Holding the guitarSeat yourself in an armless chair. Sit comfortably, with your back straight. Slouching can be hard on the back and may contribute to bad technique. Hold the guitar so the back of the instrument comes in contact with your stomach/chest, and the neck runs parallel to the floor.
When playing the guitar sitting down, the body of the guitar will rest on one of your legs. In most styles of guitar playing, the guitar will rest on the leg farthest away from the headstock. This means, a right-handed guitar player will typically rest the guitar on his/her right leg. Most classical players prefer to rest the guitar on the left knee with the neck angled slightly upward. It is usually helpful to raise the leg on which you rest the guitar slightly by resting it on a foot stool.
The fretting hand
The "fretting hand" is the hand closest to the neck of the guitar, when sitting in proper position. The thumb of your fretting hand should rest behind the neck of the guitar, with your fingers in a slightly curled position, poised above the strings. It is important to keep the fingers curled at the knuckles, with only the fingertips touching the fretboard.
Holding the pick
The pick should be held between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, with just enough of the tip protruding to sweep smoothly across the strings. Hold the pick firmly to eliminate any movement. The strumming motion should come mostly from the wrist.
