The Perfect Technique?
Published: 1995 Author: Dominique Royle Nicola Culf
DOMINIQUE ROYLE trained as a physiotherapist at Guy’s Hospital, London, and has specialised in the treatment of musculo-skeletal problems. She has treated musicians with injuries for several years and for some years was physiotherapist at the Prussia Cove Guitar Seminar; at present, she is regularly invited to the Chamber Music Seminars at Prussia Cove, directed by cellist Steven Isserlis.
NICOLA CULF studied guitar at the Royal College of Music, London and the Banff Centre for Arts, Canada. She developed a playing-related injury in 1991 which led her to completely rethink the traditional approach to teaching and playing the guitar. She is the author of Musicians’ Injuries: a guide to their understanding and prevention, published by Parapress [ordering information below].
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Contents
(all links given in the following list are to points further down the page)
[Introduction] | Education | Posture | Use of the muscles | Relative sizes of the muscles | Position of the joints | Abduction of the fingers | Forearm rotation | Use of the thumb | Developing body awareness | Other considerations | Conclusion | References
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THERE has been much emphasis in recent years for musicians to achieve a ‘perfect’ technique, in order to create a more perfect musical result.
This severe goal of perfection can, however, impose rigid demands on the body, particularly the hands, arms, neck and upper trunk. Playing a musical instrument comprises fast, repetitive and highly controlled finger movements, while adopting an asymmetric and abnormal posture which must frequently be sustained for unnaturally long periods of time. This is potentially a recipe for multiple stresses to be incurred upon an unsuspecting and often unprepared body, which in time may lead to physical symptoms such as pain, numbness or tingling, muscle weakness, and loss of finger coordination.
In addition, musicians are often suffering from mental and emotional stress, in what can be a highly competitive and demanding arena. Such stress will lower the body’s resilience to fatigue, and compound the effects of physical strain.
These factors have led to an alarming surge in the incidence of playing related injuries, particularly amongst guitarists. The purpose of this article is to encourage teachers to take more of a responsibility for the problem: to ask themselves whether they are training pupils (from the earliest stage of learning) to be aware of their bodies, to use their bodies in an efficient and natural way, and to be physically comfortable while playing. The definition of the ‘perfect technique’ may need to change, in the light of a different perspective.
Education
In order to understand the problem better, all guitar teachers could benefit from a deeper insight into how the body is built (anatomy), and how the body works (physiology), as well as a knowledge of ergonomics (the scientific study of the physical efficiency of people in their workspace), and good postural use (through the Alexander and Feldenkrais Techniques). Guitar technique can then be taught from a more informed position, taking the needs of the body into account as well as the requirements of the music.
Some examples follow of specific points which can be learned, and their implications for technique and playing habits. These have arisen out of our combined observations and work together over the past few years as a physiotherapist and a guitarist.
Posture
In good posture, there is a stable base, the body is in balance, and the skeletal structure counteracts the pull of gravity.[1]
A posture which is either twisted, leaning to one side or leaning forward will be less balanced; postural muscles of the back and shoulders will need to work hard in order to maintain a stable position. If these muscles are tightly contracted, not only will there be unnecessary strain on the body, but the functioning of the arms and hands may be adversely affected, due to the compression of the nerves which stem out from the spine and pass out towards the shoulders en route to the arms and hands.[2]
Use of the muscles
Muscles have limitations, and are vulnerable to fatigue and injury if those limitations are not understood and respected.[3]
- Muscles in general tend to work more efficiently if not worked maximally for long periods of time. Therefore, musicians would do well, where possible, to take regular rest-breaks from practising (e.g. every forty-five minutes), and should aim to incorporate moments of relaxation into their technique.
- If a muscle aches, that is a warning signal that it is fatigued and needs to rest; if rest is not allowed at this point, the muscle may become damaged. If pain is being produced by playing, it is advisable to stop and allow the pain to subside before resuming playing.
- Dynamic muscular use (a rhythmic alternation of tensing and relaxing, as in walking) can be continued for much longer than static muscular use (a continual muscular contraction as in holding on to something) before fatigue will occur. In one’s technique, therefore, static muscular use should be avoided wherever possible. This includes all unnecessary postural tension such as raised shoulders, twisted torso and stiff neck, as well as tension in the technique such as stiff wrists and a static forearm position.
- Rapid repetitive movements can tire the muscles quickly. Therefore musicians should practise fast exercises and virtuoso pieces for short periods before resting.
- The greater the proportion of a muscle’s strength that is used to carry out an action, the quicker the muscle will become fatigued. In order to preserve energy, aim to use the least muscular effort necessary to carry out each action. In guitar technique, this is particularly relevant to left-hand finger pressure, and pressure of the left-hand thumb behind the guitar’s neck.
- Professional athletes generally warm up, prior to playing a game; musicians, however, tend not to think of themselves as ‘musical athletes’,[4] even though their body is the instrument by which they play. Many think of warming up as a series of scales and arpeggios, rather than physical warm-ups of the arms, trunk and body as a whole. In sports a warm-up routine consists of slow, gentle exercises which gradually increase the blood flow to the required muscles and prepare them for more strenuous work.[5]
- The muscular system can be built up through sport and exercise, which will make the body stronger, and therefore less susceptible to strain.
Relative sizes of the muscles
In general, the larger and stronger muscles are connected to the pelvis, back and chest, and away from the centre of the body the muscles become progressively smaller and finer.
Movements of the upper arm are however by the large, strong muscles of the shoulders, back and chest. The elbow joint is moved by the medium-sized muscles in the upper arms. The fingers and wrist are powered by the small, narrow muscles in the forearm, as well as by some very fine muscles in the hands themselves.[6]
Small muscles have limited strength and endurance and on the whole are suitable for fine-precision movements rather than strenuous workloads. In one’s technique, it is therefore important to find ways of activating the stronger upper-arm, shoulder and back muscles, in order to assist the weaker muscles of the hand and forearm, leaving them free to do the intricate precision movements which only they can do. A technique which is built entirely around highly developed and efficient finger movements can be impressive in the short term, but it places a huge stress on a part of the body not designed for such a workload.[7]
There are many ways in which this attention to the larger muscles can be incorporated into technique. Once the focus is taken away from the fingers it is surprising how easy movements can become and how effortless playing an instrument can feel. Natural movements such as jump, swing, spring and circle all have a direction and intrinsic strength which usually originates in an impulse from the larger muscles.
Position of the joints
Joints function most efficiently when positioned in the middle of their range of possible movement. From this position, the muscles work more easily and are less vulnerable to strain.[8]
By putting any joint through its full range of movement, it is possible to work out what the middle of its range is and therefore what its least stressful position would be when playing an instrument.
Mid-range positions in all finger joints lead to a gently rounded hand position with no sharp angles or flatness. It is especially important that the knuckle joints (connecting the fingers to the palm) are not flat; this is an ‘extreme-of-range’ position and as such is extremely weak. With finger-intensive activities like playing the guitar, it is also important that the wrist is in its mid-range position, i.e. straight and neutral, with no unnecessary deviations in one direction or another.[9]
Abduction of the fingers
Stretching the fingers apart, otherwise known as abduction of the fingers, is one of the most stressful movements for the muscles of the hand. This is especially marked when the joints of the fingers are curved (or flexed) at the same time, as they almost always are when playing the guitar.
It is therefore important to minimise unnecessary stretching apart of the fingers, in order to preserve the energy of the finger muscles. This can be done in several ways:
- In the ‘home-base’ hand positions (which are used most of the time), there should not be any abduction of the fingers at all. In the left hand, this means that the ‘one finger per fret’ technique, where the four fingers generally rest above each of four adjacent frets, should be avoided by anyone whose natural hand-span (i.e. the span of their hand when relaxed) is not wide enough to cover the four frets. Most women guitarists and children will fall into this category, particularly when playing in the lower positions.
- Wherever possible, refinger passages so that the hand is allowed to remain in its natural span. For instance, when playing in the first position, notes on the third fret can be played with the fourth finger.
- ‘Jump’ from one note to the next rather than stretch out, in situations where this would not affect the musical result.
- In passages where a lot of stretching is unavoidable, try to consciously release any build-up of tension after playing those pieces, and take more frequent breaks than usual.
Forearm rotation
In order for the fingers to work most efficiently, they need to be positioned as an extension and continuation of the forearm muscles that operate them. This means that there will be a slight change in the position of the wrist and forearm for each finger. The centre of gravity of the hand will constantly change to support the finger which is playing.[10]
For most players, this condition will be fulfilled if the left-hand forearm is square-on to the fingerboard when playing a note with the left-hand third finger. When using the fourth finger, rotate the forearm a little to the left (i.e. away from the body); for the second finger, rotate the forearm a little to the right (i.e. towards the body); and for the first finger the forearm can be in its most natural and comfortable position, facing in towards the body (as it would when the arm is hanging relaxed by one’s side).
Use of the thumb
The thumb has a different structure to that of the fingers. Its base joint is inside the webbing of the hand (near the wrist), and this joint is able to move in a circular motion (like the shoulder), unlike the joints of the fingers which essentially move in two directions, forwards and backwards.
If the right-hand thumb is used as though it were a finger, i.e. moved from the knuckle and only in a forward and backward direction, it can soon become stiff, unreliable and susceptible to strain. In order to function well, the thumb should move from its base joint, and in a circular motion.
Developing body awareness
Aside from such technical considerations, the teacher can also help by motivating students to be generally more aware of their physical body while playing. Most guitarists have a highly developed aural awareness; they are immediately aware of any small alteration in pitch and will constantly fine-tune each string as it changes. However, they have generally not developed the same sensitivity to when their body is ‘out of tune’. In fact, they often ignore it completely, except ironically for the part in closest contact with the instrument: the nails, which are usually shaped, buffed and polished to perfection!
If the student is encouraged to consider his body as carefully as his musical interpretations, he will be better able to notice any early signs of pain or discomfort while playing. These should be addressed immediately. Both teacher and student should work together to modify the posture of some element of the technique which has become unbalanced. If symptoms persist, practice time should be cut back and a medical assessment should be sought from a doctor or a reputable practitioner experienced with musicians’ injuries, such as a physiotherapist, chiropractor or osteopath, followed by professional treatment if necessary. Ignoring early symptoms may lead to more chronic and deep-rooted damage, which will invariably become more difficult to treat, and ultimately can seriously affect (or even destroy) a student's playing potential.[11]
Other considerations
There are various conditions aside from the playing technique which put more stress than usual on the playing mechanism and leave it more vulnerable to injury. Students should be educated about these, so they know when to be more careful than usual, possibly practising for shorter periods at a time and setting aside more time for relaxation exercises and rest. Circumstances which often precipitate injury include:[12]
- change of instrument
- change of technique
- new, more difficult repertoire
- sudden increase in psychological or emotional stress
- ill-health or general tiredness
- sudden increase in daily hours of practice
- strain from another activity such as gardening or decorating, which is not allowed to fully recover before practising again
It should be noted that when several of these conditions occur at the same time, the risk is greater still. At these times, if the student has been taught to play with a technique which is relaxed and comfortable for the body, he is more likely to avert injury. If on the other hand, he plays with poor posture and poor habits of use, the combination of stresses may prove too much for the body and result in injury.
Conclusion
By working with the student in an atmosphere where any physical discomfort can be openly expressed and tackled together, and where good posture and physical comfort is made a priority, musicians need not strive to reach musical perfection ‘despite their bodies’, nor live under the constant threat of injury. Instead, the physical element can become an enjoyable and integral part of the music-making process. The end-goal of perfection does not have to be the most important thing; the means whereby can take on a greater significance.
The irony is that striving for perfection through the traditional pattern of intense practising, highly controlled and rapid finger exercises, and deep concentration for long periods at a time will often not lead to perfection at all! It is more likely to produce tiredness, stress, tension in the body, and a strain on the playing mechanism which ultimately may render it inconsistent and unreliable. An approach to technique and practising which considers the body as a whole, which respects its needs and limitations, and which regards physical comfort as a priority has the potential to reach much closer to that elusive dream of perfection.
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References
- Moshe Feldenkrais, Awareness through Movement (Penguin, 1980). [back]
- W.A.L. Thompson & H.P. Kopell, ‘Peripheral Entrapment Neuropathies of the Upper Extremity’, New England Journal of Medicine, June 1959. [back]
- Etienne Grandjean, Fitting the Task to the Man: a textbook of occupational ergonomics (London: Taylor & Francis, 4th edn, 1988). [back]
- N. Quarrier, ëPerforming Arts Medicine: the musical athleteí, JOSPT 17/2, 1993, pp 90-95. [back]
- Christopher Norris, Sports Injuries (Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd, 1993). [back]
- W. Kapit & L.M. Elson, The Anatomy Coloring Book (New York: Harper Collins, 2nd edn, 1993).
See also I.A. Kapandji, ‘The Physiology of the Joints’, The Upper Limb, vol. 1 (Churchill Livingstone, 1982).[back] - Gyorgy Sandor, On Piano Playing: motion, sound and expression (London: Collier Macmillan, 1981). [back]
- Otto Ortmann, The Physiological Mechanics of Piano Technique (New York: Da Capo Press, 1981).
See also I.A. Kapandji, ‘The Physiology of the Joints’. [back] - Stephen Pheasant, Bodyspace: anthropometry, ergonomics and design (London: Taylor & Francis, 1988). [back]
- Sandor, On Piano Playing.[back]
- Hunter J.H. Fry, ‘Overuse Syndrome in Musicians: prevention and management’, The Lancet, September 1986. [back]
- Alan H. Lockwood, ‘Medical Problems of Musicians’, The New England Journal of Medicine, January 1989. [back]
Nicola Culf’s book, Musicians’ Injuries: a guide to their understanding and prevention is published in the UK by Parapress. To order a copy, send a cheque or a money order for £8.50 (UK and Europe) or $15 (USA) to: Parapress Ltd, The Basement, 9 Frant Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5SD, UK. It can also be ordered online from the Parapress website, www.parapress.co.uk (clicking on this link will open a new browser window).
Copyright © 1995 Dominique Royle & Nicola Culf
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