Whats What’s the Best Playing Posture for Guitarists Over 40?
If you’ve ever felt stiff, sore, or awkward after a practice session you’re definitely not alone. Most guitarists over 40 experience some kind of postural tension when playing guitar. It shows up as shoulder tightness, wrist pain, or just general fatigue after sitting too long.
The good news is this:
You don’t need to be ultra-flexible or worry about completely overhauling your gear to get relief.
You just need a body-smart approach: one that works with your changing body, not against it.
Why Posture Matters Even More After 40
One of the beauties of getting old is we generally get wiser (most of the time anyway!). The reality though is our bodies also change as we age: joints stiffen, old injuries catch up, and bad habits accumulate.
Many adult guitar learners bring decades of tech-neck, desk slouching, or imbalanced movement patterns into their playing.
As a musician and movement specialist informed by manual osteopathy, exercise science and psychology, I’ve seen this firsthand:
Poor posture doesn’t just cause discomfort, it directly affects your tone, technique, and creativity.
And it may be robbing you of getting the best sound from your instrument and more enjoyment from your playing.
The Body-Aware Playing Position (In 5 Simple Steps)
These aren’t rigid rules. Think of them as gentle corrections you can make over time. Like tuning your body just as you would tune your strings before you play.
1. Change Your Chair, Change Your Posture
Sit on a firm, flat-surfaced chair (like a kitchen chair).
- Avoid deep couches, high stools, or anything that tilts your pelvis backward.
- Your thighs should be parallel to the ground, and your feet flat.
Key Reminder: Most postural breakdowns start at the pelvis. If your hips aren’t grounded, everything above compensates.
2. Uncurl the Shoulders
Many adult learners hunch forward to see their fretting hand especially when learning chords.
This rounds the shoulders, collapses the chest, and strains the neck.
- Try this: roll your shoulders up, back, and gently down.
- Bring the guitar toward you — not the other way around.
- Consider elevating the neck slightly or using a footstool if needed.
Quick Fix: Use a strap even while seated to stabilize the guitar and reduce hunching.
3. Lengthen the Spine (Don’t Stiffen It)
“Sitting up straight” is terrible advice if it turns you into a statue.
Instead, aim for length, not tension.
- Feel your sit bones on the chair.
- Let your spine grow upward without bracing.
- Relax your jaw, soften your ribs, and keep your breath easy.
Tip: Tension in your jaw or ribs often leaks into your hands. Consciously focus on breathing and focusing on relaxing your jaw and facial muscles prior to to playing
4. Neutral Wrists, Not Broken Angles
Check your strumming and fretting wrist angles.
Are they bent too far? Are you over-gripping?
- Keep your wrist as neutral as possible
- Use your arm and shoulder to move not just your fingers
- Reposition the guitar if needed (neck angle, strap height, etc.)
Key Reminder: Nerves don’t like extreme angles. Protect your tendons by avoiding “cocked” positions.
5. Reset Often (It’s Not Lazy It’s Smart)
I wrote about the importance of the 20 min reset when you practice in a previous post. Every 15–20 minutes, pause and reset:
- Roll your shoulders
- Shake out your wrists
- Do a quick neck roll
- Stand up and stretch if possible
This isn’t a waste of practice time. It’s performance preservation.
Your Sound Is Built on Your Posture
It’s not just about pain prevention, it’s about unlocking better tone, control, and confidence.
When your body moves freely, your music does too.
When your shoulders aren’t fighting gravity, your phrasing flows.
When your spine is supported, your breath deepens and your rhythm steadies.
Final Word: Progress, Not Perfection
If you’re over 40, returning to music, or adapting to an aging body you’re in the right place.
Posture isn’t about looking proper.
It’s about feeling supported, playing longer, and enjoying music without pain.
Start with one change today.
Your body — and your playing — will thank you.
Want the Full Blueprint?
This post is just the beginning.
You'll learn:
- The 7 Pillars of Guitar Posture that actually matter
- How to warm up properly
- Daily hand stretches to prevent tension and overuse
- Fretting and strumming technique that supports your joints
- A repeatable practice routine for consistent progress
F.P
F.P. O’Connor
F.P. O'Connor is a Musician and Movement Specialist whose work is informed by extensive training in Manual Osteopathy, Psychology, and Strength Coaching.
He is the founder of Gentle Octaves, helping adult players develop practical, science-based systems for ease, control, and long-term playing confidence.
www.gentleoctaves.com
Release → Reset → Rebuild™ your sound
FAQ:
Q: What’s the best chair for playing guitar?
A: A firm, armless chair with a flat seat and stable support is best — it keeps your spine neutral and prevents the guitar from drifting.
Couches collapse the pelvis, round the lower back, and force your hands to work harder.
A good playing chair should let you:
- plant your feet
- maintain a tall but relaxed spine
- position the guitar close to your center
- avoid shoulder hunching or wrist collapse
Kitchen chairs, rehearsal stools, or any stable armless seat give the most ergonomic control. If you sink, slide, or slump, the chair is working against you.
Q: Do posture corrections really affect tone?
A: Yes absolutely. Posture directly influences tension, breath, grip, and picking mechanics, all of which shape your tone and dynamic control.
Tone isn’t just gear; it’s biomechanics.
When your posture improves, you gain:
- freer breath → better phrasing
- lighter fretting pressure → cleaner tone with fewer squeaks
- stable shoulder girdle → smoother picking
- neutral wrist → reduced strain and better articulation
Most players don’t realise their tone problems are actually posture problems: compensations traveling from spine → shoulder → wrist → tone.
Correct posture reduces noise, strain, and inconsistency which is why pros obsess over it.
Q: Can I fix my posture if I’ve been playing “wrong” for years?
A: Yes the body adapts at any age. Most posture issues improve quickly with small, consistent adjustments.
You’ve just built habits around comfort, tension, and whatever gear you had at the time. The good news:
Your nervous system is plastic. Your fascia adapts. Your movement patterns can be rewritten.
The key is letting the changes be incremental, not dramatic.
Trying to correct everything in one session creates more tension, not less.
Start with:
- seat height
- guitar position
- shoulder awareness
- wrist angle
- breathing
As each element stabilizes, everything else becomes easier.Aim for 10% improvement, not perfection — your system will take care of the rest.
Science
Rousseau, Taha, Barton, Garden, Baltzopoulos, (2023) Assessing posture while playing in musicians – A systematic review, Applied Ergonomics, Volume 106, 2023, 103883, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2022.103883.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000368702200206X)
Shoebridge, A., Shields, N., & Webster, K. E. (2017). Minding the Body: An interdisciplinary theory of optimal posture for musicians. Psychology of Music, 45(6), 821-838. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735617691593 (Original work published 2017)
