How can James Hetfield play like that?

[Luis_Hernandez]

I never realized it before, but now that I'm learning how to play guitar I realize that James Hetfield from Metallica wears his guitar very low. How can he play like that?!?! I thought that the stuff he played was pretty simple, but it's not. Like the intro from "Fade to Black" requires him to stretch his fingers a lot. I could do that intro fine, but if I try to do it with my guitar as low as his it's nearly impossible. Didn't Stone D. said in one of the leassons that it's more effective to wear a guitar above the waist, or around the belly. Well explain this. Hetfield does all this cool and difficult stuff yet he wears his guitar around his thighs.

[metalicat]

i'll try and give you an answer from the stuff i've heard. Most of the stuff he plays is fairly easy (by kirk's standards), some hard. He can wear it that low for the hard stuff because he doesn't do that much of it. He probably couldn't keep up the consistency if he tried to play kirk's stuff all the time in that position. I could be wrong.

[WeT_WiLy]

At my advice, it's only because he don't want to like a jerk when playing guitar, especially in a show. Rock stars like to wear their guitar lower to look cool, but it's definetly easier when it's above the waist. That's what I think.

[Luis_Hernandez]

I guess he would look nerdy if wore it up to his belly like Tom from Rage Againts the Machine. He still sound cool though.

[Ax]

The guy's got really big arms

[tricyclist]

What? If you wear your guitar where you can play it comfortably you look like a jerk?

Damn! I guess that's why I never get the chicks.

[rivergrl]

Its fashionable to wear your guitar round you knees isnt it? I couldnt possibly play my guitar that low! I bet hes used to playing it like that. My boyfriend wears his guitar really low and he claims that its easier to play his 'annoying riffs' like that. Personally, id rather play my guitar where it feels comfortable and play it well, even if i do look an idiot, rather than play it badly and look cool with it really low... Also, i think my guitar would look stupid worn low (its an Epiphone Riviera - like the Gibson 330 - a big hollow bodied thing)

[Luis_Hernandez]

I don't understand how anything can be easier to play with your guitar down to your knees. Not only does fingering get harder, but picking gets hard as well. You have to pick up to neck just to reach the strings. Not only that palm mutes are virtually impossible.

[bugman]

What? If you wear your guitar where you can play it comfortably you look like a jerk?
Damn! I guess that's why I never get the chicks.

I was always under the impression that chicks fall for the jerks...that's my theory (though it isn't always true). And while we're on the subject, I thought this was pretty funny:
http://www.geocities.com/decade240/girlsevil.jpg

[metalicat]

maybe they're the reason the world's the way it is.....evil. Sounds like a good way to get the blame away from us.

[skubasteve120]

i wear my guitar so the top of it is right at my waist. its lower than usual, i guess, but thats actually where i feel most comfortable with it. if im doin a really tough solo, i usually wedge the guitar against my thigh and hold it straight up and down, with the headstock right by my head. thats another habbit of mine, but people tell me it looks cool like that, so

hetfield is awesome, man. ya know that little riff towards the end of fade to black, when the song just completely changes, and there's that descending palm mute thingy? thats hard enough for me already, but he does it while SINGING! i always thought it was just kirk doing that part, but i saw a concert video and james and kirk play it in unison. christ, he IS good.

[Intruder]

There was a time when I thought playing standing up was much harder than sitting down. My guitar has been getting lower and lower and at first, it was very hard to play. I guess it depends on alot of things, some guitars are easier to play low. Some types of picking are hard to play low, some aren't. Where I play my guitar now, my arm is slgihtly bent and it feels comfortable. Maybe some of the players who use V-shaped guitars make it look like it's lower because of the guitar's shape.