Wow! Thanks. I'm glad you're finding it useful.

Hey I hope you're better now. How is it going now?

I read an article that talked about a study in 2018 that said the cause of back pain for 80% of Americans was bad posture. I new it was a problem for my students at the time but I didn't think it was so widespread. I hope this helps you.

Awesome! I'm glad you like it. I'm going to be putting up more content soon so if you haven't done so already, be sure to hit the notifications bell. Got any particular questions you'd like me to address?

Happy to help.

Thanks for subscribing! I'm glad to hear that it helped so much. A lot of my focus on this channel is body mechanics so if you haven't done so already, check out the other videos here on the channel. I've got a playlist for guitar lessons. If you've got questions on anything, hit me up in the comments and I'll answer as best I can or possibly make a future video on it. I hope you continue to find success. Rock on!

Glad I could help.

It's really true. I can't remember where I read it but I think that approximately 68% of Americans have some kind of back issue, largely due to poor posture. Mine used to be horrible until I started paying attention to it. Good for you for working on your posture!

You're welcome. I hope it helps.

You're welcome.

I know reading this u might think "did she even watch my videos like she said" lol. I promise u I did. Im just thinking that theres SO many problems that they cant all be fixed. And I cant unlearn them all. I just didnt have money it takes to get a teacher good like u. One that teaches fundamentals...not just basics.

@@mrs.hollerbredkennels-jana7891 Thank you so much for the kind words. I do my best. And yes, I believe you've watched the videos. :) I'm sorry to hear about the back injury. I can't even imagine what that's like to live with. Keep this in mind though: it's not even a marathon, there's no finish line for this type of exercise. I still have to think about my posture and make adjustments several times a day. Take it slow, and practice one element at time for a few days. You'll get there. You can cut yourself a little slack. :)

@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar Thank you, I needed to hear that. It's just rough playing with so many physical problems. And I'm 41 so I shouldnt be this way yet lol. I was a cheerleader for years & I busted my body up pretty good. Im thinking as I got older it's taken a toll. With technique & posture, I guess Im trying to fix it all overnight & I'm overwhelming myself. I do appreciate ya very much.

@@mrs.hollerbredkennels-jana7891 Glad I could help. :)

I'm glad I could help. Welcome!

Hey Ramesh, glad you like it. Check out these two videos (if you haven't already). kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eNd1oNJ7l8nFl6c.html kzfaq.info/get/bejne/n9STiMeZv8_LeHU.html If you don't get the answers you're looking for let me know and I'll definitely make a new video to answer your questions. This video is meant to briefly show how addressing your posture on a regular basis can help your playing. The two links above talk about how to sit with the guitar and how to orient your left hand to avoid pain. Let me know if they help. Good luck!

@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar Bro, today read your message. Saw the video link. very helpful. Many thanks for your help. Needed your guidance on few more things. Can you please share your any personal email id ? Want to clear few things personally which i cannot share openly. Thanks again.

@@RameshKumar-ng3nf at the risk of sounding a little stand-offish, can you be a little more specific? I'm not sure what help I can be outside the areas of guitar playing and music and it just seems a little strange that things relating to that can't be shared.

@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar not sure what you understood my previous message. No where i have mentioned i needed your help outside the areas of guitar playing or music. My words are completely misunderstood by you. I have a physical pain for which i am taking medications and it has affected by guitar playing which is my passion . I didn't wanted to mention here my health problems in detail and ask to you and share for each and everyone to read because multiple people will write multiple comments and might divert my mind as already i am disturbed by that health issue . Thats the only reason i asked your personal email id to communicate one-on-one . I didnt expect you to completely misunderstand my words mentioning outside of guitar playing. How can i ask you something outside of guitar playing ? Anyways, Thats fine, if you dont wanted to guide me. No problems at all..

Hey Ramesh, you're absolutely right. I completely misunderstood what you were asking me, and I'm sorry about that. I hope there are no hard feelings. If you'd like, you can send me a PM through my Facebook page. facebook.com/KevinOShaughnessyMusic/ You'll find the "Send Message" button on the right. This is only a temporary feature for that page as I like to keep the conversations public. This channel especially is growing into a community of people like yourself who are struggling with different things in their efforts to make music. While it's a small channel and I'm still working out the kinks, my hope is that contributors sharing their experiences will help others on the channel. That said, I totally get that sometimes people would want to keep things more private. I hope that clears up any confusion and I'm sorry again for the misunderstanding. I'll look forward to getting your message.

I agree. I think a large part of the issue comes from the difference between fine art and folk art. Fine art has a methodology and pedagogy whereas folk art is just passed down, word of mouth. Most practicioners of folk art (like electric guitar players) are generally limited to only teaching how they figured out how to do what they do. And in my observation, they don't tend to look very deeply into their own technique in order to properly demonstrate it. There are exceptions, of course, but they seem to be hard to find.

Generally, you just want something that's comfortable and will allow you to sit up straight. I'm not a fan of sitting on the couch but an office chair or a stool can be very good. This video here shows my demonstration of sitting with the guitar (kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rOBjrJeItrrMlH0.html). Take a look at that and see if that answers some of your questions. If not, please feel free to hit me up again. Good luck!

The short answer is: it depends. First, let me just say that I'm not a doctor or PT or anything like that, but my general philosophy is to avoid such products unless they're really needed. If someone has a physical limitation and a product like this can help, go for it. I've never used and ErgoPlay but I've looked at some reviews and from what I've seen, people who have them seem to like them. I don't see any issue with using one as long as it's not being used to short-cut good posture and technique. Having the guitar in the proper playing position is critical, and it will be different for every player. If an ErgoPlay will help achieve this, I see nothing wrong with it.

Hey Kevin. Yes, it's basically the same thing. Check out this video for a more complete demonstration. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rOBjrJeItrrMlH0.html

Hi Tim. Thanks for watching. I'm glad you're getting something out of it. The short answer to your question is: don't look at your fretboard for long periods of time. What you really want to look at when you look down at the guitar is what from that vantage point would be the top of the neck where the redundant fret markers usually are. As a beginner this can be tricky but you want to train yourself to glance down at the top of the neck to confirm your position, and then use your sense of touch to confirm you're on the correct string. Try this: Pick a riff or a lick to work on. Look over to the fretboard and make sure your fingers are going to hit the right strings. Now sit up and look at your fingers from the upright posture described in this video. Make note of any apparent differences. Then close your eyes and try to become aware of the feeling of the strings under your fingers. Finally, try playing the passage without looking. Try to only glance down if you need to shift positions. It will definitely take a little time and you may feel like you're going backwards for a time but this period usually doesn't last long and the payoff is totally worth it. Let me know if you want me to put together a follow up video demonstrating this idea. Subscribe to my channel (if you haven't already) and you'll be notified when it comes out. Thanks again for watching and let me know if you have any other questions.

I'm sorry to hear that. That sounds really painful. No one that I've ever taught has had an experience quite like yours so this is not something I've never even remotely looked into. My first thought is that if it got really bad playing guitar (even if it got better after switching legs), stop. It seems to me your shoulder is telling you it's not ready yet. Take a little more time, and address the issue with your doctor. In the meantime, if you still want to further your playing I suggest two things. 1. Focus on intellectual music lessons, and 2. "Think Practicing." Intellectual music lessons are things like music theory. You could get a book and do it that way or look up the names of the notes that make up the chords you know how to play and start there. You could move on to learning different scales or getting familiar with the names of the notes on the neck. If you're already familiar with all of that there are plenty of other subjects to choose from. "Think Practicing" is imagining playing through all of the songs you know. It sounds stupid, I know. But once, when I was younger, I was without my guitar for 3 months. I didn't want to forget the songs I knew so a friend introduced me to what he called "think practicing". Imagine playing through each song perfectly. The tone, the fingerings, the picking, everything down to the smallest detail. It's hard to stay focused on it but the brain does remember. When I got that guitar back, not only did I remember how to play the songs, I could play some of them better. I hope that's helpful. Good luck!

I hope this helps. Good luck!

THIS IS AN ONTIME VIDEO - A GAME CHANGING!

Yeah, it's funny how this posture thing creeps up on you. I. :) It's good you noticed it now while it's still relatively easy to do something about it.

Thanks! It's a work in progress so feel free to hit me up in the comments here and tell me what you'd like to see more of.

Kevin O'Shaughnessy sure, im watching your videos every night because i have some back problems, i will ask if there is any question 🖒🖒🖒

I'm sorry to hear about the back problems but I hope this helps. I'll have more soon.

Unfortunately, there's no specific exercise I can offer for "all the guitarists". Every weak spot is different. However, what I will suggest is to clearly define what "play longer" means to you. How long can you play now? How long would you like to play? Keep in mind though that if you're looking at professional musicians as a guide, remember that they take breaks during the set. If you're watching a 2 hour Rock show, the guitarist will be off stage during the bass solo. If you're watching function bands, almost everyone takes a break during the piano/vocal ballad. So few people play an entire 120 minutes of music. They may play in actuality 75 or 90 minutes. You have to remember also that they conditioned themselves over many years to do that. So once you've measured how long you can comfortably play now, and you've figured out how long you would like to be able to play, The you can begin to incrementally "add a song to your set." Let's say you can currently play comfortable for 30 minutes but you want to do 90. That's probably a starting point of say, 7 songs and a target of 21 songs. With a doctor's or PT's guidance, play 7 songs every day for two weeks. Then play 8 songs for two weeks. If you keep this up, it will take you about 28 weeks (roughly 7 months) to hit the goal. You may also experience setbacks, injuries, special occasions and the like so it could take a year or more. Best thing you can do is define your goal and work at it a little each day. Playing music is a lot like sports. Hope that helps. Good Luck!

Hi there Sir , Those were some great tip On how to increase my playing time Thank You I will start to put those in over time Now about Exercises For example I use a 5 lbs weight to do wrist strengthen Maybe I should ask what Exercise do you do to strengthen your wrist and forearms ? What Exercise do You do to strengthen Your back? What Exercise do You do to Strengthen Your inner neck muscles ? I usually practice for 20 minutes and then get up and stretch and run in place for about 1-2 mins

The truth is, I didn't have any specific exercises for different muscle groups when I was first learning how to play. Just playing should give you all the work out you need. These days, I do exercise almost daily but the goal is overall physical conditioning and is not playing specific. I find stretching to be more important than exercises, personally. Stay tuned because I'll be putting together a couple of videos on that soon. If you're having trouble in the arms, it could be that the muscles are tight and need to be stretched rather than worked. It could also be that the guitar needs a setup or perhaps a more involved adjustment. This is a very common cause of many playing problems and can usually be taken care of for short money at a local guitar store. If your back hurts when you play then following the steps in this video while in a seated position should provide some relief. In time, a habit will likely develop and the issue should solve itself. For the neck, I would ask if you're trying to hold your head out over the guitar so that you can see the frets. If so, stop. Try practicing "feeling" your way around the fretboard. It's an under-used sense that is very helpful in playing. When you do need to look at what you're doing, simply drop your chin instead of extending your neck out over the guitar. This should relieve some of the strain. Hope that helps.

Thanks Kevin Yes I also workout out to try to stay fit it does it more challenging and difficult as I get older Iam 49 but I want to keep practicing and playing guitar so I do a lot of walking and go to our small gym with comes with our apartment But yes stretching video would probly be very use for all of us older guys trying to maintain or prevent injury looking for to it Kevin thank you so much for all your’s your assistance

I will also slowly start adding that to my practice and playing About tried to feel more with my fingers and less with my eyes

Hey Mark, that sounds tough. There could be dozens of issues to look at. First, I would say that the posture information in this video applies to sitting down. Once you find the sweet spot your back pain should go away (assuming there isn't a more serious issue). As for the fretting hand, I have two videos that might be helpful if you haven't seen them already. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eNd1oNJ7l8nFl6c.html kzfaq.info/get/bejne/n9STiMeZv8_LeHU.html Another thing to try is to check the setup on your guitar. Heavier strings with a lower action can help alleviate the need for putting excess pressure on the string. Or if the neck is bowed the strings could be too high which would require more effort from your fretting hand. If you try all of that and still have problems I would seek the help of a physical therapist. In the meantime, send me a link to a video of your playing if you like and I'll tell you what I see. Good luck!

@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar i will definitely do this . Thank you and I will view your Lin as well

@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qL1ihsp1yLbIqaM.html

@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar kzfaq.info/get/bejne/lcCTi6Wc0ceZh2g.html

Hey Juan, Thanks for the feedback. I will probably make a follow up to this in the future as I've had a few requests for it. But the point of this video (and I realize it's not as clear as it could be) is that if you fix your over all posture, the work of fixing your posture while you play will be done for you. That's why I didn't demonstrate anything with a guitar. Hope that makes sense.

You practice enough so that you don't need to look down very often. Also, if you watch some of my other videos on ow to sit with the guitar and how to stand with the guitar, you'll see that I orient the headstock away from my body so the guitar is on around a 45-degree angle from my hip. This puts the neck out far enough so that it's easier to see what position you're playing in. As long as you can keep your head up 75 to 80% of the time, you're fine.

Also as a follow up. It seems like as an acoustic guitar player, steel string players adopt the casual/folk position and nylon players use the classical, few people seem to break this rule. Having said that in my research it seems from a pure ergonomics perspective and longevity kind of focus, the classical position seems to be superior, any thoughts on this? And recommendations for steel string players? I am a bigger guy (6'1) with long arms, but I am still concerned about the long term implications of playing a dreadnought guitar.

Thanks for the comment. I had always intended to record a followup video concerning how to sit properly but never got a round to it. Yes, this posture works for sitting. Simply follow the procedure described in the video, then lower yourself into the chair. I found that it took a little while for my lower ab muscles to strengthen up a bit but now it feels perfectly natural. As for your other question, the only superior position is the one that allows you to play what you want to play without pain. It's true, certain genres have tendencies about how they recommend positioning the guitar but if it doesn't work for you, go with the other. For example, I've noticed Zakk Wylde from Ozzy Osbourne's band has adapted a classical guitar positioning to a standing position. Stay tuned and I'll do a sitting posture video for next week.

@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar thank you. One more question! I find that once I lift my sternum higher, my pelvis tends to tilt forward (lower back arch). I understand to hold it in place you need to push the belly button in place ... but how do you keep your stomach flexed like that and breathe / be tension free? thanks so much

@@MatthewChenDirector This first thing to remember is to avoid rigidity. Yes, you pull your belly button in, but usually, it's just a little bit. You should find that you don't need to flex hard. When breathing, try practicing expanding your rib cage slightly instead of your belly. And finally, make sure that you sit on the edge of your chair. If you're holding the guitar in a Folk/Rock like position, drop the left leg (or the right, if you're a lefty) so that your foot is under the chair. I found this helps maintain that neutral spine a great deal. I'll put it in the next video.

@@MatthewChenDirector Hey. I don't know if you saw it yet but I wanted to let you know that the new video on sitting with the guitar is up. You can leave a comment on the video and let me know if it's helpful and if you have any other questions. Here's the link: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rOBjrJeItrrMlH0.html I hope it helps.

For that, check out the follow-up videos. standing: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/h9OJoL2hsZ66lKc.html, and sitting: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rOBjrJeItrrMlH0.html. Hopefully, these will give you what you need. Feel free to hit me up with any questions. Good luck!

@@KevinOShaughnessyGuitar Ohh awesome, thank you!

So true. That was one of my earlier videos. The more recent ones are a bit more concise.