You know, standing up to play guitar is something that catches a lot of players off guard. Everything feels different when you’re on your feet versus sitting down. The angle changes. Your arm position shifts. The weight of the guitar hits you different. And if you’re not ready for it, you can struggle for months trying to find your rhythm. But here’s the good news: learning how to play guitar standing up is totally learnable. It just takes a little know-how and some real practice.
Get Your Strap Height Right
The biggest mistake I see is players hanging their guitar way too low. Yeah, it looks cool. I get that. But if you can’t actually reach your fretboard, you’ve already lost the battle. I like to keep my guitar high enough that I can hit the first and second frets without having my wrist all twisted up. When your guitar sits too low, you’re reaching like crazy, and that stretches out your forearm in ways that’ll eventually give you tendonitis or carpal tunnel issues.
Here’s what I do. When I’m sitting down, I get my guitar to a comfortable height using a footstool or a foot rest. Then when I stand up, my guitar should sit at basically the same height. Maybe half an inch lower because of the weight, but that’s it. That consistency matters. Your body learns one position when you’re sitting. If you completely change that position when you stand, you’re confusing your hands and your technique is going to suffer. I’ve been playing for over 45 years, and this is the one thing I never compromise on.
Why Standing Feels So Different
When you transition from sitting to standing, you’re not just changing your posture. You’re changing how gravity works on your instrument. The guitar wants to pull down and away from your body. Your arms are in a slightly different angle. Your shoulders feel the weight in a whole new way. And if you’ve been practicing sitting down for months, your muscle memory doesn’t know what to do.
The good news is this is normal. Pretty much every student I’ve worked with has had this same moment. You sit down, play something clean and solid. You stand up, and suddenly your fingers feel clumsy. Your rhythm gets shaky. Your fretting hand angles wrong. But that’s just your body learning. It’ll click. You’ve got the skill sitting down. You just need to let your body adjust to the new position.
Adjust Your Technique for Standing
When I sit, I can relax a lot. The guitar is basically locked in place on my leg. Standing up? You’ve got to be more intentional. Your fretting hand needs to be ready to catch the guitar if it shifts. Your picking arm needs a bit more control because the guitar moves around a little more. I square up my hand behind the fretboard when I stand. My thumb sits right there at the back so I can get speed and control. If your guitar is hanging down by your knees, squaring up like that becomes impossible. Another reason to keep it high.
Also pay attention to which way you shift your weight. You don’t want to be locked in one position. Let your body sway a little. Feel the music. Blues guitar especially is about feel and movement. When you stand up, you’ve got the freedom to move in ways you can’t sitting down. Use it.
Find Your Balance Point
The balance of how to play guitar standing up comes down to three things. First, your strap. Second, where the strap sits on your shoulders. Third, how you hold your body. If your strap is thin or slippery, the guitar slides around on your clothes and you’re fighting it all night. I always recommend a wide leather strap. It sounds expensive, but I’ve got one that’s lasted me 20 years. Wide straps distribute the weight across your shoulders way better than a thin strap. They’re comfortable. The leather softens up over time and molds to your shoulders.
Now here’s something a lot of people don’t think about. Some guitars are headstock heavy. They want to pull down on your strap. A thin nylon strap will slip right off. But leather, especially leather with a rough back, grips your clothes and stays put. That’s why a good leather strap is worth the money.
Strap Locks Matter More Than You Think
Once you’ve got your strap sorted, think about getting strap locks. These are little locking mechanisms that attach to your strap buttons so your guitar can’t slip off. If you’re standing on stage or in front of people, the last thing you want is your guitar hitting the ground. I’ve seen it happen. The player panics. The set falls apart. Some strap locks cost just a few dollars and they’re worth every penny. They’re not fancy. They’re just practical.
Practice Standing Up Regularly
Here’s the real secret to getting comfortable: you’ve got to practice standing up. Not sometimes. Not just when you’re playing out. I mean regularly. I recommend standing up at least half your practice time if you ever plan to perform. Your sitting-down skills don’t magically transfer to standing. Your body is different. Your angles are different. Your fatigue happens in different places.
When you first start, you might get tired faster standing up. Your shoulders might ache. Your fingers might fatigue quicker because your arm angle is off. That’s fine. Play for five or ten minutes standing, then sit back down if you need to. Over a couple of weeks, your body adapts. What felt exhausting starts to feel normal. What felt awkward starts to feel like home.
Don’t just stand there looking cool. Actually practice songs. Work on technique. Do your scales. If you only ever stand up to play finished songs, you’re never giving your body a chance to really settle into the position. Mix in some slow practice. Some chord changes. Some right-hand work. Let your body learn in the same way your sitting body learned.
Get Comfortable With Your Setup
The transition from sitting to standing is part of a bigger picture. Your whole guitar setup and maintenance matters. Is your action too high? That’s going to exhaust your hands whether you’re sitting or standing. Is your neck straight? That affects your ability to reach the frets comfortably. Is your strap the right size? Are your fingers positioned right? All of this comes together.
I’ve been doing this a long time, and I can tell you that most of the frustration people feel when they first try to play guitar standing up isn’t really about standing. It’s usually about one of these setup issues that was always there. When you change positions, suddenly you notice it. That’s actually good news. It means you can fix it.
It Gets Better Over Time
I can’t promise you’ll wake up tomorrow loving how you play standing up. But I can promise you that in two weeks, three weeks, a month of regular practice, things will click. Your body will find its groove. What feels awkward now will feel natural. The technique you’ve been working on sitting down will translate to standing, and then you’ll have a whole new skill.
The key is to not fight it. Don’t expect standing to feel exactly like sitting. Let it be its own thing. Adjust your strap height. Get a good quality strap. Use strap locks. Practice standing up regularly. Keep your guitar at a height where you can actually play instead of just pose. Do that, and learning how to play guitar standing up becomes a non-issue.
If you’re ready to take your playing to the next level, whether you’re sitting or standing, come check out what we’re doing at RiffNinja. I’ve got lessons that’ll help you build real skills. Start your free trial today and let’s get to work.