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keith -> RE: Posture, Seating (Apr. 11 2012 8:19:46)
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AG--as for padding i leave that up to your rear end to be the judge but for most folks some padding will be necessary. as for posture, the rules that apply to sitting in general apply to playing the guitar with respect to the probability of a pathology developing or becoming clinically significant (as in pain). sitting is one of the worse thing we can do to our backs and back injuries are the second leading cause of missed work. sitting is often cited as a primary cause especially as the years add up.
that said, how does one sit properly holding the guitar? the traditional style allows the person to sit properly to a degree better than the "paco' style. the literature is pretty clear about sitting positions and the effects it has on our backs and hips--especially as the years add up. add injuries to other parts of the body and the importance of proper sitting (even with taking frequent breaks) becomes even greater. the other problem to this equation is holding an object (the guitar) for long periods of time can be problematic especially for someone with a less than optimal body (i.e., injuries). holding a guitar and hunching is over is all too frequently mentioned by guitarists--classical and flamenco alike.
there are two things that are probably the best thing we can do that most people playing nylon string guitars will balk at but which make biomechanic sense. the first, recommended by kenny hill, is to use a strap and stand up. this makes a lot of sense in that with a strap one can stand for a while, sit for a while, etc. etc. and still hold the guitar in an optimal position. of course, a strap requires a couple of holes and has a very "unflamenco" look. the second method is to use a guitar support such as the efel or gitano. these allow the user to sit properly and angle the guitar in such a way to make playing easy as well tilting the guitar backwards to reduce hunching. the support reduces the accumulating pathology to joints involved with hold the guitar--especially in the shoulder and neck area as well as the back and hips as they promote good sitting posture.
many folks have written, or think privately to themselves, that guitar supports look uncool but the reality is they work (and many guitarist are using them especially as the years/injuries accumulate). kenny hill said it best (to paraphrase): what is more uncool--standing on stage playing guitar with a strap or rolling off the doctor's table after getting shot up to reduce the pain?
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