Can you improve your guitar playing in 5 seconds?!! Important points regarding posture when playing the guitar

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

Due to the influence of the New Coronavirus, we have been refraining from doing so, but is there anyone out there who is practicing? "Now is the time to get better at playing the guitar!"

• My picking position is unstable, and it often shifts and I play a different string.
• It's easy for the rhythm to get too fast or too slow
• I cannot concentrate even after I start practicing
• I get tired easily
• I can play when I sit down and practice, but I can't play when I stand up and practice
• I look bad when I stand and play

Today, “Can you improve your guitar playing in 5 seconds?!! Important posture points when playing the guitar" (the title looks like a scam message, but… lol) I think that if you fix these points, your guitar playing will improve.

If you have more than one of the above symptoms, you may have bad posture when practicing the guitar!
Think back to what you normally do when practicing the guitar.
Are you sitting cross-legged? Are you sitting in a chair? Or are you standing and practicing?
Although there are three different types of people, the "tips for important posture when playing the guitar" that I will discuss in this column are important points that can be said to be in common with any posture. If you can get the knack, your body itself will be stable and it’ll have a positive effect on your performance….

Well then, let's get to it.
When playing the guitar, the first important posture tip is “to be aware of the middle position of the pelvis”.

The first symptom I listed is thought to be caused by the instability of the "trunk", which is the center of the body.
The trunk is the "big black pillar" at home. I think you can imagine that if this is wobbly and unstable, it will affect other parts.
In particular, playing guitar and musical instruments involve very delicate movements, so it is difficult to see with the eyes, but I think that the instability of the trunk has a great influence on your performance.
The trunk can be divided into the upper trunk and the lower trunk, and the pelvis is the lower trunk.
Stabilizing the position of the pelvis, which is the base of the trunk, at the correct position = intermediate position, stabilizes the entire body. When the body is stabilized, delicate movements (such as musical instrument performances) can be carried out more stably and precisely.

(If you take it a step further here, the meaning of "unstable" core is a little different from "bad posture", "tilted", and "distorted". Not all guitar heroes in the world have good posture. Rather, I think that there are many with bad posture. However, even those people rarely think that they are "unstable" enough to have it interfere with their performance. I would like to delve into this area in the future by looking at the postures of various guitarists through guitar hero posture analysis.)

If you are wondering what the middle pelvic condition is, let's evaluate your pelvic condition first!

Take the posture you normally practice, put your hands on your hips from both sides, and touch the protruding parts of the pelvis (front and back) with your thumb and index finger. The height of the bulge before and after this is used as an index.

At this time, if the height of the thumb and index finger is narrower than about two finger widths, the pelvis is "backward tilted", which is the so-called stoop. I think most of the people who have the first symptom are in a state of "posterior pelvic tilt".

Also, if the height of the thumb and index finger is wider than about two finger widths, the pelvis is "tilted forward", and the posture is a so-called “warped waist”.

And when the height of the thumb and index finger is within two finger widths different,your pelvis is in the "pelvic middle position" = stable pelvic position.

(Although it is within about two finger widths, in detail, 2.5 finger widths is the index. However, since there is a slight deviation depending on the thickness of the fingers and the touching position, let's say "about two finger widths" here. Thank you.)

How about it? I think the check itself was easy! (I'm sorry if anyone took more than 5 seconds!)

This "mid-pelvic position" is said to be the most comfortable and stable position in the structure of the human body.

However, I think that it is not that tiring to sustain this posture, but I think that it may be quite difficult to sustain it.
The important thing is to "continue", so try to keep the posture as long as possible when practicing the guitar. You may gradually return to your usual posture somewhere along the line, but if you notice this, try to correct it each time.

Some may think, "But it's easier to be sluggish and stoop!" However, the posture of the stoop is almost the same as the "resting posture", so it is an unstable posture that collapses without support. If you are leaning against a wall and your legs are pulled, you are likely to fall. It is similar to that.

I think that the time spent at home is also increasing now. Of course, it is important to practice the technique, but let's take this opportunity to be aware of the position of the pelvis and get into the habit of playing the guitar in the correct posture now!

By the way, if you can be aware of the position of the pelvis not only in guitar practice but also in your posture during desk work and housework, I think that you can reduce the burden on your body and move more efficiently. Please check the position of the pelvis once in a while(^o^)／
See you next time!