The topic of injury prevention and healthy, sustainable practice continues to be an important focus of CMPI. During the pandemic, though in-person opportunities were limited, we arranged for virtual Alexander Technique workshops for strings, wind and brass instrument players. Later, we engaged Janet Horvath to approach the topic from a different perspective, which included information about hearing protection. More recently, we engaged SD Rehab to offer an injury prevention workshop, and we continue to publish health and wellness tips in this newsletter periodically.
This month, I wanted to share some concepts from a book that has been highly influential to me personally: Playing With Ease by David Leisner. Mr. Leisner is a renowned classical guitarist, pedagogue, and concert artist who overcame focal dystonia and had to essentially relearn how to use his body in a completely new way to play the guitar. His book, Playing With Ease, has too many valuable concepts and ideas within its 150 pages to summarize in this article, from descriptions of the natural movements of most parts of the human body involved in playing an instrument, to concrete practice strategies. The wisdom is applicable to any person – not just guitarists and not just musicians – who aspire to use their body in a more relaxed, natural way.
What I wanted to share is what Mr. Leisner calls “Two Important Basic Concepts.”
The first concept has to do with the principle of alignment, and bringing your instrument to your aligned body, rather than the other way around. Being mindful of this principle can help musicians avoid the uncomfortable, awkward, and often tension- and pain-inducing playing positions that can become habitual over time. As Mr. Leisner says, “[unhealthy playing positions] can be transformed into a state of good health with the simple understanding that the body’s alignment is the top priority. Your instrument serves your body, not the other way around…”
The second concept is about freedom of motion versus economy of motion. Many instrumentalists are taught to make the smallest motions possible in the interest of enabling greater speed and accuracy. However, Mr. Leisner argues that this focus can manifest itself as a restriction of the motion in the hands, which can lead to tension in the hands and forearms. Instead, Mr. Leisner advocates for freedom of motion, meaning that the player should ensure that the motions being made (generally by the hands, though it can apply to other parts of the body) are loose and free. This freedom must be achieved and prioritized first, and then economy of motion can be considered as a final piece of refinement.
Is there anything in these two basic concepts that is new or different for you? I encourage you to discuss these concepts with your private teacher and see what may be applicable to your playing.
Happy (pain and tension-free) practicing!
Images
stock images