Performing music is great fun and brings pleasure to millions of people every day. Behind the scenes, developing as a musician and maintaining a high standard of performance requires both self-discipline and self-awareness.
Sadly, musicians whether professional or amateur, are susceptible to developing repetitive strain type industries such as tendonitis and facial dystonia, which can become temporary or permanent blocks to our ability to play. Often these conditions don’t manifest themselves fully until it is too late. Then one day, you pick up your instrument, but you can’t produce a note, or if you can, you have lost all ability to control it. One of your biggest forms of self-expression disappears overnight, leaving the sound of silence and a feeling of helplessness.
This might sound extreme, but for those of us for whom music forms a big part of our lives, losing this form of self-expression can feel like the end of the world. I know this from my own personal experience and it’s something that I’d never want to see any musician have to go through.
Since retiring as a professional horn player in 2000, I’ve often looked back and asked, what could I have done better or differently, to prevent an injury developing. I wish I could wave a magic wand, but sadly I can’t. However, having had the time to reflect on my own experiences, I do have some thoughts on why music injuries develop and I’d like to try and help fellow musicians and those who teach musicians become more aware of how to reduce the possibility of developing a music injury.
Some of the areas that I’ll focus on include:
- Technique – self-awareness, practice habits and on stage habits;
- Being honest with ourselves when we are going through a bad patch; and
- Support networks that can help us.
Technique
Technique, or the way that we that we produce, control and change sounds on any one instrument, is made up of many components, some of which are unique to each instrument. However, without adequate awareness of the factors that can contribute to bad technique, we may hit unexpected blocks to our playing or experience deterioration in our playing.
Self-awareness
Good self-awareness is important to all musicians for many reasons including:
- Understanding how your body works can limit injury threatening muscle strain: Some of the finest musicians in the world spend a lot of time working on themselves away from their instrument. A good knowledge of how your body works effectively away from the instrument can help to eliminate unnecessary tension and muscle strain in the body when lifting, holding and playing an instrument.
- Awareness of quality of sound is a good monitor of excess tension: Instruments are an extension of the person. To the extent that we hold excess tension in our bodies when playing, that will to some degree, manifest itself in the sound that we make. If we are aware of tension in the sound, we can look to address the underlying tension in our bodies. Without that awareness, we risk playing with more and more tension, which could not only affect the quality of the sound that we make and intonation, but also the ability to play freely throughout all registers of an instrument.
- Tension can start to feel normal: If excess tension remains unchecked, it starts to feel normal without you realising it and without professional help, it may be difficult to eradicate it. The more excess tension you play with, the more likely it will be that the tension increases over time if you don’t take steps to reduce it.
- Forgetting the basics can store up problems for the future: We may be so eager to learn new music and pieces that the basics of good posture are unconsciously put to one side. However, the ability to play well, breathe, hold a bow etc., all require good basic posture to make them as effortless as possible. Trying to build a technique without having continued regard to the basics of good posture, can cause us to develop serious faults in different parts of our technique. These faults may not be apparent at first, but as they come to light, there is a danger that we try and remedy these by focussing solely on individual focal points (e.g. embouchure, bowing arm, breathing mechanics). However, this level of focus can make the individual try too hard, which can end up creating further tension and muscle strain. By remembering the basics of good posture, we can create the conditions in our body which allow us to cultivate better overall technique.
Teachers and self-awareness
I think it’s really important that teachers have good self-awareness when they play and teach an instrument, so that good habits can be passed onto students. Some areas that teachers may wish to consider from time to time include:
- Not passing on bad habits: We all pick up habits from our own teachers which are passed down from generation to generation. It’s therefore important for teachers to stop and assess their own playing habits from time to time, so that bad habits don’t develop within their playing which are then passed down to students. This is especially important as students often use visual demonstrations from teachers as a starting point to work on their own technique.
- The exam cycle: There is often pressure to get students through study books, pieces and exams rather than focus on enjoying playing music in as free and relaxed a way as possible. This ‘music exam cycle’ may cause students to concentrate on getting notes right, at the expense of remembering to create the right conditions in the body to be able to play the notes in the first place and playing musically. Whilst exams can be a useful way of monitoring a student’s development, where they are causing unnecessary stress, it may be better to abstain from them for a while or completely. There are after all, some incredibly talented musicians who never did a graded exam in their lives!
- Playing with tension can lead to frustration: Students who play with excess tension will affect their creative expressiveness, which may make their attempts to make music and blend with others frustrating. Ultimately, students can only progress at their own natural rate (irrespective of the expectations of school/exam curricula and parents), but by making students more aware of the dangers of developing bad postural and playing habits, they may become more patient in their studies, which in turn will hopefully reduce the excess tension and muscle strain that can result from any over-eagerness to get the notes right.
- If something doesn’t work, don’t keep doing the same thing: If a student can’t play something, it is often because the conditions in their body don’t allow them to play in a relaxed enough way. Whilst it is tempting to repeat the same thing over and over again in the hope that things improve, if a student fails to improve, it is better to stop and rethink the approach to their playing. It’s also a good idea to check that there is nothing in their posture that might be causing them excess tension when playing. Most dedicated students want to do well and impress their teachers, but they can’t show their true ability if they try too hard as that will inevitably translate to excess tension and muscle strain, which may end in frustration and exasperation for the student.
Practice habits
Practice is a hugely personal thing. Some practice for many, many hours a day, others for just a few. I think what’s important however, is to be aware of how we are practicing so that it is constructive, improves our playing and is done in an environment where we are fully aware of what we are doing. Some things to consider when practicing are and when monitoring practice are:
- Don’t just dive into practice: If you just dive into a practice routine without first remembering to adopt a good posture, you don’t have all of the right conditions that are needed for good practice. Adopting a good posture will create less muscle strain. Practicing in a properly ventilated and lit room with sufficient space to practice also helps, as does taking adequate breaks.
- Don’t just repeat the same mistakes: Practice involves repetition, which can if unchecked, just lead to repetition of the same mistakes. If you just keep playing through something with the view that it will eventually improve, the less aware you will be of your mistakes. End result = no improvement and frustration at all of your hard efforts, which can lead to more body tension.
- Don’t just play through the things you can play: To improve, bad playing habits need to be replaced with new, better habits. This isn’t to be confused with just playing through the things that we can do well and ignoring our mistakes. It’s actually the mistakes that should be focussed on, otherwise we can’t improve.
- Complex music usually needs to be taken apart and put back together: Complex music is difficult to play, so we need the ability to break this down into smaller, more manageable chunks. Breaking music down into its smallest components is a patient, but important skill which allows us to explore aspects of our playing that present the greatest challenges. Without applying a patient approach, we can become frustrated with our playing which can introduce undue additional tension and increase the risk of injury. However, by staying patient and practicing methodically, the end results can be very rewarding.
- Don’t try and be perfect: We sometimes try and focus on playing perfectly, rather than on improving. That in itself creates tense practice by focussing on getting the notes right rather than changing the habits that cause mistakes in our playing. Being grateful for small improvements will over time, pay huge dividends in your playing when you add them all together.
- Don’t worry about who might be listening: Practicing often means that we will be within hearing distance of a neighbour, family member, another student or a teacher, which if we’re not careful, can lead to worry about what that person thinks of our practice. Practice is about making mistakes and improving, so it’s really important to ignore who may be listening or what you think they might think of you for making mistakes. Worrying about who is listening is a waste of energy, which just makes us self-conscious, introduces tension into our playing and restricts our ability to express ourselves freely.
- Use recordings/videos of lessons: Technology is wonderful when used to help with self-improvement. If you have the opportunity to record your lessons, it’s useful to use these as an aide-memoire of what you need to work on, as they can add extra focus to your practice.
- Remember to consider a practice plan: Practicing aimlessly achieves nothing. There is plenty of opportunity to play through music when we are actually performing, so always consider what you want to achieve from your practice session. That will help make your practice more productive and avoid the frustration of aimless practice which can just add to stress and tension over time. Ask your teacher to help you to create a practice plan if you feel that you are slipping into bad habits with your practice.
Being on stage
The feeling of being on stage can feel both exciting and exhilarating, but it can also feel like a very lonely and scary place if you don’t feel on good form. A new orchestra, new venue, big audience, first night expectations, intimidating conductors and other factors can also make being on stage feel more stressful. It’s important to remember that making music should be enjoyable and it’s worth bearing the following in mind when stepping out on stage:
- Remember the basics: It’s always a good idea to turn up early to rehearsals or concerts to get accustomed to the environment of your concert hall/theatre/orchestra pit. Many of us spend lessons and practice time standing up, but then rehearse and perform sitting down. It’s worth considering this in your practice so that you are used to playing sitting down and don’t create unnecessary harmful tension for yourself in rehearsals and concerts.
- Don’t force your playing: It’s easy to get carried away with the huge sway of sound of a symphony orchestra playing a Mahler symphony. There is however, a limit to how loud and how quietly we can play without forcing the sound and creating unnecessary tension in our playing. Youthful exuberance is one thing, but forcing the sound not only creates additional muscle tension, it may also produce a sound that doesn’t fit in with the rest of an orchestra/ensemble, which is particularly important in a professional environment where playing with a good sound is paramount.
- Listening helps us to blend: Good listening increases your awareness of your immediate surroundings, which helps you to interact with people in a better way. The same applies when playing with other musicians; listening helps you to play in a way that blends with the overall sound of the orchestra/ensemble and helps you to focus on the music, rather than playing with excess strain. Inexperienced players often fail to listen to the players around them, so it can be useful to get feedback from respected players on this, so that your confidence isn’t unnecessarily dented over time, which can also be a cause of stress and muscle tension.
- Know your own limitations (and your conductor’s!): A good conductor should know the limitations of an instrument in different parts of the register and encourage you to explore the boundaries of your instrument without feeling undue pressure. Sadly, this isn’t always the case as many conductors have limited or no experience of playing in orchestras and may not have the requisite background knowledge of knowing the challenges faced on different instruments. If you feel that you are playing with excess tension when playing solos or when being asked to play around the limits of the instrument, it is worth sense checking what you are physically capable of, so that you aren’t causing yourself undue stress and can have a polite conversation about what is achievable on your instrument if necessary!
- Make a mental note of when your technique is failing on stage: If you feel that you are having a difficult time with your playing on stage or that it is becoming hard work, it is worth making a mental note of what you are finding difficult, so that you can consider how to make things easier for you. If things continue to feel hard work for any length of time, it is worth having an ‘MOT’ lesson and checking your posture and breathing to see whether any strain has crept into your playing.
- Follow the routine that helps you to prepare best for going on stage: We all have our own way of preparing for rehearsals and concerts, whether spending time with others or having your own space. It’s important that you prepare in the way that works best for you and that you don’t feel pressurised into adopting a routine that doesn’t allow you to feel prepared. That said, be wary of over-preparation, as that may lead to you becoming over-anxious about a performance and may create unnecessary stress.
In between the practice room and the stage
What we do in between the practice room and the stage, when we aren’t playing our instruments can also have an impact on our posture, including the following:
- Technology: Phones and computers are an unavoidable part of modern day life but it is important to appreciate that the way that we react to seeing unanswered messages and e-mails can affect our posture. Many people stoop and strain when looking at a phone or using a computer, which can unknowingly creep into our playing. If you are a technology junkie, this is something to keep an eye on so that any tweeting doesn’t leave you with an unwanted damaged wing.
- Carrying instruments and cases: This is part and parcel of a musician’s life, but the way that we lift and carry things become habitual over time and any lifting/carrying strain can creep into our playing when we lift and hold our instruments. It’s probably better to limit the weight that you carry, distribute the load evenly, or use wheels to minimise muscle strain when carrying instruments and luggage.
Self-honesty
Admitting that you are struggling or having difficulties with your playing can be very difficult. Music is an incredibly skilful thing to master and musicians are typically, very high achievers who take great pride in their playing. Feeling that you no longer have control over your playing can make you feel scared of performing, fearful of admitting that you have problems with your playing to others (in case you never get asked back to play with an orchestra/ensemble), or even a total failure, wishing that you had studied something else instead. Whilst it may feel better to just plough on and try and hide your playing problems in the hope that they eventually disappear, that can just add to the stress and difficulties that you are experiencing. So, if you sense any problems with your playing, I think it’s worth thinking about the following:
Be honest with yourself: You should never feel ashamed if you feel that you are having problems with your playing. It’s important to be honest with yourself if you are struggling so that you can stop and seek appropriate help in assessing your difficulties and get back on track. Similarly if a particular teacher or playing environment makes you feel unduly stressed, it’s important to speak to someone who you respect and trust to find a way of moving forward.
Don’t ignore a problem: Hoping that a problem with your playing disappears is unlikely to make it do so. It’s important not to bury your head in the sand if you are experiencing playing problems, but to take positive action to address it.
Don’t place unrealistic expectations on yourself: Music is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. Trying to play music that is too difficult for you before you are ready, or playing it when you are focussing on trying to work on basics can be counter-productive and push you backwards. It’s important to be aware of what the limits to your playing are, so that you aren’t over-stretching yourself and creating unnecessary disappointment.
Try not to be over-sensitive: Nobody likes criticism and it would be great if we could play effortlessly all the time. However, constructive criticism is a hugely important part of learning and developing as a musician, so don’t take it personally if your teacher or a player that you respect criticises you, as they are probably only trying to help you to improve and develop. If you don’t feel that you are developing any more with a teacher, it’s important for both teacher and student to stop and be honest about that. It’s human nature that certain partnerships work better than others and it’s important that neither student nor teacher feel like they are getting nowhere, but that the right conditions for improvement can be created.
Other forms of stress: It’s important that both musicians and teachers are aware that non-music factors such as emotional stress, bereavement, family breakdown, bullying and other traumas can create a huge stress on humans which can impact on the proper functioning of the body and affect the ability to play an instrument. Thankfully, there is less stigma attached to psychological problems today and much more help is available to those who suffer, but it’s important that we are all sympathetic to this, so that musicians have the time and space to recover from any psychological harm.
Support networks
Music is on the whole a very friendly and sociable profession and pastime. As with any profession, it’s important that you have networks that you can turn to in complete confidence and trust to help you when you are experiencing difficulties with your playing. If you think you may be experiencing playing problems, the following may help:
Stop: Stopping and pausing can help us to collect our thoughts on why we may be experiencing problems, which can help us to make a plan of action on how to get back on track.
Don’t be hard on yourself: It’s very easy to play the blame game when we are having a tough time with our playing, but it’s important to be both positive and kind to yourself, so that you can think calmly and take positive steps forward.
Ask for support: Talk to your friends, family and teachers and other players who you trust. There will be people who have experienced similar problems to you who can help you put things into more perspective and suggest approaches to get you back on track. There are also some fantastic musical charities who may be able to provide help, such as Help Musicians UK. It’s sometimes hard to pluck up the courage to ask for help and support, but you should never feel ashamed of doing so, it’s actually a sign of great strength.
Get a lesson: A lesson, going back to the basics can really help in getting to grips with any fundamental playing problems. Ask people who you trust for suggestions of who may be able to help if you don’t think that a previous teacher can help. Taking lessons in a re-educational process such as the Alexander Technique may also help to improve bad habits that have crept into your posture and that may be affecting your playing.
A few final thoughts
Music is an invaluable form of self-expression that gives much joy to those who play it, whether as amateurs or professionals. It’s important to remember that music making should allow us to express ourselves freely which in turn, can keep music making both enjoyable and stress and injury-free.
Content retrieved from: https://www.stephansmoktunowicz.com/how-can-musicians-stay-free-of-music-related-injuries/.