How often do piano teachers remind students to sit properly? If you’re like me, its a pretty frequent occurrence.
Over the years, I’ve become increasingly aware of how important posture and balance are to efficient and effective piano playing. I’ve had to deal with my own back issues stemming from a bike accident decades ago. The event itself was not overly traumatic but the consequences to my spine were far reaching. Physiotherapy and chiropractic sessions have made a substantial difference and I can honestly say that I have a freer approach to the piano as a result, but alone, they are not enough to maintain a healthy back in the long run. So now, I continually work on my core muscles to keep everything in balance and the back issues at bay.
Most students begin piano lessons as young children between 5 and 7 years of age. They sit beautifully – tall, proud, and obvious to the mechanics of their spine. Once school starts, they spend more time sitting at desks and less time running around. They start using tablets and phones, playing Minecraft or other games on the computer. Their backs start to round when they sit, their heads tilting forward to view screens and their shoulders cave in. If the bad habits not corrected before puberty, the vertebrae get “stuck” in this distorted position and its difficult to reverse the process without serious attention and exercise.
To convince your average “know everything” teenager that sitting in a balanced position is important, I always give them reasons beyond the obvious . . . “it looks sloppy”. Try any or all of the following arguments to appeal to either their scientific minds or at the very least their vanity.
- Poor posture will lead to back and neck pain if it hasn’t already, as your muscles are working harder than necessary to keep you on the chair.
- When you breath deeply to get oxygen into the blood stream so you can think more clearly and deal with performance situations, the space between your vertebrae expand, they can’t do this when you sit in a slouched position.
- Your arms are lighter when the spine is balanced properly, this means there’s less weight going into the keys by default and its easier to control the tone quality.
- When your back is hunched, your body language says you are insecure, shy, and possibly less than properly prepared. (Take a video to prove the point)
There are lots of resources regarding posture, here are three that I’ve found helpful in my pursuit of pain free playing.
- What Every Pianist Needs to Know about the Body by Thomas Mark – A great book for figuring out exactly how our bodies are used at the instrument.
- Alexander Technique – There are interesting websites and articles on this method but the best results come from actual lessons with a qualified teacher.
- Body Mapping – www.bodymap.org – This technique combines the concepts above into a comprehensive and accessible approach to alleviating and/or preventing pain from playing. If you ever have a chance to participate in one of their workshops, make the time for it. If possible, I would highly recommend organizing an event through your local Registered Music Teacher’s Association.