[What is a good posture to improve live performance?] Things guitarists should know about their body

Hello!
My name is Takuto Fujioka, guitarist in an acoustic unit called BABY BABY and an occupational therapist.
Thank you for always reading!

Have you ever been aware of your posture when playing the guitar?
If you have the opportunity to perform in public, you may have once thought, "I want to look as cool as possible!!"
However, no matter how much you pose or imitate the musicians you admire, if you look back at the live video, you can't deny the feeling of "that’s not quite right".... Have you ever had such an experience? (I have. Lol)

Therefore, this time, I would like to consider the standing posture during performance.

(For the sitting posture, please read the previously posted [What is a good posture for practicing?], and I think it will deepen your understanding!)

What is the cause of the "that’s-not-quite-right feeling" that I mentioned earlier? In a nutshell, I think it's a sense of stability in the standing position.

No matter how cool you think you look, if the movement you imagined is different from the actual movement, for example, if a part of your body is tense, your posture will be unstable and unnatural. Also, since the way people use their bodies varies from person to person, simply imitating the movements of others may not produce the posture and live performance that really suits you.

So how can you improve your live performance?
I think the hint lies in the "sole".
(The standing posture includes various elements, but this time we will focus on the "sole" so that the article doesn’t get too complicated.)

I think it's rare to focus on the soles of your feet even in daily life.
However, the sole of the foot is the only part that supports the body in contact with the ground, and is very important for balancing and maintaining the correct center of gravity.

Then I would like to talk while actually moving my body!

First, let's stand on the spot without holding a guitar.
Then turn your attention to the soles of your feet. Of course, you can see that the feet are on the ground.

Then, feel where your weight is on the soles of your feet.

The weight of the body is mainly on the toes, heels, inside, outside, right foot, left foot, etc. Make sure that the center of gravity is as close to the correct center as possible.

Please be aware that your posture changes depending on the position of the center of gravity.

For example, in an extreme case, when you stand on your toes, your back muscles stretch and your chest stretches to adjust your body and balance it. On the other hand, if you put your weight on your heels, you will bend your body in a dogleg shape to fix your body and balance it.

It is a matter of course that the body moves reflexively to balance the position of the center of gravity, tensing the muscles and adjusting the body. Therefore, the posture of a person changes depending on where the weight is applied on the soles of the feet.
How about that? Please try to understand your own habits or characteristics here.

Then, pick up the guitar and turn your attention to the soles of your feet again. Is there any difference from before you were holding the guitar?
The length of the strap, the weight of the guitar, the physique, and so on vary depending on the person, so it cannot be said unconditionally, but most people do not have the center of gravity biased to the heel side or the heel and bog toe side (inside). It is not always either/or (Of course, there are individual differences.)

If this happens, the center of gravity will be biased toward the inside and back (heel side) of the body.
As in the example above, the fact that the center of gravity is biased toward the heel means that the body bends in a dogleg shape to fix the body and try to balance it.When you hold the guitar, you are in a position close to this.
Is this a stable posture? You may feel stable as you are certainly trying to fix and balance your body. I think that is different for each person. However, the posture that adjusts the body is also a state where the muscles are tense, so it is possible that the posture is not suitable for live performances that require various movements.
Perhaps the cause of the "that’s-not-quite-right feeling" is "the awkwardness that occurs when holding a guitar causes the standing posture to fall apart, and for a sense of stability, the muscles are strained and the body is adjusted". It's a little confusing.

Then, what should we do to improve the "stability of the standing posture" and "improve the live performance"? Let's go back to the soles of the feet and I’ll explain the points!

Put the guitar down, and when you stand on both feet, try to stand with the same weight on the three points of the base of the big toe, the base of the little toe, and the heel. And have an image in your head that is supported by three points like a camera tripod.

If you do so, you will feel that the center of gravity is placed around the center of the sole.

It is said that this state is the most balanced, stable, and comfortable posture. This is the default standing posture, so find your ideal playing style and easy-to-perform posture from here.

If you are fluttering and find it difficult to be balanced in this state, it is possible that some muscles in the body are tense and the body is being adjusted. At that time, pay attention to your whole body, find out where you are using your strength, and try to be aware of your weakness as much as possible.

Especially for those who have been standing with some part of their body in a fixed position, practicing this will improve the stability of the standing position, relieve unnecessary muscle tension and make it easier for the body to move during live performance. I think that you will be able to find a good, improved posture!

For guitarists, I think that the first impression of the audience of your pose is just as important as your tone.

If you are dissatisfied with your current live performance and are worried about "that’s-not-quite-right!", please look at the relationship between posture and center of gravity balance. Some hints may be hidden in this!

See you next time!