Seat/posture when playing?

So I am brand new… just finished module 1 lesson 5, and that was a rough one… I couldn’t keep up even on the slow workout… and my fingers on both hands are sore… guess i got a ways to go. But I am curious what the recommended best posture/sitting position is for playing?

I am currently using a flat stool (no back) but it’s a little higher then i would like and my feet don’t touch the ground and this tends to be a little uncomfortable over time. I assume sitting in any kind of chair with arms would only get in the way, perhaps a shorter stool, where i can plant both feet firm on the ground?

Just curious what other folks setup is, when playing.

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People sit down to play? :open_mouth:

Kidding. I do about half of my playing sitting down and I sit on whatever is available but it’s more comfortable for me to play standing.

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I play mostly standing, but when I do sit, I use a cushioned straight back chair like you might see at a table at a bar (in fact, I got it from a bar). It’s the perfect height for me, with my feet on the floor and my thighs straight out in front of me.

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I always stand when I practice and play. I always use a ‘Good’ strap - one that doesn’t hurt your shoulder, and I always play with my Bass at a good height on my body (like @JoshFossgreen mentions in his lessons). After awhile you’ll get use to it… It’s tough at first, so only do as much as you can before it gets uncomfortable. Take plenty of breaks (I call them ‘finger breaks’) and before long, those breaks will occur less frequently…

I too have a stool that I use, but only when I’m playing my classical or acoustic guitars…

Good luck on your lessons, and most of all be sure to HAVE FUN!!:grinning::grinning:

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Yeah buying a decent strap is key.

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I use a flat stool as well, cushioned, with feet planted on the ground. I’ve found that playing bass improves my sitting posture, as it just plays better when sitting up straight. A nice cure for my tendency to slouch sometimes :stuck_out_tongue: When I’m tired of sitting up straight though, I just stand and play. Great question though - because for me it does make a difference in overall comfort, sound, and playability over a period of time.

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I’ve got one dodgy knee and a slightly dodgy back, so I find playing while sitting far less comfortable because of my body, though I did make a conscious effort to get my comfortable playing height to be virtually the same whether standing or siting.

Now something I haven’t seen anybody mention about their position is their belly getting in the way. Maybe I’m the only one that has a belly, but I find that the higher I have the bass positioned, the more it wants to "roll over’ the top of my belly and face upwards to the point that I start looking down at my fretting hand because I can see the whole neck face. I’ve made a real effort to not look down but the bass is still trying to tilt towards my ribs.

The obvious solution is to lose the belly - you don’t need to tell me - but an odd effect of trying to counter the problem is that I could play without looking at the neck much sooner because I had to.

Yeah, so, sitting down only emphasises the belly conundrum, so standing is the way forward for me. I also figured that if I was playing with other folk I was more likely to be standing so it was a better routine to get into.

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Great, thanks for all the feedback!
guess i will try standing, that seems to be a common theme i am seeing

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Good question! I practice sitting, mostly, and my posture is something I’m always working on.

Having your feet on the floor seems important to me, if you’re getting uncomfortable over time that’s no good. And chairs with arms are a dealbreaker. So something:

  • comfortable
  • good height with hips above knees, feet on the floor
  • no arms

I’ve been using a drum throne lately, and it’s ticking all three of the above boxes (circles).

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Okay. This might be too much information but I’m going to go there.

The most comfortable place in the whole world for me to sit, is on my very own toilet! When I can’t find any place else to get comfortable to play, that’s where I go. I even have a small table in there to put my computer on for doing my lessons. I can go in there, close the door, block out the whole world, and focus on my playing. It’s actually quite peaceful.

Knock! Knock! Knock!
I’m Busy!
(I am. I’m practicing.)
No! I’m not hiding in the bathroom!
(I am practicing.)
Go Away! I’m working on something really important!
(I’m trying to get through playing Billie Jean another thousand times so I can nail it on FAST.)

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Definitely TMI, but hilariously so. Luckily for the rest of us you didn’t mention whether your trousers, like your pick technique, are up or down. :wink:

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Ouch :grin:

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Ha-ha! :yum:

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@eric.kiser at least in there, if your playing stinks you can simply turn on the exhaust fan. :smiley:

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Josh, I’ve been wondering if a drum throne would be suitable for bass practice. I take it it’s working well for you?

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I use a drum throne as well

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@honukai42 Welcome to the forums!

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Hey @PamPurrs, yeah it’s great. I got a DW5000 series and it seems like it’ll hold up for a long time, even with a giant bass alien sitting on it every day. :alien:

And welcome to you and your drum throne, @honukai42! :partying_face:

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On my first sessions I did not have a strap so I played sitting down, both feets on the ground and it was ok even if I tend to curl over the bass, but after I got a nice strap I’ve been playing standing and I feel better, more loose and relaxed. When my back starts to ache, I seat down. I am also trying to find the best posture.

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I was in Guitar Center today, picking up my new Zoom U-22 I ordered (Discussion on another thread), and I practically tripped over a nice, used drum throne for only $9.99! Needless to say, I snagged it.
Unfortunately, due to some silly law in Mesa, AZ (where that particular store is located), when someone brings in a used item, it can’t be sold for a certain period of time (Some sort of pawn shop law). Even though Guitar Center is not operating as a pawn shop, they still have to abide by that law. Even though I paid for it, I can’t pick it up until October 18th.
Can’t wait to try it!

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