Dear All, Long term readers of the list will have seen my past mailings on lute playing and the Alexander Technique so I will make this one short.
For many of us engaging in physical activities like playing the lute can inadvertently involve excess muscle tension and poor posture - both of these can lead to chronic muscle pains and other symptoms like headaches and numbness in parts of the body. I know - I have been there. There are many techniques and therapies that can reduce pain and muscle tension, and I feel sure that many of them are helpful. However, Alexander Technique is the only one that I know of that enables a person to consciously reinstate a balanced natural use of the body. Alexander's discoveries are fundamental to the process - essentially, our bodies are often not doing what we think they are doing, and we cannot force them to relax or adopt good posture by simply trying to make it happen. It would take far too much space to provide the full story here, so for anyone that's interested there is a transcript of an excellent talk by Jacob Heringman on the Alexander Technique and the lute in the Lute Society's magazine 'Lute News' number 73 April 2005. Jacob, as far as I am aware, is the only high profile lute player to also be qualified as a teacher of the Technique. I think there is also information on the Technique on his website at http://www.heringman.com/. There is also my own article 'An easie gracefulnesse - lute playing and the Alexander Technique' in 'Lute News' Number 59 September 2001. I am happy to send anyone that's interested an electronic copy of that. I share Jacob's view that when used to the greatest advantage by musicians the Alexander Technique not only eliminates the negative effects of excess tension and poor posture but can open the door to higher standards of performance. Best wishes, Denys ----- Original Message ----- From: "Eric Liefeld" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Stephen Arndt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2006 3:09 AM Subject: [LUTE] Body pain (was Re: lute straps) > Dear Stephen, > > I was going to reply privately, but I'll broadcast here in the > hope this can help others. I too suffer from a variety of pain > issues in the neck and back, in my case likely caused by > playing the violin for many years from childhood (in the > modern school), and exacerbated by computer use. I have > had frequent severe migraines for at least 35 years. I too > have been through the gamut of treatments you list (plus > a few) and I eventually resorted to just taking lots of pain > medications... not an altogether healthy thing. > > In a rather desperate search for help about nine months > ago I stumbled across a wonderful and well-written book > ("The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook") that has literally > saved my life. You can find it at http://www.trigerpointbook.com, > and even get a discount when ordering through their site. > I think its also widely available at the local Barnes and Noble. > > The author, Clair Davies, is a former piano tuner, and he > has some insights into musician's injuries and issues. He > basically takes you through every muscle in the body and > teaches you how to work on them yourself with a few simple > tools. This may sound strange at first, but I have been > able to bring about *much* more improvement in my pain > situation by working on myself than with any other method. > > Unlike lots of "treatments" that require a belief system of sorts, > trigger points are very tangible, easy to find, and based on > published medical literature. Trigger points are basically > small contractions in muscle that tend to refer pain in predictable > patterns that are described and illustrated in the book. Once > you can understand, isolate, and work on the muscles that > are causing your pain, I have no doubt that you can resolve > it quickly. In my own case, I am almost completely off the > pain meds and I can once again move like a human. > > I have also found this book particularly helpful with the > typical repetitive strain issues encountered when playing > instruments. > > Feel free to contact me off-line if you want more information. > > Best, > > Eric > > ps - The knife was in my *left* shoulder blade... > > On May 3, 2006, at 7:08 PM, Stephen Arndt wrote: > > > 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 > > > > > > > > --------------- > Eric Liefeld > (505) 526-1230 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 268.5.2/329 - Release Date: 02/05/2006 > > -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 268.5.2/329 - Release Date: 02/05/2006
