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GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH Your Personal Guitar Lesson |
Photo by Robin Gentile, NYC
| BE SURE TO VISIT DOUG'S "SECRET VAULT" It contains many of Doug's Previous Guitar Technique Tips of the Month |
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Question?
Suggestion for the website?
We would love to hear from you.
We have a Printer Friendlier (PDF) version of this article that's also easier on the eyes.
It's SO much easier to read a printed article than to read it from the computer screen.
It's SO much easier to read a printed article than to read it from the computer screen.
Put An End to Your Guitar's Lap Dance Now!
By Douglas Niedt
Copyright Douglas Niedt, All Rights Reserved. This article may be reprinted, but please be
considerate and give credit to Douglas Niedt.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
A bothersome problem when playing the guitar is the "lap dance" it does when you wear
certain pants, slacks, or dresses. The guitar slides around in your lap diverting your attention.
It can be especially annoying in a performance. The more stable the guitar is held, the more
stable and confident your playing will be. Here's how to end your guitar's "lap dance" for good.
Some guitarists set a piece of non-slip cloth on their leg when they play. The problem is that
every time they get up out of the chair they have to deal with the cloth. In a performance it's
distracting to the performer and audience and not particularly elegant. There are guitar
specific commercial versions of non-slip products available, but none work as well as what I
describe here. This is a much better way. I've been doing this for years and it works great. You
will need double-sided (sticky on both sides) carpet tape available at hardware stores or
Walmart for less than $3 (I use the Manco brand and it measures 1.41 inches x 42 feet), suede
cloth, scissors, and maybe a measuring tape.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
The suede is available from the Tandy Leather Factory Company. You can order from their
website, www.tandyleatherfactory.com, or call or visit one of their many store locations
throughout the United States and Canada.
They have suede pieces in beige, medium brown, and other colors. Prices range from
$3.60-$4.50 per square foot.
U.S. Phone: 1-800-433-3201
International Phone: 1-817-496-4874
Canada Phone: 1-800-450-3062
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
Saturday 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CST
Mailing address:
Tandy Leather Factory, Inc.
Attn: Sales
3847 East Loop 820 South
Fort Worth , TX 76119
In a nutshell, using the carpet tape, you are going to attach one piece of suede to the guitar
on the area where the guitar rests on your left leg and one piece of suede to the area where
the guitar rests against your right thigh. If you do a good job, it will not be noticeable by the
audience, will stay on for months and months, and you will be absolutely amazed at how
secure and stable the guitar is in your lap and how much additional confidence it will impart to
your playing! It is not a subtle thing--it is a major improvement.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
THERE IS ONE THING YOU MUST DO BEFORE PROCEEDING. You must test your guitar's
finish to be certain the carpet tape will not damage it. Cut a small piece of tape about a
half inch long, peel off the backing strip and stick it on your guitar where the guitar rests on
your left leg. Then peel it off the guitar slowly and carefully. If any finish or color pulls off with
the tape do not proceed. If you don't see any damage, to be safe, do a longer test. Cut
another piece and leave it on the guitar overnight and check the next day for damage. I play a
Ramirez and the tape doesn't affect the finish one iota.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Sit in your chair with your guitar. Take note of the exact location where the guitar rests on your
left leg. The carpet tape is 1 1/2" wide. You will stick two pieces side by side on your guitar to
which you will attach the suede. Cut two lengths of the carpet tape, each piece 8 inches long
(you can probably get away with half that but I do 8 inches). Peel off the backing strip of one of
the pieces and stick it on your guitar at the spot where the guitar rests on your left leg. Peel off
the backing strip of the other piece of carpet tape and stick it on your guitar alongside the first
strip, but for now don't peel off the top backing strips of either piece. See the first photo:
Now take your piece of suede and cut one piece to stick in place onto the carpet tape. Cut it
slightly longer (maybe 8 1/2 inches) and wider (3 1/2 inches) so it covers the carpet tape
entirely. Now peel off the backing strips of your two lengths of carpet tape that are already
stuck on the guitar and carefully stick your piece of suede in place so that no carpet tape
shows. The good news is that if you mess up, you can carefully peel the suede off and reset it.
Or if you find you messed up on the placement of the carpet tape, it also can be carefully and
easily peeled off with no damage to the guitar's finish, and you can start over. See next two
photos:
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Next, you will use the same procedure to attach another piece of suede to the spot on the
guitar that contacts your right leg. However, I find the guitar is held better and more stable if
you attach the piece of suede so that it wraps around the back of the guitar a couple inches.
See next two photos:
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Eventually the suede will collect dirt and oils and begin to slightly lose its "grip" on your legs.
You could replace the suede (and probably the carpet tape) at that point. But to save a few
bucks and time, try this. Take a piece of rough sandpaper (#100 grit works well) and simply
sand the pieces of suede right on the guitar. Just be REALLY CAREFUL. Don't let the
sandpaper come in contact with the actual guitar. I do this about once a month to maintain the
maximum grip of the suede. It only takes about one or two minutes to do it.
Your guitar's lap dancing days are over. Enjoy your newfound stability and security.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
By Douglas Niedt
Copyright Douglas Niedt, All Rights Reserved. This article may be reprinted, but please be
considerate and give credit to Douglas Niedt.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
A bothersome problem when playing the guitar is the "lap dance" it does when you wear
certain pants, slacks, or dresses. The guitar slides around in your lap diverting your attention.
It can be especially annoying in a performance. The more stable the guitar is held, the more
stable and confident your playing will be. Here's how to end your guitar's "lap dance" for good.
Some guitarists set a piece of non-slip cloth on their leg when they play. The problem is that
every time they get up out of the chair they have to deal with the cloth. In a performance it's
distracting to the performer and audience and not particularly elegant. There are guitar
specific commercial versions of non-slip products available, but none work as well as what I
describe here. This is a much better way. I've been doing this for years and it works great. You
will need double-sided (sticky on both sides) carpet tape available at hardware stores or
Walmart for less than $3 (I use the Manco brand and it measures 1.41 inches x 42 feet), suede
cloth, scissors, and maybe a measuring tape.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
The suede is available from the Tandy Leather Factory Company. You can order from their
website, www.tandyleatherfactory.com, or call or visit one of their many store locations
throughout the United States and Canada.
They have suede pieces in beige, medium brown, and other colors. Prices range from
$3.60-$4.50 per square foot.
U.S. Phone: 1-800-433-3201
International Phone: 1-817-496-4874
Canada Phone: 1-800-450-3062
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
Saturday 9 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CST
Mailing address:
Tandy Leather Factory, Inc.
Attn: Sales
3847 East Loop 820 South
Fort Worth , TX 76119
In a nutshell, using the carpet tape, you are going to attach one piece of suede to the guitar
on the area where the guitar rests on your left leg and one piece of suede to the area where
the guitar rests against your right thigh. If you do a good job, it will not be noticeable by the
audience, will stay on for months and months, and you will be absolutely amazed at how
secure and stable the guitar is in your lap and how much additional confidence it will impart to
your playing! It is not a subtle thing--it is a major improvement.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
THERE IS ONE THING YOU MUST DO BEFORE PROCEEDING. You must test your guitar's
finish to be certain the carpet tape will not damage it. Cut a small piece of tape about a
half inch long, peel off the backing strip and stick it on your guitar where the guitar rests on
your left leg. Then peel it off the guitar slowly and carefully. If any finish or color pulls off with
the tape do not proceed. If you don't see any damage, to be safe, do a longer test. Cut
another piece and leave it on the guitar overnight and check the next day for damage. I play a
Ramirez and the tape doesn't affect the finish one iota.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Sit in your chair with your guitar. Take note of the exact location where the guitar rests on your
left leg. The carpet tape is 1 1/2" wide. You will stick two pieces side by side on your guitar to
which you will attach the suede. Cut two lengths of the carpet tape, each piece 8 inches long
(you can probably get away with half that but I do 8 inches). Peel off the backing strip of one of
the pieces and stick it on your guitar at the spot where the guitar rests on your left leg. Peel off
the backing strip of the other piece of carpet tape and stick it on your guitar alongside the first
strip, but for now don't peel off the top backing strips of either piece. See the first photo:
Now take your piece of suede and cut one piece to stick in place onto the carpet tape. Cut it
slightly longer (maybe 8 1/2 inches) and wider (3 1/2 inches) so it covers the carpet tape
entirely. Now peel off the backing strips of your two lengths of carpet tape that are already
stuck on the guitar and carefully stick your piece of suede in place so that no carpet tape
shows. The good news is that if you mess up, you can carefully peel the suede off and reset it.
Or if you find you messed up on the placement of the carpet tape, it also can be carefully and
easily peeled off with no damage to the guitar's finish, and you can start over. See next two
photos:
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Next, you will use the same procedure to attach another piece of suede to the spot on the
guitar that contacts your right leg. However, I find the guitar is held better and more stable if
you attach the piece of suede so that it wraps around the back of the guitar a couple inches.
See next two photos:
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Eventually the suede will collect dirt and oils and begin to slightly lose its "grip" on your legs.
You could replace the suede (and probably the carpet tape) at that point. But to save a few
bucks and time, try this. Take a piece of rough sandpaper (#100 grit works well) and simply
sand the pieces of suede right on the guitar. Just be REALLY CAREFUL. Don't let the
sandpaper come in contact with the actual guitar. I do this about once a month to maintain the
maximum grip of the suede. It only takes about one or two minutes to do it.
Your guitar's lap dancing days are over. Enjoy your newfound stability and security.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
BE SURE TO VISIT DOUG'S "SECRET VAULT"
It contains many of Doug's Previous
Guitar Technique Tips of the Month
It contains many of Doug's Previous
Guitar Technique Tips of the Month
Have a comment?
Question?
Suggestion for the website?
We would love to hear from you.
Question?
Suggestion for the website?
We would love to hear from you.
We have a Printer Friendlier (PDF) version of this article that's also easier on the eyes.
It's SO much easier to read a printed article than to read it from the computer screen.
It's SO much easier to read a printed article than to read it from the computer screen.
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Doug's Guitar Technique Tip of the Month will be sent to you monthly. These are the best on the
Internet. No one else's technique articles and videos even come close. Most of the written tips run
over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are thorough and the
production is excellent. Check out the free tips in Doug's Vault for a sampling.
A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.
Purchase a ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to:
DOUGLAS NIEDT'S GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH
Doug's Guitar Technique Tip of the Month will be sent to you monthly. These are the best on the
Internet. No one else's technique articles and videos even come close. Most of the written tips run
over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are thorough and the
production is excellent. Check out the free tips in Doug's Vault for a sampling.
A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.
Be a better guitar player or teacher. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Purchase a ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to:
DOUGLAS NIEDT'S GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH
Doug's Guitar Technique Tip of the Month will be sent to you monthly. These are the best
on the Internet. No one else's technique articles and videos even come close. Most of the
written tips run over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are
thorough and the production is excellent. Check out the free tips in Doug's Vault for a
sampling.
A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.
Purchase a ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to:
DOUGLAS NIEDT'S GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH
Doug's Guitar Technique Tip of the Month will be sent to you monthly. These are the best
on the Internet. No one else's technique articles and videos even come close. Most of the
written tips run over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are
thorough and the production is excellent. Check out the free tips in Doug's Vault for a
sampling.
A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.