How to Hold an Acoustic Guitar

1. Position your hand underneath and perpendicular to the guitar neck with your fingers and thumb gently extended.

2. Place the pad of your thumb on the middle of the back of the guitar neck, behind the second fret.  Your thumb should be perpendicular to the neck

3. Without changing the angle of your thumb, rotate your forearm so that the knuckles closest to the palm are parallel to the neck and just under its edge.  There should be about an inch of space between the guitar neck and your palm, while your thumb should be across from your second finger.

2. Place the waist of the guitar nearest the pick guard on top of your right thigh so that the strings face away from your torso and the guitar body is almost perpendicular to the floor.  Place you right upper arm over the lower bout of the guitar to keep it in place.  Your elbow should be in just front of the guitar’s body

3. With your left hand, push the headstock away from your body until it is over your left knee.

4. With your left hand, tilt the headstock up slightly so that the neck passes in front of your bicep.

5. Remove your left hand from the guitar neck.  The guitar should balance comfortably on your lap.

How to Hold a Pick 

 1. Place your thumb to the tip of your forefinger with your remaining fingers relaxed outward, as though you are making the “a-okay” symbol.

2. Slide your forefinger underneath your thumb until the edge of your thumb aligns with the crease of the first knuckle of your forefinger.

3. Point the tip of the pick in the direction opposite the forefinger, and slide the rounded side of the pick between the thumb and forefinger until about a half-inch of the pick extends beyond the thumb.

How to Position Your Right Hand for Picking

1. Place the pick on the G string in the center of the sound hole or between the pick ups.

2. Tilt your right hand towards the pick guard until your pinky lightly touches the pick guard. Do not press your pinky into the pick guard/body.  The pinky is only there to keep your hand from floating.

3. Twist the pick so that only one edge touches the string.  The right edge may be lower than the left edge, or the left edge may be lower than the right edge. This is up to the student’s preference.  The pick should be twisted at about a 30-degree angle.

How to Place Your Left Hand On the Guitar Neck

1. Position your hand underneath and perpendicular to the guitar neck with your fingers and thumb gently extended.

2. Place the pad of your thumb on the middle of the back of the guitar neck, behind the second fret.  Your thumb should be perpendicular to the neck

3. Without changing the angle of your thumb, rotate your forearm so that the knuckles closest to the palm are parallel to the neck and just under its edge.  There should be about an inch of space between the guitar neck and your palm, while your thumb should be across from your second finger.