axis – Biomechanics and performance psychology for musicians and guitarists

Left-arm lateral movement

The secret of quick and efficient movement of the left arm is to use the shoulder muscles to move the arm and forearm. The hand is never the driving force behind the action. It is relaxed, and it is brought into place by the musculature of the shoulder. The forearm is then called upon for a more accurate adjustment, while the wrist and fingers maintain their optimized positioning as described above.

The eyes determine the end point of the hand, allowing the brain to calculate the distance between the start and end positions easily.

Optimal hand position

The optimal positioning of the right and left hand is achieved through compliance with the ergonomic principles outlined in previous post. The hand must be tilted on the ulnar side to an angle of 15 degrees at the wrist. A slight flexion toward the outside of 15 degrees at the wrist completes the positioning. Although it is impossible to maintain this optimum positioning at all times, the player will attempt to return to this position in which the fingers are free to move as often as possible.

Blades of steel!

If there were only one piece of advice to be garnered from everything that I address in my research, this would surely be that relating to the separation of the shoulder blade. This is actually the most common issues among musicians. By relaxing the shoulder muscles, we cause a structural problem in the shoulder blade region. The latter becomes prominent. If you pass your hand over the shoulder blade, and you can actually feel the tip of it, this means that you are afflicted by this terrible “evil” that I call the “sharp blade”!

Like many nerves, muscles and tendons that cross at the shoulder blade, it is essential that it be maintained in its proper place (coaptation) to ensure optimal movement of all members driven by the structural elements crossing at this place. The effect of a well-positioned blade can be felt by the fingertips. To maintain the blade in place, it is essential to ensure the tone of some of the upper back muscles. This is achieved by extending the shoulders (and the collarbone) slightly and adding this a slight forward motion. It goes without saying that the shoulders must be extremely toned, and under no circumstances should one release the muscles below this region.

I am aware that it is difficult to visualize without example, but I am working on something that will help you better understand these concepts. Stay tuned!

Posture and self-confidence

We already know that posture plays a significant role in optimizing our movements when playing an instrument. Many of you may be surprised to know that posture also affects self-confidence.

If we can guess the level of self-confidence of someone by analyzing his posture, it is as well true that our own posture reflects our confidence in ourselves.

So if our posture reflects our confidence, can we influence our level of confidence intentionally by changing our posture? The answer is yes. Good posture will affect your level of personal confidence in addition to giving others the image of someone more confident about his abilities. If we add those benefits to both the injury prevention and optimizing technique, there is no reason for you not to work to improve your posture, and this, in your instrumental practice as in your daily life!

The basic positioning of the body

The first constraint encountered by the classical guitarist in his body positioning is that he must be seated.

Initially, the guitarist should try every means to respect the two axes (i.e., the vertical and the horizontal axes). Let’s say the guitarist needs to sit as if a wire were passing through the center of his head to go down to the tip of the coccyx.

It is very important that the head rest in the axis, both vertically and horizontally. It reaches a weight of around five kilos, nearly 8% of the total body’s mass, so it is important to keep in line in order to avoid unnecessary tension.

Despite maintaining the vertical axis, the lower back and neck must be held in slight lordosis. This prevents the discs and the fluid around them from pressing on the numerous nerves that surround the spine. As simply pressing on these nerves can cause a slowdown communication to the muscles, it is doubly important to keep this slight lordosis. Moreover, this position is also effective in the prevention of disc herniations.

If we begin at the floor, the feet must be well supported on the ground, because it is in this ground support that we draw strength and stability. Needless to say, the use of ergonomic support for the guitar is essential. By using conventional support, it is impossible to have both feet firmly planted, and we must thus compensate for the misalignment caused by the elevation of one foot relative to the other. There are several types of ergonomic support for the guitar. Those that are fully adjustable and ensure complete stability of the instrument are preferred.

Then the body weight should rest on the pins. Both have to absorb an equal weight. The pelvis must remain mobile and must move even during the practice of the instrument. This prevents the emergence of lower back tensions. The chair should be high enough so that the legs are higher than 90 degrees. In this way, part of the body weight rests on the legs. This position is one that promotes action. In addition, it results in a light natural curve in the lumbar spine, which ensures the desired slight lordosis. The abdominal muscles must be a tonic to maintain the vertical axis. The rest of the shoulder girdle should be toned, but I’ll give more details in subsequent posts.