An email from a reader:
Dear Janet
I read your article in the May 2010 edition of The Musician. I am sixty four and an active jazz trumpet-flugel performer and a conductor. I agree with all of your preventative measures except one. You make a statement about avoiding sight-reading as you age. I disagree. I read about keeping your mind active and exercising mentally as you age. As a jazz musician, i sight-read a lot and improvise a lot. I find both of these activities to be enjoyable, refreshing, and, yes tiring at times. I personally would encourage musicians to sight-read something daily, as a part of practice. By the way, my sight-reading skills and improv skills are two of the biggest assets that i bring to a band. Thank you for the article. I will investigate the book.
best
Jim Jones trumpet-flugelhorn, retired band director, Conductor, Princeton Community Band.
Janet's Reply:
Hi and thanks very much for your comment.
You make a very astute point about keeping your mind active. We know that playing music in general does contribute to doing just that. As we age this is very important. Yes, I agree that sight reading as part of daily practice is a good idea , very good - once we are all warmed up and we are used to it being a part of our daily practice regimen. No stress there. Just you and the music.
One does gets better at sight reading if one practices it! We get better at recognizing patterns and learn fingerings and keys. In the long run when we feel that our sight reading skills are improving we can stay loose. We stop unraveling at the thought of sight reading.
In my article I was referring to those of us in the orchestral setting for whom sight reading is this very scary thing. Preparation, especially of huge long and difficult orchestral works is important. Sometimes, musicians will show up to a rehearsal at the last minute and must sight read difficult ( and sometimes unreadable) new music or very difficult older music and then in the ensuing panic to get it right, we become tense and stiff, with jerky motions, which is hard on the body.
I must admit I haven't advocated practicing sight reading per se : a very good idea. Reserve 5 minutes during a practice session and choose a section of a work unknown to you. Try to get through it without stopping and then go back and try to recognize scale passages or repeated patterns. Get more comfortable nailing time and key signatures especially the unusual ones. This will train your ears, fingers and mind. Also, learning to transpose a section on sight is a good exercise.
I appreciate the fact that you jazzers are much better at this than we are and if only we did experiment more with improvisation, I think then we too would enjoy our music making more.
Hope you like the book
Janet
Jim's Reply:
Thank you for the reply. I know what you mean about difficult and unreadable music. Manuscript (at least in big bands, concert band, and combo's) is sometimes very poorly written and then on top of that, you get an old photo copy that really adds to the stress you are talking about. Point well taken. On the topic of improvisation....I know that efforts are made, from time to time to put out an orchestral work that incorporates improv. But it seems this fundamental part of jazz is not going to make it big in the orchestral repetoire. This is too bad for orchestral players, conductors, and the audience. On the other hand we have Stefan Grapelli and Mark O'connor to listen to.
Jim Jones
Showing posts with label Daily Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daily Tips. Show all posts
Monday, May 10, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Danger Signals (Daily Tips #4)
Listen to your body when it is trying to tell you something. The sooner the symptoms are recognized and treated, the sooner and more completely recovery can occur. Overuse injuries can be categorized on a scale from one to five, five being the most severe.
1) Pain at one site and only while playing. The pain ceases after playing.
2) Pain at multiple sites when playing but there is no pain outside of music-making.
3) Pain persists when you are away from the instrument. Player underperforms.
4) All of the above where most aspects of hand function cause pain, even at rest and at night. Player is only able to continue with stoicism.
5) All of the above but all daily activities that engages the affected body part cause pain and there is very little capacity for playing.
But there may be more subtle indicators than pain! There may be burning or a "hot" sensation, fatigue or heaviness, weakness, impaired dexterity, numbness or tingling, clumsiness or stiffness, involuntary movement and loss of coordination without pain. Keep a daily practice diary and note if something was sluggish or more difficult than before - something you could "nail" no problem a few weeks ago and today your fingers just won't do it. Try to look back and to analyze what you may have been doing differently: more practicing? a new instrument? a new technique? a more demanding conductor or teacher? Perhaps you played in a cold environment with poor chairs and inadequate lighting? Did you help a friend move and/or paint their apartment? Did you spend hours on the computer typing a paper (or texting) and practice a lot?
These more subtle signs indicate that this is a time to back off and stop playing for a few days. Notice difficulty with normal daily activities and get help immediately if you feel numbness for more than one day. Playing (Less) Hurt has an extensive resource list of qualified health care professionals who understand musicians' issues. Don't wait until problems become severe. Complete recovery is possible and the lessons learned about your body's limitations are invaluable.
1) Pain at one site and only while playing. The pain ceases after playing.
2) Pain at multiple sites when playing but there is no pain outside of music-making.
3) Pain persists when you are away from the instrument. Player underperforms.
4) All of the above where most aspects of hand function cause pain, even at rest and at night. Player is only able to continue with stoicism.
5) All of the above but all daily activities that engages the affected body part cause pain and there is very little capacity for playing.
But there may be more subtle indicators than pain! There may be burning or a "hot" sensation, fatigue or heaviness, weakness, impaired dexterity, numbness or tingling, clumsiness or stiffness, involuntary movement and loss of coordination without pain. Keep a daily practice diary and note if something was sluggish or more difficult than before - something you could "nail" no problem a few weeks ago and today your fingers just won't do it. Try to look back and to analyze what you may have been doing differently: more practicing? a new instrument? a new technique? a more demanding conductor or teacher? Perhaps you played in a cold environment with poor chairs and inadequate lighting? Did you help a friend move and/or paint their apartment? Did you spend hours on the computer typing a paper (or texting) and practice a lot?
These more subtle signs indicate that this is a time to back off and stop playing for a few days. Notice difficulty with normal daily activities and get help immediately if you feel numbness for more than one day. Playing (Less) Hurt has an extensive resource list of qualified health care professionals who understand musicians' issues. Don't wait until problems become severe. Complete recovery is possible and the lessons learned about your body's limitations are invaluable.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Injury Susceptibility (Daily Tips #3)
Repetitive stress injuries are usually due to a combination of factors. You may be susceptible without even knowing it. Overuse can creep up on you. Keep tabs on the following:
1. The force and tension with which you play- Is your playing style intense, emotional and macho? Do you squeeze your instrument or grip your bow? Do you clench your teeth? Do you hold your breath? Do you prefer difficult, pyrotechnical, loud, challenging repertoire? Do you jam keys down even when you play softly?
2. The amount of repetitive movements you perform. These can be cumulative over days, weeks or a whole career, Do you schedule back- to- back gigs, rehearsals and performances? Do you play the same passages over and over?
3. Your body size and build. Are you slender with narrower tunnels, a longer neck, droopy shoulders? Or are you overweight or de-conditioned? Are you a stressed, tense person?
4. The instrument you play. Do you play a very heavy, large, or resistant instrument? Do you play with a heavy bow, keep your strings too high, or do you use an ill-fitting chin rest? Does your instrument leak or do you strain to reach keys? Are you just down- right awkward and uncomfortable?
5. Your genetic make-up. Do you have small hands? Are you very petite or very tall? Do you have joint laxity
(i.e. are you "double jointed") which causes you to use more force in your fingers to keep them from buckling?
6. Your posture. Do you slouch when you play? Do you turn or twist your torso? Do you raise your shoulders or cock your head when you play? Do your legs dangle or conversely do you feel like your knees are "in your face"? Then the chair you are using is not right for you.
7. How much and how long you play. Do you take breaks? Do you take a day off a week? Do you play marathon sessions? Do you lose track of time when you are practicing? Do you have difficulty saying "no"?
8. Pay attention to your body. Do you play despite fatigue or pain? Do you need caffeinated beverages, alcohol drugs, or beta blockers to get through your day?
If your answer to these questions is mostly "yes" then you may be putting yourself at risk for an injury. Consult Playing (Less) Hurt for suggestions regarding how to avoid injuries and how to feel and play better.
1. The force and tension with which you play- Is your playing style intense, emotional and macho? Do you squeeze your instrument or grip your bow? Do you clench your teeth? Do you hold your breath? Do you prefer difficult, pyrotechnical, loud, challenging repertoire? Do you jam keys down even when you play softly?
2. The amount of repetitive movements you perform. These can be cumulative over days, weeks or a whole career, Do you schedule back- to- back gigs, rehearsals and performances? Do you play the same passages over and over?
3. Your body size and build. Are you slender with narrower tunnels, a longer neck, droopy shoulders? Or are you overweight or de-conditioned? Are you a stressed, tense person?
4. The instrument you play. Do you play a very heavy, large, or resistant instrument? Do you play with a heavy bow, keep your strings too high, or do you use an ill-fitting chin rest? Does your instrument leak or do you strain to reach keys? Are you just down- right awkward and uncomfortable?
5. Your genetic make-up. Do you have small hands? Are you very petite or very tall? Do you have joint laxity
(i.e. are you "double jointed") which causes you to use more force in your fingers to keep them from buckling?
6. Your posture. Do you slouch when you play? Do you turn or twist your torso? Do you raise your shoulders or cock your head when you play? Do your legs dangle or conversely do you feel like your knees are "in your face"? Then the chair you are using is not right for you.
7. How much and how long you play. Do you take breaks? Do you take a day off a week? Do you play marathon sessions? Do you lose track of time when you are practicing? Do you have difficulty saying "no"?
8. Pay attention to your body. Do you play despite fatigue or pain? Do you need caffeinated beverages, alcohol drugs, or beta blockers to get through your day?
If your answer to these questions is mostly "yes" then you may be putting yourself at risk for an injury. Consult Playing (Less) Hurt for suggestions regarding how to avoid injuries and how to feel and play better.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Be Consistent (Daily Tips #2)
Are you a busy student with an erratic schedule? Do you practice maybe an hour or so every other day and then do a marathon? Or are you an overworked professional with many responsibilities including young children and old parents, and your practicing is sketchy but you show up to play a double rehearsal on a Mahler symphony racing in at the last minute? Scenarios such as these can be a recipe for disaster. It is better to practice a consistent hour a day (with a day off a week) rather than cramming. It is very important to increase your practice load gradually before a major performance, before a festival you are planning to attend with longer hours than you are accustomed to, or before a jury, an audition or a competition. But back off a few days before the performance or audition so you give your muscles a break.
It is essential to return to playing gradually after a vacation or when you are coming back after an injury. I will often start with only 10 minutes. Increase the number of short periods of time that you play before you increase the length of time. Avoid getting "stuck" on one difficult passage. Vary your repertoire. Different works or passages with different techniques and challenges will use different muscle groups. This prevents overusing a specific muscle group. Playing (Less) Hurt has several practice plans. It pays to practice smarter not harder.
It is essential to return to playing gradually after a vacation or when you are coming back after an injury. I will often start with only 10 minutes. Increase the number of short periods of time that you play before you increase the length of time. Avoid getting "stuck" on one difficult passage. Vary your repertoire. Different works or passages with different techniques and challenges will use different muscle groups. This prevents overusing a specific muscle group. Playing (Less) Hurt has several practice plans. It pays to practice smarter not harder.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Keep Moving (Daily Tips #1)
Keep tension at bay by moving. We are taught to sit like statues and after years of playing in postures that are sometimes required by our instruments, asymmetrical body development may occur. Muscles become tight and weak on one side and strong on the other. Static postures are the enemy. Muscles are not replenished with oxygen and tire quickly. Even onstage one can move unobtrusively. Here are just a few suggestions.
Take every opportunity to allow your arms to uncurl and hang down for a moment. Shrug or roll your shoulders. Release thumbs and fingers as often as possible. Don't hold stretches, chords or awkward positions any longer than necessary. Avoid grabbing or squeezing your instruments. Do circles with your wrists and thumbs. Press your shoulder blades together stretching your pectoral muscles. Reach one or the other arm behind you and if you can, place your hand flat on the chair behind you. Tuck in your chin and gently look left, then right. Tuck your chin again and move your right ear gently to your right shoulder, then left ear to left shoulder. Take a deep breath and as you exhale pull in your abs. Adjust your seating and move your feet. When you stand to take a bow reach one arm behind you bending your elbow as if you need to reach an itchy spot near your shoulder giving your pectorals and your shoulder a stretch. Try standing on your toes, squeezing your buttocks and rotating your hips.
There are many more stretches and moves described in Playing (Less) Hurt for both onstage, backstage and at home. All of these small movements are tension busters and your muscles and tendons will appreciate these mini-breaks.
Take every opportunity to allow your arms to uncurl and hang down for a moment. Shrug or roll your shoulders. Release thumbs and fingers as often as possible. Don't hold stretches, chords or awkward positions any longer than necessary. Avoid grabbing or squeezing your instruments. Do circles with your wrists and thumbs. Press your shoulder blades together stretching your pectoral muscles. Reach one or the other arm behind you and if you can, place your hand flat on the chair behind you. Tuck in your chin and gently look left, then right. Tuck your chin again and move your right ear gently to your right shoulder, then left ear to left shoulder. Take a deep breath and as you exhale pull in your abs. Adjust your seating and move your feet. When you stand to take a bow reach one arm behind you bending your elbow as if you need to reach an itchy spot near your shoulder giving your pectorals and your shoulder a stretch. Try standing on your toes, squeezing your buttocks and rotating your hips.
There are many more stretches and moves described in Playing (Less) Hurt for both onstage, backstage and at home. All of these small movements are tension busters and your muscles and tendons will appreciate these mini-breaks.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Coming Next Week: Daily Injury Prevention Tips
Stay tuned on The Playing (less) Hurt Blog and on Twitter for Daily Injury Prevention Tips every day next week. More to come.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
