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Mark Harris

Mar 01, 2021

Edited: Mar 01, 2021

Playing without a foot stool

in Classical Guitar

Hi !

This is my very first OP in EG..

I have an office chair in my room I many times sit in instead of at my music stand and it's chair

where I do have my foot stool..

But I will grab my Cordoba C10 and sit in the office chair and play when I'm not wishing to be serious..I'll usually warm up with old etudes I've memorized or with a number from The Great American Song Book I'm arranging for the guitar.. Here both feet are able to be flat on the floor, but I'm very comfortable and can go on hours this way..I admit I'm a tad more hunched over than when I'm at the stand...So..

Is there any reason why I should not be doing this and oft wonder if we ALL couldn't curtail the foot stool and play with both feet on the floor (assuming we can find the best chair to accomplish this with [usually lower than the chair at the music stand]).

Note, I'm aware of those different guitar supports which afford the same. But I mean without such a support.

Thanks, Mark

4 comments

4 Comments

Mark Harris

Mar 15, 2021

Thanks for the reply... I've nothing at all against whatever floats you box !!

I only meant that there is a validity to playing with no support or foot stool if you find you like it.... But, yes, it ain't great for reaching very high notes... M

Mark Harris

Mar 02, 2021

Peter,

What I was aiming at was, maybe, with the right chair height we don't need a foot stool or a triangular support device at all..but to just plant our two feet on floor, and play... The hunching over is not at all that much and I feel a certain at-one-ness with the guitar when doing this.. Back at the foot stool and stand it's a tad less that way..

One thing I just now remembered !:

With both feet on floor, I'm not reading music during this...And doing that probably needs the stool/stand position after all....Oh,well...

Thanks for ideas, M

*edited later 3:49 PM:

IE.

~The 2 feet on the floor / slight hunch, or "Mark's Position" [if you will] is perhaps good for practicing/extemporizing/recollecting pieces/memorizing what you may be concocting/jazz and noodling/TV on, too...But it's not good for reading classical guitar music]...

~Legitimate Classical Guitar I believe requires, even commands proper sit-up posture.

And only way to obtain this is back not be hunched, but straight, pelvis more forward, shoulders back (+-), a right-y having right foot flat square on floor and left foot up on a foot stool or equivalent object, the height of it determined by the required degree of angle that the instrument is normally held in..*this in turn affording proper RH/LH at/near90 Deg to strings.

*or, what ever is comfortable for the player. Certainly dear Julian Bream hunched quite allot compared to Dave Russell who sits straight up much of the time..

Peter, thanks again, and for very first reply to me in EG, too !

No need further reply, but may.. M

Alex

Mar 07, 2021

Replying to

Everyone’s body is different, but a general truth is that hunched posture for extended periods is never good for your back, long term.

I can’t picture really how you manage to angle your guitar with both feet planted below your office chair, even with the hunch. how does that work? seems like the base of the guitar would have to sit quite low between your thighs, which is not great for high fretting.

I’ve used a footstool, a guitar support, and cross legged with neither, and I‘m definitely team guitar support. Can I ask what you have against them? All of the problems with supports given by the previous commenter are easily solvable by shopping around for your preferred design. I use one with suction cups and it would solve your problem since i usually just leave it attached to the guitar.

peter.ellmore

Mar 02, 2021

The only reason is the one you quote...you are a little hunched up. I have found that access to the fingerboard and support of the guitar is optimum in the old traditional method using a footstool.

Hunched up will lead to back issues, just as using a foot stool can lead to hip issues. However the use of guitar supports is not always convenient and again does not enable a proper hold of the guitar...in my opinion, though it is comfortable. I have tried several guitar supports and found them either too clumsy or too heavy. I like to feel the guitar.

My favourite guitar was made my a chap called Jacob van de Geest in 1964. It is light and lovely to play. Not too loud but ideal for my purposes. I don’t like the heavy weight that is added by supports

I have tried using the guitar on my settee but only lazily and not my best playing.

No, I go back to the tradition...it works!