When one plays a stringed instrument, it is very easy to allow tension to creep into the practice room. This pesky menace locks up muscles, freezes joints, and can cause injuries like carpel tunnel (ouch!). Fortunately for you, the music student, there is a better way.
Be ever vigilant about sensing the level of stress on your muscles. Where are you holding it? Your lower back? Your neck? How are your shoulders? Are you squeezing the viola too hard? Periodically do self-checks of these common problem areas to ensure you arent tense and starting to get sore. It can be all to easy to allow focus and concentration on the task at hand to supersede your own body and what it is trying to tell you. So pay attention! If your problem is recurring, make sure you are using proper posture and that the weight of your head and bow arm are being utilized efficiently. Holding up your instrument shouldn't be a chore!
If and when you do feel tension beginning to build, take a short break. This could be as simple as getting a drink of water, having a brief chat with a friend or relative, eating a light snack, or doing a homework assignment. Anything will be a change of pace that will keep you from going into the danger zone.
Keep your emotions in check. It can be easy to get frustrated with your progress, or lack thereof, in a perticular passage or exercise. Don't let it get to you! You are the master of your instrument. Not the other way around. Take deep breaths and step back from that section to see the bigger picture. Play something easy or that you have previously mastered that gets you in the right frame of mind. Listen to a recording of your favorite piece, or the piece you are working on. This can inspire you to make that breakthrough!
That's all for now friends.
Happy practicing!
