String Players Neck and Shoulder pain!! Some amazing exercises

[@ahh1180]

I am so grateful for my teacher always taught and spoke about posture and relaxing the body.

[@stellajacobson231]

My current teacher has changed my posture, technique and even made me buy a different instrument since she was the first one to realise after 8 y (and one of them was me studying music at a serious music school) of playing at the same instrument that it was to big for me. The music school teacher didn't even point it out! And neither did he do anything to fix my awful technique. Thanks to my current teacher my will for practicing and wanting to play has been restored. For many many years practicing became a battle, me vs my viola. According to the luthier, who I purchased my new viola from, the old one was a little bit better of an instrument which surprise me since all it had made me do for 8,5 y was to struggle. The one I left the luthier with is 1,5 cm smaller than the old one (40,5 to 39 cm) and is fantastic! There is no point having a better instrument if you can't fully use it! With all this said, finding the right teacher and instrument is so crucial. I'm more thankful for my teacher than I think she realises. Only shoulder rest and no chin rest is the best that has ever happened to me

[@DieterLo1]

Good to read about your experiences. I am Violin beginner since 2 months.

[@musicblossom5512]

I really really needed this! The beginning is literally me (unfortunately). I think can be harder to teach posture online due to positioning the camera etc but contacting my teacher really helped. Thanks Olaf!

[@la_moondrops5799]

Sometimes I just too motivated to practice the violin that I just skip warming up and end up hurting myself. Urgh, I feel pain in my right shoulder blade. (๑-﹏-๑) Thank you, Olaf. This is a reminder that our body has right over us.

[@sadhbhdelahunt]

Very helpful, thanks so much.

[@randomvielleuse527]

Olaf, thank you so much for this. I haven't been able to play my fiddle comfortably ever. After a little over 25 years I had just gotten to expect it would just always hurt no matter what. Then, last spring at the beginning of March I was rehearsing with friends and I went from "this is uncomfortable" to "OW! MUST STOP NOW!" I haven't been able to play since, and only recently has the pain in my right elbow and shoulder eased up enough that I have some hope of getting back to it again. Luckily, fiddle is not my first instrument, and the issues I have are not a problem for gurdy or whistle. But I do miss the fiddle and the songs I was using it on. So, I'll give these exercises a try and even if they don't fix my problems at least it's something new and concrete to do. And I've never, ever had a violin or fiddle instructor work with me on my posture (except for the very basics of hand positions) or checked to see if my fiddle is set up right for me. Learning to play gurdy the first bits were all about correct position and how to avoid getting injured! Fiddle? Not even once. :( Thanks again, Olaf. I'm so glad I found your channel.

[@almondtofu0624]

OMG! how do you know that I'm having this problem rn! Thank you for the video!

[@allegrovivace6806]

h e r e a d s y o u r m i n d through the power of the great v i o l a

[@earlcabusao3630]

Same my neck hurts

[@stephenfrawley5594]

Looking forward to trying these out tomorrow before my practice session. Started playing violin during lockdown this year though I've weakness on my bowing side from an old climbing injury so there's a motivational relationship between addressing that and improving on the instrument. Thanks for the tips Olaf. :)

[@Mollyz1117]

Wow, that running one really makes my shoulders and neck relax. I've been feeling like I need more strength as well and that one feels like it affects all the supporting muscles. I think this is going to be a big help. Thank you!

[@peterpapura2552]

Thank you! I have a ton of shoulder and elbow pain, this helped a bit!

[@mismatmom]

Great useful info. Thanks.

[@amandasanders1141]

One thing I would say is some of those exercises are quite vigorous and should be done slowly, gently and mindfully to start with as I find my middle back tensing as I was doing them.

[@DevilishlyDutch]

These are very similar to the exercises I started doing recently, I had a feeling this would be about the same muscle groups! These are a must in the modern day imo, even when you're not a string player, the technology hunching is real

[@anonymousx2156]

Love you Olaf, big fan of your work here!

[@herr_barus]

Next 2set video: doing these exercises while playing Paganini 24... :-P

[@keikun17]

it works! you still doing this routine or do you have other quick exercises to help loosen up tight shoulders?

[@NabilahMY]

is the violin playing in your intro played by you? it sounds lovely and i always wonder! love your videos :)

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

No, but I wish I could play as well as Jascha Heifetz

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

Two physical therapist fixed my sloppy posture, and suggested I take a break from fiddling. I have the ukulele to fall back on. I have exercises and warmups to do every time I play.

[@sherrylhenning5630]

Good choice of exercises!

[@turtlesrcoming]

This is great! Thank you! Do you have any stretches or exercises for wrist pain that you find useful?

[@knkyarn8144]

It kind of depends where you are feeling the pain in your wrist. I've have done lots of physio and chiro for my wirsts and have lots of excercises. If you take a 1 or 2 pound weight in your hand and sit so that your elbow is resting on a hard surface at about a 90 degree angle and then gently lower and raise the weight, it works on building the supporting muscles. Make sure you only go as far as your wrsit allows, not forcing it to go farther than it naturally does. There are also lots of good ones with the Theraband resistance bands and the Theraband flexbar. Something that can provide some relief is if you take 2 tennis balls and put them in a sock and gently roll out your wrist and forearms. Other really common stretches that are good to do before and after you play are to fully extend your arm and bend you wrist down and gently pull it towards you, putting a little pressure on it and hold. You shouldn't feel any pain though, so don't put to much pressure. Then repeat that but bend your wrist upward, makie sure to tuck your thumb in. Repeat that on the otherside also. This helps with your range of motion and loosening things up.

[@MeticulousMuffin]

the stationary running exercise = GAMECHANGER

[@SantaWithaViolin]

Yoda spoke and the truth it must be.

[@SamikshaTheViolinist]

Hi Olaf. I need ur help, ur guidance for my left shoulder pain especially while doing vibrato. Please let me know if I can contact u somehow.

[@AskOlaftheViolinmaker]

Hi , You can easily get in touch through my website or Instagram... It's important that you have a really good chin and shoulder rest set up, a relatively relaxed posture and shake out and stretch often. If you already have an injury like RSI, it may be a different story... Unfortunately once there is an injury, it can take a long time to heal... Often sports injury specialists can be good to work with...

[@SamikshaTheViolinist]

@@AskOlaftheViolinmaker thank you Olaf, I will contact you on ur Insta

[@screaminggecko7660]

Your view is gorgeous I can see why that's your favorite room

[@yu-tinglee9659]

is it normal to feel super sore around the neck after doing the shoulder circles?

[@Tchaikoffee]

What is the music at the intro Olaf just asking?

[@Islaras]

❤️❤️❤️

[@lu0844]

0:01 Wooooo look at that sturdy wood music stand!! Mine is laughable, plain ol black, falls all the time

[@gopracticenow]

Hello olaf

[@milanvarghese]

First Comment!

[@allegrovivace6806]

first reply to first comment

[@earlcabusao3630]

2nd reply to the first comment after the first reply to the first comment :)

[@allegrovivace6806]

@@earlcabusao3630 third reply to the second reply to the first comment after teh first reply to the first comment

[@earlcabusao3630]

4th reply to the first comment after the first comment which after the reply, the second comment from I and the third comment as the last to my next comment which the second is a comment of I

[@allegrovivace6806]

@@earlcabusao3630 fifth reply to the first comment after the okay I'm officially confused

[@frogzlover]

No, I just missed the premier. 😥

[@jacksonwolfman2637]

Nice shirt! Lol

[@davidtolley5435]

Ha,Haha