A lot goes into posture and playing, more than we’d like to admit to ourselves. If you hold yourself up as if you’re going to play without your instrument, take a second and stop- would this pose be something you’d do normally everyday without your violin? Chances are I’d guess not! Odds are it feels a little uncomfortable, even if you’ve done this as long (or longer) than I have.
We want to make sure that we take care of our bodies while playing and practicing, so that we minimize the risk of injury later down the line. The PMC has an article abut musician’s workplace related injuries, and the most common results show that musculoskeletal injuries are extremely common. Many of the professionals I know have dealt with or currently suffer from carpal tunnel, many of which had developed early on. I myself have this as well since the age of 14. As instrumentalists, we exert a lot of force and work into our playing in ways that are not normal to the standard person- we use far more precise movements in our finger muscles as well as a lot of the upper back and shoulder areas. Additionally, the neck is often a common factor: because of how we hold our instruments between our jaw and shoulder, this can unintentionally place a lot of downward stress on our spine and onto one shoulder, leading to lots of pains and muscle soreness in the collarbone and shoulder area. Another location I always found tricky to navigate was the deltoid area and just below that in the right shoulder. This often stems from bowing, which shouldn’t be ignored either. We place so much attention on our left hand, that often we completely neglect to see if the right is doing okay!
If any of this sounds like you, remember that your body health comes first and foremost- yes, even before that competition or concert you’re rehearsing for. Stretching is always a good idea before and after rehearsals, and remember if you’re ever in any actual pain, to take a brief moment to rest.
Nykita Hambly 