How do you find a classical guitar playing position that works for your body? In this episode, Simon discusses sitting position and the positions of both hands through three guiding ideas: ergonomics, experimentation and personalization.
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CGC Podcast 101 · approximately 19 minutes · recorded in 2020. The opening announcements refer to that period.
Episode guide
Approximate timestamps in the original recording. Use the player to move to a section.
- 5:48 — The three components of playing position
- 6:36 — Ergonomics and awareness
- 9:52 — Use video to observe your movement
- 11:00 — Prepare your technique for future repertoire
- 13:33 — Experimentation
- 15:21 — Personalization
Begin with awareness, not a fixed pose
Simon’s starting point is physical ease. A position may look comfortable when you begin a piece, yet change as the music becomes more demanding. The useful question is what happens during playing: where do you alter your position, and do you keep holding that change after it is needed?
He suggests recording yourself from different viewpoints. Watching afterward lets you give your full attention to your movement, rather than dividing it between playing and looking in a mirror. A teacher can help interpret what you see; for independent learners, Simon suggests regular check-ins to observe developing habits.
Build foundations for the music ahead
Beginner positioning advice can seem unnecessarily detailed when you only need to play one note. Simon explains that those foundations prepare you for later demands: greater finger independence, regular use of the fourth finger and more complex textures.
A hand position that works for a simple melody may need refinement when the music asks for several independent movements at once. The purpose of early guidance is to leave room for that development.
Experiment within useful principles
The instrument responds to your individual hands and body. Simon encourages experimentation guided by ease and efficient movement, rather than treating a diagram or a favourite performer’s position as a shape to copy exactly.
Personalization follows from that process. What works may also change over time. The episode presents a way of thinking about positions; the detailed physical demonstrations belong in the accompanying video lessons.
A useful next practice step
Record a familiar passage and watch it back without playing. Notice whether your sitting position or either hand changes at a difficult moment. Take one observation to your teacher, or use it as a focused question when revisiting a positioning lesson.