Postures (Daily Tips #5)

Risky or Poor Postures. What are they?

Some of these may be proscribed by our instrument but many are avoidable. The body is happiest in a natural or neutral position. Here are a few risky postures:
- in necks – tilting or rotating heads
- in torsos – bending or twisting
- in wrists – flexing or deviating
- in hands – pressing thumbs and squeezing fingers
- in shoulders allowing shoulders to droop or hunch collapsing chests raising, lifting, or bringing shoulders forward and holding arms away from the body at or above shoulder level for prolonged periods of time.
Hunched postures compress internal organs and the spine, and they prevent proper breathing.
Reaching or leaning or bending backwards can compromise your body negatively. Do we try as musicians to perpetuate a “look”. Does the so-called JAZZ “LOOK” prove intensity or passion? Or should we try to make it look easy, fluid and natural?

Let’s talk about Hands.

AWKWARD HAND POSITIONS ARE RISKY. Extreme positions of the wrist, pinching, or deviations side to side, and prolonged grasping can increase injury risk by 90% At the keyboard (piano or computer for that matter) maintain neutral! Your hands should descend from your elbows. Your wrists should not be dropped nor raised. Do not turn your hand and wrist sideways (deviate) to reach pinky keys. Quick finger action for any instrumentalist, involves a quick release and a light touch. Always release non-playing fingers and focus on an up action while still keeping your fingers close to the keys or string. Avoid slamming your fingers down! Do not squeeze your instrument when you hold it. Use the least force necessary. Watch for excessive calluses. Imagine cupping an orange in your palm so that fingers are curved but with some length. Avoid too much practice of chords, octaves, stretches and taxing or fast passage work. Release as quickly as possible and work on something else before returning to it. Students and teachers, listen for clacking keys or snapping strings. This may indicate that you are pressing your fingers too hard.

It is very important to be aware of what you are doing physically. Use a mirror or video camera to keep tabs on how your body looks. If it looks tight it probably is.