Dear Lute List, A long-time reader though infrequent contributor to this list, I was on the verge of posting a related topic when Katherine initiated the thread on lute straps, a thread that I have followed with great interest.
Primarily from using a computer keyboard and mouse, I had developed under my right shoulder blade a "knot" that felt like a knife stabbing me in the back. The problem seemed to be exacerbated by reaching around the lute, which is a rather deep-bodied instrument. From my shoulder the pain seemed to radiate all the way down my arm, inflaming the ulnar nerve and my wrist, and numbing the ring and little finger of my right hand. I made several adjustments to my computer equipment (raising the monitor, switching the mouse to my left hand, etc.) and underwent chiropractic treatment, acupuncture, massage, and medication therapy (muscle relaxers and pain pills). Yet, the problem was still so bad that I worried that I would have to give up the lute. Originally, I held the lute more or less in the classical guitar style, i.e., on my left thigh and using a footstool. Once my physical problems developed, I tried using a strap in the "traditional" manner, i.e., tying it to the first peg, wrapping it around my shoulder, and tucking it in under my right thigh, on which I now rested the body of the lute. Doing so helped but did not really solve the problem. In desperation I drove to the nearest "luthier" (a maker of violins, violas, and cellos, but not of lutes), who was two and a half hours away, and had him put two strap buttons on my instrument, since I was afraid of doing so myself and cracking my instrument. I have since used both a regular, guitar-style strap, attached to the first peg and the clasp button, and the "slider-strap" recently mentioned on this list and attached to the clasp button and another button just below the neck. Doing so seems to have improved my tone since I am able to hold the lute higher, so that my forearm is more closely parallel to the strings, and has also alleviated the pain somewhat. At this point, however, I am merely managing the pain but have not been relieved of it. I would like to ask whether any other members of the lute list have experienced similar physical problems and, if so, how they solved them. I would be very appreciative of any help anyone could give me. Thank you in advance, Stephen Arndt ----- Original Message ----- From: "Katherine Davies" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 10:08 AM Subject: [LUTE] Re: lute straps > There are lots of renaissance pictures of people > playing lutes while standing up without any sign of a > strap. Does anyone do this? Any ideas on how - or if - > it could be done? > > I'm not having a go at strap-users; I'm just a bit > puzzled - I have enough trouble keeping the thing in > place when I'm sitting down. > > thanks, > Katherine Davies > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
