Four main reasons that violinists get hurt
OrchestrasA fascinating paper by researchers in Berlin and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) details four main causes of injury in violinists and several lesser ones. Here‘s a sample:
Owing to the instrument’s architecture and playing method, there are pathologies that may arise for at least four distinct reasons: first, the places on the body on which contact is established or pressure is exerted by the placement of the instrument (neck, clavicle, jaw, and temporomandibular joint) or the strain of playing it (shoulder, elbow, and hand). Second, allergens that may be present in the body of the instrument, the bow, or the rosin; third, increased sound exposure over extended periods, and finally, practice conditions that lend themselves to poor physical and mental hygiene (eg, chairs, lighting, extended workload with insufficient breaks, fear of failure, excessive expectations with pressure from teachers, conductors or oneself)….
Read on here.
Don’t also forget what a 120 concert a year schedules does for the body, not to mention musicianship. Enough ‘artistes’ parading Mcdonald style set meal performances these days, that’s an injury of sorts inherently.
This is not earth shattering news for violinists. The situation for violists can be exacerbated by the added weight and increased stretches of the larger instrument.
Parents of young 3 hour plus a day practicers should be aware of the potential. Impacts on a growing child, but often are not.
Interesting research and article. Is there a history of such ailments prior to the contemporary age (Post War Period to now)? My father, who, along with his Cellist brother, Leo Koscielny, studied at the Leipzig Conservatory in the early and mid-1920s. My father was a String instrument teacher for 43 years and stressed “relaxed” postures and grip of the bow, etc. He detected any “stiffness” in students and gently corrected them.
He was, himself, a relaxed player. He performed with the Leipzig Orchestra for a few years before he immigrated to the US in 1929 (thank God!). He never complained about pain of any kind from playing in orchestras. Perhaps pedagogy stressed techniques that fostered less stressful postures in those days.
Does Contemporary competitiveness have something to do with injuries?
Some violinists of the far past seemed to lose their abilities at a fairly young age. Pierre Rode (1774-1830) was said to be in considerable decline when he premiered Beethoven’s Sonata No 10. Even Paganini was said to have slipped considerably during his second round of tours. George Bernard Shaw had some withering comments about Joachim’s later playing. Ysaÿe complained of hand problems pretty early on.
Whether these cases were due to playing ailments or injuries I do not know.
what about the travel. living in hotels.
room service food. flying.
motorway travel.
Talk about reinventing the wheel !! Repetitive strain injury , and in particular tenosynovitis, has been known about in musicians since at the very latest about 1950 , and most responsible teachers have been giving advice about its avoidance for a good 50% of the time since then
This study will be big news to anyone who knows nothing about violin playing.