on the thigh of the strumming side with legs spread. Resist the urge to cross your legs; this causes your body to twist, increasing stress on your hip muscles, spine, and lower back muscles. The strumming arm should rest lightly on the bottom half of the guitar. Classical guitarists support the weight of the guitar on the fret-side thigh with the neck pointing higher. Classic or standard, your shoulders should be low and loose.

Those who wish to learn more about proper body mechanics, both when playing and when not, should refer to the Alexander Technique. Check their website at http://www.alexandertechnique.com/ for more information.

breaks

Some people can pick up their guitars and sit still for hours, but the initial warm-up won’t keep the muscles relaxed for that long. After half an hour of gameplay, take a break and move on. If you play sitting down, stand up and let your hip muscles stretch. If you play standing up, give your legs a break and take a seat. Repeat your warm-up stretches. Taking a two-minute break every half hour will allow your muscles to cool down.

Playing the guitar shouldn’t cause you pain. Paying attention to posture, warming up, and taking breaks will help prevent back pain during practice sessions.