Patent ID: 8618393

Claim:
A shoulder strap assembly worn by a player for supporting a musical instrument in a generally horizontal position with a playing surface of the instrument facing upward, the instrument having a body portion, and a neck portion extending from the body, the strap assembly comprising: an elongate flexible shoulder strap adapted to be received on a shoulder of the player and having first and second ends; a first instrument strap releasably connected at one end to said first end of said shoulder strap and having a flexible loop end at an opposed end adapted to be removably attached to the neck portion of the instrument; a second instrument strap releasably connected at one end to said second end of said shoulder strap and having an opposed end adapted to be removably attached to the body portion of the instrument; said strap assembly supporting the instrument from the shoulder of the player in a generally horizontal position with the playing surface of the instrument facing upward; and a forearm loop mounted on said second instrument strap to receive a forearm of a first hand of the player such that the forearm is not trapped between the instrument body and said shoulder strap.