Things to keep in mind when you want to hold the guitar low [Things guitarists should know about their body]

Hello!
My name is Fujioka Takuto and I am a "guitarist who can perform therapy".

Today I'd like to talk about strap length!
What is the criteria you use to determine the guitar strap length?
In general, in genres such as jazz and classical music, straps are short or the guitarists play sitting down.
On the other hand, in punk and rock, you often see guitars with a long strap played in a low position.

It's a matter of course, if the strap is long, the guitar will move down below the center of your body, which will reduce playability.

However, if you still want to hold the guitar with a long strap in a low position, it's simply because it's cool. No other reason is needed. Lol
Many guitar heroes have long straps and hold their guitars in a cool way, so many of you might've been influenced by that.

Even so, for those of you who are giving up saying, "I want a longer strap, but it's hard to play...", today, I'd like to focus on "things to keep in mind when you want to hold the guitar low"!

There are various, but this time I'd like to focus on the right hand (strumming).

I adjusted the strap to its maximum length and held it low. It was a fresh feeling because I don't usually hold it this low when I play.

One of the factors that makes it difficult to play when holding the guitar low is the change in movement when strumming.

If the guitar is in a normal position (generally around the front of the abdomen), the rotation movement of the forearm, and the bending and stretching movement of the elbow will be the main axis of the strumming.
However, if you hold the guitar low, the positional relationship (angle) between the guitar and the arm will change, and the movement of the forearm will not play a role.
Therefore, if you hold the guitar low, the main movement in the strumming is the bending and stretching of the elbow.
I'd like you to know here that when the elbow movement is the main movement, the shape made by your arm when strumming will flow from the inside to the outside.

If you strum like swinging straight down from here...

I can't reach the 1st string, and it moves away from the strings as shown in the image.
This is due to the structure of the body.

And there may be changes on the guitar as well.
As for how it changes, as the position of the guitar gets lower, the entire guitar tilts forward to an angle (it depends on the type of guitar and the position of the strap pins. I didn't notice it much with the Teisco guitar I used this time, but the Les Paul and semi-acoustics often tilt forward, so heavy and large guitars tend to be like that.)

This is what makes it difficult to play.
It's very easy to improve this, and it'll be much easier to play just by matching the "tilt angle of the guitar itself" and the "stroke angle" that I mentioned earlier!

The key here is not to change the angle of the strumming, but to match the tilt angle of the guitar itself with the strumming.
If you do so, you don't have to forcibly change the angle of your right hand or pose in a certain way, and you can reduce the burden on your right hand, and structurally, it makes it easier to make smooth and stable strumming.

When changing the tilt of the guitar, try to link your legs, trunk, and left hand well. First, try to find an angle, in which you can play naturally.

I put my left foot forward and changed the angle of the guitar to make it easier to strum.
Seen from above, it looks like this.

On the contrary, even if you put your right foot forward, you can make the same angle.
It's up to you. The look and impression change considerably!

Seen from above, it looks like this. You can strum smoothly from the 6th string to the 1st string.

Finally, if you adjust the strumming angle by moving your shoulders (upper body) without changing the angle of the guitar itself, it looks like this.

It's not that you can't play it, but it makes your upper body tilted and puts unnecessary strain in and around your shoulders. This method isn't recommended if you give priority to a comfortable and balanced posture for your body.

How was it!?
The improvement method is not all that special and is fairly simple, so I think that many people unconsciously play like this anyway. However, I think there's a difference between doing it unconsciously and understanding the structure and mechanism of the body.
In addition to the postures I tried this time, I think there are other postures easy to play that may suit you, so please be aware of your postures and try a variety to find the best one for you!
If you change your posture, the burden on your body and the ease of playing will improve dramatically〜(ﾟ∀ﾟ)
See you!