Find a straight back chair. An office chair is good because the height is adjustable. Sit half-way off the edge of the chair with the knees bent at a little more than a right angle. The left foot should be flat on the floor, however, the right foot can be elevated a bit, either by sitting it on a few books, or resting it on one of the wheel spokes of the office chair. Straighten the back. The feet should be a little behind the knees. Now, tilt the pelvis forward a bit until you feel your upper torso rise slightly. This will straighten the back even more. The reason for this is you do not want to sit hunched over the guitar with a curved back.

Practice sitting like this for a while to get used to it.

Pick up your guitar and look at the following illustration:



This is a good, overall illustration of the best way to hold a guitar for the purposes of these lessons. This is sometimes referred to as a casual position.

Notice how the curved portion of the guitar body rests upon the right thigh. The guitar tilts towards you slightly. Do not hug the guitar. Only the upper edge will rest upon the chest. Depending on the guitars size, more or less of it will be tucked under the right arm.