Look, shredding riffs for hours is supposed to melt faces, not your spine. Too many guitarists — especially when starting out — end up hunched over like gremlins, twisting their wrists like pretzels, and then wondering why their back feels like it got hit by a tour bus. Newsflash: posture matters. Play smarter, not harder, and you’ll be jamming longer without needing a chiropractor on speed dial.

The Enemies of Good Posture

• Soft, cushiony chairs with armrests → They feel cozy, sure, but they swallow you whole. Armrests get in the way of your elbows, and before you know it, you’re hunched like Quasimodo trying to reach your frets.
• Office chairs with wheels → Yeah, they spin. They roll. And they force you to waste energy just staying put. Instead of focusing on your riffs, you’re fighting to not drift across the room mid-solo.

Bottom line: ditch the cushy throne and the spinny chair.

The Heroes of Good Posture

• Stools or simple hard chairs → The more basic, the better. A flat, stable surface keeps your body aligned and forces you to sit upright. Think “barstool at a dive bar,” not “recliner at grandma’s.”
• Footrests (or straps) → Pro tip: raising your leg on a footrest or using a strap while sitting keeps the guitar in a better position. It straightens your back, brings the fretboard closer to your eyes without you bending over, and makes barre chords suck a little less.

Acoustic vs. Electric: The Battle of the Body

• Acoustic guitars → Bigger bodies, so they naturally sit higher on your lap. This helps your posture a bit because you’re not craning over as much.
• Electric guitars → Slimmer bodies look cool, but they drop lower when sitting. This makes it easier to slump forward like a goblin. Raise it up with a strap or footrest so you’re not folding yourself in half.

The Proper Way to Hold a Guitar

Let’s set the record straight:

• Keep the guitar flat against your body — not angled out like you’re jousting.
• The neck should run across your body, not sticking diagonally into outer space.
• Shoulders relaxed, wrists loose. If your wrist feels like it’s doing yoga, fix your position.

Why It Matters

Good posture isn’t just about looking cool (though trust me, you will look way cooler not hunched like a troll). It’s about:

• Playing longer without pain.
• Avoiding wrist strain that’ll wreck your technique.
• Better control when you’re digging into riffs or bending notes.

Back pain is not metal. Blasting through a three-hour jam session and standing up without wincing? That’s metal.

Final Words from the Road

Treat posture like you treat your gear: respect it, dial it in, and it’ll pay you back. Grab a solid chair, use a footrest or strap, sit like a warrior, and keep that back straight. You’ll shred longer, harder, and cleaner.

And remember: it’s not about looking like a biker at the bar — it’s about lasting long enough to headline the gig.