How to gracefully play guitar while pregnant?

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Permalink Reply by Kieran Metcalfe on April 22, 2009 at 8:36am

I take it congratulations are in order then? Congrats!!

That's about all I have to offer to the discussion though. As a guy of portly stature (or formerly so, as I'm in the thick of a weight loss program....) I've never been graceful with the guitar....

A uke might work will tho :)

Either that, or maybe Ovation make one where the round back goes into the guitar so if fits nicely around the bump.... :P

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Permalink Reply by Diane Luna on April 23, 2009 at 12:03am

I've never seen a concave Ovation... that would be a first! Thanks for the congrats - you are correct. We're due early September. Last time I just quit playing for the final couple months... this time I'm leading worship so often not sure i can quit. But there's nothing graceful about playing guitar with a large baby bump... sigh. Guess i'll just have to be humbled :)

I've only played a uke once - on my honeymoon in fiji... with the hotel welcome band. Pretty funny story.

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Permalink Reply by Kieran Metcalfe on April 23, 2009 at 2:18pm

Do tell - funny stories are always good for a giggle :)

Are you leading on your own or with a band? Woudl it work for you to just drop to vox, rather than quitting altogether?

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Permalink Reply by Diane Luna on April 23, 2009 at 2:26pm

Dropping the vox would be ideal... but II probably can't. It's actually just me and my cellist friend for the most part, and occasionally a cajon player, but I'm the lead - we lead twice a month at our home church and also travel to other churches who have asked for my original stuff which is written for guitar. Really honestly II will just have to "suck it up" and just navigate the belly and guitar. A comment earlier mentioned standing a bit sideways, I liek that idea or maybe sit on a stool like one would at a coffee shop show. And... I'll probably take the last month off... I'll probably rather stay in bed then! haha.

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Permalink Reply by Bizzy Bender on April 24, 2009 at 5:42pm

sitting is actually harder. There is little room on your lap and the guitar slides off, kind of like what happens when you play an ovation sitting down.

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Permalink Reply by Diane Luna on April 26, 2009 at 3:53am

Good point!

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Permalink Reply by David Smith on April 22, 2009 at 1:18pm

Congrats, Diane!

I think I'd advise against the Ovation though...it's round back will just lay against your growing stomach, causing a more and more un-natural playing position as your pregnancy progresses - I have a good friend who experienced this very thing.

I would advise the solution she came up with - playing a smaller bodied a/e guitar, combined with a slightly angled stance in relation to the mic stand. BTW, she discovered during this process that an all wood guitar sounds better than one with a plastic back (I share this opinion), and as a result her Ovation got handed down to the youth band.

Good luck!

Smitty

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Permalink Reply by Judah Community on April 23, 2009 at 2:03am

Have you considered just playing lap steel for awhile? : )

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Permalink Reply by Diane Luna on April 23, 2009 at 4:03am

actually my mom plays one and I've always wanted to! Maybe this is incentive to borrow hers :)

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Permalink Reply by Chris Warwick on April 23, 2009 at 3:29am

Diane, check this out www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAzdvzToVgY I own one of these and I installed a piezo bridge pickup, no volume control, and it sound's quite good plugged into the PA. They are very inexpensive and sound better than most travel guitars I've heard. Hope this helps.

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Permalink Reply by Diane Luna on April 23, 2009 at 4:08am

Thanks Chris! Just watched... interesting idea.

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Permalink Reply by Kelsie Newby on May 7, 2009 at 7:37pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUcRy8q1fss this one looks like fun. If you can reach around your belly to it.

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