Further discussion: ergonomic instruments, injuries, perfect pitch

Tags

Don Ehrlich, ergonomic instruments, ergonomic viola, injury, music education, pedagogy, perfect pitch, recovery, surgery, updates

Town crier in Plymouth, Devon, England, 2014. By Sullivanthepoet. (Own work.) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

New information updates previous blog posts!  Recent input informs the way we handle injuries, where each of us is in the perfect pitch conversation, and ergonomic instrument development.

First, Don Ehrlich, who plays an ergonomic viola, posted this comment on Facebook:

Don:  Hi Gretchen, An interesting point in time that this [link to my guest post] reached my computer. You don’t know this: The injury to my right thumb got worse and worse. For example, I played a performance of Bach’s 3rd Brandenburg Concerto, where in rehearsals I couldn’t get my bow to behave as I wanted it to. (It did work out in the performance, thank heavens.) Turns out to have been a broken tendon. I found a Very Good hand surgeon in Kaiser South San Francisco. He operated on me on April 13. I’m only now in recovery, trying to regain my skill, strength and endurance. Today I had an appointment with my physical therapist, one recommended by my surgeon. He is weaning me off my range-of-motion exercises and giving me strengthening exercises. Life is never easy, I guess. There is a new-styled frog for violin/viola bows, the Galliane frog. It’s supposed to be ergonomic, though I don’t know how. I was hoping to have it in place already, for my recovery, but that hasn’t happened yet. I can keep you posted, if you like.

Gretchen:  Thanks for being in touch, Don. I was unaware that tendons could break. Best of luck, and yes, please keep me posted.

OK if I add your comment to your guest post?

Don:  Of course.

My physical therapists usually like to say to avoid surgery at all costs. Well, for me it became intolerable, and surgery became necessary.

Gretchen:  Thanks, Don. I know 2 other people who have had tendon surgery (a finger was trapped in closed position for both). They are completely back to normal now; one is a pianist.

I’m glad you did it, given the circumstances.

Don Ehrlich’s guest post:

http://gretchensaathoff.com/2009/11/07/guest-post-by-don-ehrlich-s-f-violist/

A previous post about playing with pain and ergonomic instruments:

http://gretchensaathoff.com/2009/10/31/are-you-playing-with-pain-ergonomic-instruments/

A related article:

Ergonomic Advice for Specific Instruments
http://www.artist-musikerhalsan.se/en/musician-ergonomics/3-ergonomic-advice-specific-instruments

Another Facebook find, from Beth Parker:

Science Has Great News for People Who Can’t Sing
http://www.interlude.hk/front/science-great-news-people-cant-sing/

A related discussion:

Perfect pitch and relative pitch: how do they differ?
http://gretchensaathoff.com/2015/05/14/perfect-pitch-and-relative-pitch-how-are-they-different/

and my e-book!

“Goal-oriented Practice”
Are you practicing safely? How do you approach physically demanding works? Do you power through when the pressure is on? How do you guide your students?

This book will help you take a step back, save practice time, learn more music, and perform with confidence.

50% off!!!

What did you find here?  What would you like to see? Comments welcome!

If this post has been helpful and you think your friends and contacts would benefit from reading it, please share.

I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

Many thanks to Don Ehrlich and Beth Parker. 

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Are you playing with pain? Ergonomic instruments

Tags

altered instruments, ergonomic instruments, ergonomics, preventing injury

Ergonomic instruments have been invented and improved for more than ten years!  But even if you are playing with pain, you may not be aware of this.

Don Ehrlich of San Francisco with his ergonomic viola.

This article about Don Ehrlich, a violist in San Francisco, appeared in The New York Times in 1997.  It surprised me then, and continues to be extremely relevant.

My surprise centered around others’ surprise at seeing an ergonomic instrument being played in an orchestra rehearsal.  And, since I’m a pianist who plays occasionally in orchestras but not every day, it was an education to read about a player’s discomfort in an orchestral situation.

Some time later, when providing information for a doctor who wanted to publish on musicians, avoiding injury, and ergonomic issues (he had treated me in the 90’s), I did a search for “ergo viola.”  What a wonderful thing to come across Don Ehrlich’s photo with his ergonomic viola!  That’s progress!  Ergonomic instruments were being accepted!

Don Ehrlich’s bio provides further information.  Come back soon… he has agreed to be a guest blogger!

If you are playing with pain, there is something you can do.  Ergonomic  instruments are significantly more available than they were in 1997.  Instruments can be altered as well:  flutes and bassoons are two I’ve heard of.  (Extensions can be added to the keys, for example, making them easier to reach.  Not all hands stretch the same way!)

Someone who knows instruments and ergonomics can watch you play.  Even changing the angle of your hand by only 1/4″ can make a huge difference.

During my recovery from computer injuries, one such person Xeroxed a computer keyboard, literally, so I could practice.  He turned the keyboard upside down, copied it in 2 parts, and taped the 2 sheets together.   He and my doctor also watched me play, making suggestions that saved my playing.

The same can be done with a bassoon keyboard, for example.  Copy the fingerboard.  Then the paper can be folded so the finger holes are closer together.  This allows the player to practice, in a way, with greatly reduced strain.  Frustrating, yes, but far better than nothing.

One more thought:  the single best thing you can do to protect your hands is something I’ve been thinking about all week.

When you use your hands, are they free?  Or are you holding other objects, say, when you enter a phone number?  If you’re holding a pencil, put it down before you use the phone.  Need proof?  Try it both ways.  Holding a pencil, even though it’s so light, strains your hand by pulling your fingers out of alignment.

Now let’s go into the kitchen to look at something that happens every day.  How do you open the refrigerator?  Sometimes I have groceries in my arms, opening the refrigerator door with… one finger.  The door is heavy, requiring strength to open.  Putting all that stress on one finger is to be avoided!  Set down whatever you’re carrying first.  Then use your hand, arm, shoulder, and back.