Category Archives: Healthy Practice Habits

Being Still Is Not The Same As Being Stiff

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Playing music involves movement.  No matter what instrument you play (even your voice!) you have to be able to move to make music. How would you describe the quality of your movement when you play music? Are you fluid and free, or are you somewhat stiff and strained? Do you “plant” yourself in one position, or do you sort of “dance freely” as you play? I notice in myself that as time goes by I tend to be a bit more still as I practice and perform music.

Some years back you could see me flying all over the place as I played, going up and down, side to side, twisting in rotation, raising and lowering my saxophone as I followed the dynamics of my musical expression. What you’d likely see when I perform now is relative stillness. Yet, ironically,  I’m far less stiff in my stillness than in my excessive movement. I still move as I play, but usually not much more than a gentle sway that ebbs and flows with the music.

To be clear, I think it’s okay to move around a lot when you play music. But I don’t think it’s a good idea to confuse movement with freedom and ease. In my own case, a great deal of these movements of “expression” were primarily patterns of tension trying to hide the fact that I was not comfortable with stillness. Stillness (I believed) was the same as stiffness. (I also find this to be the belief of many of the musicians to whom I teach the Alexander Technique.)

For me this was largely because I never really learned to find balance as I played: Locked knees, tight shoulders, stiff neck and strained breathing to name but a few of my habits. I was in a constant battle with gravity.  As I began to study the Alexander Technique, I gradually began to find true, reliable balance. And over time I found myself being in a state of easy stillness as I played.

Watch this video of the legendary jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker as he improvises a stunning solo over the tune, “Hot House”, from 1952. He’s certainly moving as he plays.

But notice what he’s not doing: He’s not hoisting his shoulders up toward his ears; he’s not collapsing or raising his chest; he’s not pulling his arms tightly inward toward his body; he’s not craning his head forward.

For sure he’s gently swaying with the music, but not in any kind of excessive manner. His movement looks organic and natural. He’s relatively still, but not  at all stiff. Even on (or especially on!) his blindingly fast passages he is calm, balanced (notice his hands, too) and completely present:

As Parker plays you can see that he stays in balance with his movement. His head is always poised above his pelvis. And you can easily get a sense that he could move in any direction he wanted. He’s not locked down. All this supports his playing, providing a fluid yet stable foundation for him to work. All his energy is directed efficiently into the act of making music.

You could easily contrast his playing to other saxophonists (who shall remain nameless) who flail like mad in what looks like a series of ever-stiffening contortions. Even if they play well (and many do!), I think it’s fair to say that their postural and movement habits don’t support their performance. Specifically, they are not directing their energy efficiently towards the act of making music.

So think about what you do as you play. If you’re moving a lot, see if you can notice any excessive tension as you move. Do you move from one strained posture to the next? See what happens as you become still and play. Do you get uncomfortable? If so, ask yourself “why?” It might be because you’re unable to find balance and stability in stillness. If that’s the case you can begin to seriously consider how you’re dealing with balance as you play.

Conversely, if you barely move a muscle as you play, ask a similar question: “Am I holding myself here in this position with a good deal of effort?” See that your jaw is not clinched, that your neck is free and that your shoulders are balanced over your ribs. Make sure you’re not locking your knees and holding your breath.

If you continue to explore the quality of your movement as you play, you’ll open a door to not only a less stressful way to make music, but also to greater expression and clarity.

Three Things to Address to Practice in a Healthy Way

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Playing a musical instrument involves repeating specific movements over and over again within a given time period. When you play your instrument you are repeating some of these patterns literally thousands of times per hour. That’s a lot of muscular contraction. This can (but doesn’t have to!) lead to the unintended consequences of fatigue, muscle and joint pain, repetitive stress injuries (RSI), or worse. (Not to mention frustration, dissatisfaction, and even depression and anxiety.) There are three things that primarily impact your health and comfort in your music practice: use, environment and rest.

If you practice a great deal each day and/or find yourself challenged with chronic back, neck, shoulder, or other kind of musculoskeletal pain, ask yourself these three questions while you work:

Am I using myself well?

The primary aim of the Alexander Technique is to teach you how to use yourself well as you carry out your activities. Because much of your excess tension is carried out on a regular basis (falling below your level of consciousness) your first challenge is to become aware of your habits. (This is where lessons with a certified Alexander Technique teacher can yield huge benefits in a fairly short period of time.)

The most important thing to consider here is what not to do (i.e., what to prevent yourself from doing as you engage in an activity). Don’t stiffen your neck. Don’t hold your breath. Don’t clench your jaw. Don’t lock your knees. Don’t pull your shoulders up into your neck. (In short, don’t stiffen and tense yourself up!) These are a few of the most essential things to prevent in order to use yourself in an efficient and safe manner.

You can also check to see that your head is poised in a relaxed manner above your pelvis (not stiffening your neck and shoulders) as you sit or stand, and that you are able to move freely from your hips, knees and ankles if you need to bend forward (whether to get closer to your instrument or the music in front of you). Make sure you are on your sitting bones when sitting, and that you are neither collapsing, nor trying too hard to hold yourself up. Simply let yourself find an easy balance between the two extremes.

Most important, don’t forget that it is your thinking that primarily conditions your muscular effort. This is in part determined by your attitude. If you imagine your work as easy, as opposed to strenuous (whether it is or not), you will save yourself considerable energy. Make things light and playful when you can.

Is my environment supporting my good use?

 Alter your work environment (instrument, accessories and other equipment, furniture, lighting, music stand, etc.) to support your good use. If you’re sitting, make sure your chair is the correct height for you. Often I see musicians sitting in chairs that are too small for them. This invites collapse in your spine and strain in your hips, back and shoulders. Your knees should never be at a higher level than your hip joints when you sit. (Ideally, they should be slightly lower.)

For many musicians, a good stool is a better alternative to a chair. Even a simple bar stool with a (not too softly) padded seat can be a significant improvement. Research and explore the possibilities to find what works best for you.

If you stand a lot, make sure you’re wearing comfortable, low-heeled shoes. Your footwear should be compatible with the surfaces you walk and stand on. Some musicians (myself included) prefer practicing without shoes. Letting your feet really feel the floor can help you stay in good balance and encourage upward release and mobility.

Make sure that your instrument and all accessories are the right size for you and are adjusted appropriately. I’m always amazed at all the saxophonists I see who use a too-narrow neck strap with their instrument slung too low, creating a huge amount of neck strain. It’s worth the time and effort to make a study of your equipment.

Arrange your work environment to most efficiently meet your needs. This takes some thought. Your first consideration should be lessening your physical effort. It’s also a good idea to arrange things so that you are not bending and/or twisting so much. Sometimes just giving yourself a little time to plan before you begin your work can save you discomfort or injury. This might mean gathering all your music practice materials and equipment before you begin your practice session. (As opposed to struggling and straining to find that method book or metronome while holding on to your instrument.)

Always make sure you have adequate and appropriate lighting. This is one of the most overlooked aspects of the work environment. If you are struggling to see your work, you will be tempted to use yourself poorly: squinting your eyes, holding your breath, craning your neck forward, etc.

The same can be said about the height of your music stand. Find your good balance and comfort first, then adjust all equipment to your good balance.

Unfortunately, you can’t always control the quality of your work environment. This is why you need to pay attention to what you can control: Your use.

Am I resting adequately?

You’re not made of steel. Even if you are using yourself well and have a supportive environment, you need to take breaks from your work. It is fundamentally important that you rest before you get tired. (Don’t wait for exhaustion or discomfort to tell you when you need to rest.) Here are a few other basic ergonomic guidelines concerning rest:

  • Alternate sitting and standing (when possible) while you work.
  • Avoid prolonged periods in the same position.
 (Allow yourself to move. Don’t be “planted” down in any one position.)
  • Try not to sit for more than 30 to 40 minutes at a time without getting up to move around. Conversely, don’t stand for too long a period without rest.
  • Consider breaking your practice routing into several small sessions. I find myself practicing for no more than about 10 to 20 minutes at a stretch without taking at least a brief break. I’m way more productive by approaching my work this way.
  • Consider breaking your practice routine into two or more practice sessions per day. This is particularly helpful if you practice for three or more hours per day. A morning and evening session (as opposed to one marathon session) can lead to better health and greater productivity.

Lying in the semi-supine position (constructive rest) is a great way to give yourself a fully restorative break during your practice period. This involves lying on your back (on a carpeted floor or other firm surface) with your knees bent, feet on the floor and elbows bent with your palms resting where your ribcage meets the sides of your tummy. Put a book or two under your head to keep your head in good integration with your neck, back and pelvis. Fifteen minutes or so of resting this way in the middle of your practice session will greatly improve your comfort, endurance and overall health and safety. Here’s more about constructive rest.

So you can begin today to make a difference in how you practice. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much easier things can be if you keep these three things in mind.

I Love To Practice!

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Welcome to my blog. This is my first entry. I got the idea for this after recently having a bit of a renaissance with my musical practice. I’m a professional saxophonist (and to a somewhat lesser degree, a flutist) who is deeply in love with improvising. I’ve always been well-disciplined where practice is concerned, but about a year ago I sort of rediscovered that spark that makes me truly excited to practice every day.

Unlike many musicians, I don’t practice for the sole purpose of being prepared to perform. Don’t get me wrong. I love to perform and take my readiness for this very seriously. But for me the act of practicing is itself a reward. One of the consistently most joyful and satisfying parts of my day is my practice time. It’s meditative, invigorating, challenging and always edifying. Practicing is also an ongoing tutorial about learning how to learn. It’s a beautiful thing.

I typically spend two to three hours a day practicing (more on days that I don’t work). Because of this, I must be mindful about taking care of myself. I personally know many musicians who struggle with chronic pain and other health issues because of their practice habits. I used to be one of those musicians, too. But not any more. Some years back I discovered something that has helped (and continues to help) me more than anything else as a musician, not only to avoid injury, but also to support continuous growth, technical improvement and artistic development.

What I discovered was a simple, effective method of self-care called the Alexander Technique. I was so impressed by how I was able to help myself with this work that I decided to train to become a certified teacher. I’ve been teaching the Technique now for a few years, and have had great satisfaction working with musicians, actors and dancers, helping them to improve the quality of their practice and performance.

So I’ve decided to share my discoveries both as an Alexander Technique teacher and as a serious improvising musician (they’re more related than you might imagine!) There are two areas of interest to me where this is concerned:

  1. To provide simple, practical information and advice to help musicians stay healthy, pain-free and well-coordinated by applying the principles of the Alexander Technique.I’ll be writing about some of the most common concerns where musicians are concerned, such as chronic back and neck pain, repetitive strain injuries, balance and coordination issues (including focal dystonia), breathing and managing performance anxiety. I’ll also be writing from time to time about other health topics, such as nutrition, exercise (I’m also a personal trainer certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine), rest, self-care strategies  and the use of ergonomic products.
  2. To share my explorations in my quest to continuously develop my skills as an improvising musician. I love jazz, Balkan gypsy music, just about all folk music, conceptual improvised music (free, avant garde, new music…), and just about anything else that involves the supremely human act of spontaneous composition. My primary discipline is modern jazz, and  my main passion is finding my own voice as an improviser. I also love helping other musicians find theirs. I’m always finding new ways to practice and study that help me on this journey. I’ll be sharing ideas, exercises from some of the books I’ve written (or am currently writing) about improvisational pedagogy, and other resources and ideas that I discover from others. I’ll also be posting videos of great musical performers (pointing out what helps these artists play so well) as well as my own video tutorials.
So please feel free to ask, suggest, or criticize to help me make this a better blog. I always welcome comments, and sincerely thank you for reading. Here’s to your health and continued improvement!