The Most Important Advice (All Music Students Ignore)

What is the Most Important Advice All Music Students Ignore?
Taking the time to properly learn about muscular Anatomy AND to develop the so important mind-muscle connection.
Athlean X Beginner Workout: • The PERFECT Beginner W...
Athlean X Bodyweight Workout: • The PERFECT Home Worko...
Us musicians aren't really known as the muscular types, but that could be a problem as having at least a cursory understanding of muscular anatomy and a development of the mind muscle connection will not only help your health and longevity, but also improve your playing and technique
0:00 - Intro
0:33 - Why Learn Muscular Anatomy?
3:27 - The Mind Muscle Connection
6:38 - The Best Way to Learn
7:28 - How to Start
For those interested in Skype (or your favored video chat platform) lessons, email [e-mail].

[@smithmusicstudies]

Yoga and weightlifting have been some of the best things I have done for my playing.

[@nickcarroll8565]

Tai Chi helped me. Your hands are lead by your core. Like a rock attached to a rope. Makes wrist movement more relaxed. Shoulders get more relaxed with taichi posture.

[@jordannelson8267]

👏🏾👏🏾

[@MrNachocml13]

Hi! Classical violinist here and and also a certified personal trainer, in my experience, wightlifting or other type of strenght training COULD bring some tension on your playing, but thats only if you re not traing well your mind-muscle conection, specially if you don't do any other training like mobility training or other discipline to work in you coordination or relaxation ( some dance classes of your preference will be very helpful in this), this also have a conection with your ''psycho- muscular'' awareness of your daily routine in other aspects, if you are a person that have certain tendency to make movement with tension, that will translate to your playing, so be pretty aware of how you walk, how you take or carry objects, how you sit, if you shrug your shoulders while you are eating and use your knife, fork, etc. I advice complement your stenght training with at least 2 days of mobility training, that will strenght your joints like you hips, shoulders, knees, and also the mobility of your spine! and also it will make you pay attention to how your joint move, the whole range a joint have. you could do it after your strenght routine or on your rest days. - Look for a discipline like dance to make your brain and your body learn other patterns of movement as a whole instead of just your arms and fingers, if you learn to coordinate your whole body in different patterns you'll be more ''conscious'' and more effective and fast in fixing you posture and tension problems! I hope this will help someone!

[@MurphyMusicAcademy]

This is good advice, but I found through lifting that if I didn't tap into the mind muscle connection and get technique right on compound movements, I would end up hurting myself AND not be able to lift as much, so for me it was a win-win all around. By learning to squat to proper depth I ended up with a lot more flexibility in the hips than I had before, and I can say the same for other compound lifts I did. Learning some more difficult bodyweight exercises, like pistol squats, also is great from flexibility and mobility. The main thing I would tell people is take your time. I took a few years where I didn't lift very much and now that I'm getting back into I've been going very slowly, especially with lower body compound movements. It's a little frustrating at first, but not as frustrating as throwing your back out. I'm almost able to pistol squat as well as I used to!

[@MrNachocml13]

@@MurphyMusicAcademy thats great! and a great thought to have in mind and makes total sense, the majority of people wants to make huge progress in 3 months but the human body adaption requires more time than that. Due to that rush of getting results quickly people gets injuries or some type of pain, and thats because the joint or some tendon, or some tiny specific muscle still isn't adapted to the new heavier or harder type of exercise, a good thing to have in mind is ''if your muscles can have certain grow in 8 weeks, your tendons needs the double of time to strenght their composition to be in the same level of the muscle''. And always if you have some type of pain, always work on that tiny muscles or joints that stabilize your movements or rotations, that type of pain in the majority of cases is due to some type of muscle imbalance or needs some neural stimulus to work properly with the other muscles. Greetings from Chile!

[@Nikkuuu69]

You have no idea how solid your videos are man. I love how you explain things VERY specific and rooted in reality, compared to using metaphors that some others might use. I started the viola a year ago and I can definitely tell my bowing became smoother and less shaky as soon as I learned how to relax my shoulders!

[@violahero4life]

Fellow violist here! I recently picked up the viola after a decade of rustiness. These videos are so helpful! Happy viola playing.

[@leonardobastos1945]

Biomechanics and Physiology of Effort are very useful too...

[@StaszekPikulMusic]

YES. I am so happy that such a big channel as yours talks about it. Anatomy knowledge is so, so important for all musicians

[@joyceyang6976]

Interesting, I do notice my violin skills improve as I started weight training exercise at the gym. Not quite understand why but this is very helpful. Now I know which muscle groups I can work on more. Thank you so much for making this video for all musicians out there 👍😄💕

[@bradykelso8682]

Wow. This came at the perfect time as I learn to have a smooth bow arm. Thanks! Excellent instruction!

[@lv2fidl]

Great video- wish I had learned about this at least a few years ago! As an adult learner of playing the violin (fiddle), I've been dealing recently with issues related to shoulder impingement/ pain. Most likely, tension is a big factor (something I have to monitor frequently). Stretching & range of motion exercises definitely help, but I think gentle weight lifting would be very beneficial. Thanks so much for all of your wonderful videos on violin technique! Your explanations & demonstrations are so clear & practical- I always learn so many valuable tips!

[@davidlicea9192]

This is a great insight for the musicians. Although everybody should workout, we musician should take care more awareness of this, 'cause we have a longer career than any other profession. So keeping a good body is key to having a succesful longer career. Thank you for this video. ❤

[@Wonderwomanstarlight]

I started weight lifting a while ago so when I started violin in march of this year I didnt sound horrible at first so I think you are right. I have so much to learn but I was surprised that I never had that aweful squeaky noise.

[@gilsoffer547]

This was super interesting. Thanks for it

[@shawnchristopherwhite3271]

Weight Training and Violin - my two most important loves.

[@laviolist]

This is probably why my bow shakes sometimes too. Thank you! 🙏😘

[@RubsViolin]

Always good when you take advice from a ripped guy

[@hast3033]

This is cool, i practice violin in the basement where I also do gymnastics. I switch between them throughout, 20mins of violin followed by 20mins of gymnastics, alternating over and over. Having a strong, good neutral posture is really essential to holding the violin comfortably without a shoulderrest imo.

[@MurphyMusicAcademy]

100% with you on posture, not so much on alternating between working out and practicing. I have to time my workouts to when I don't have to practice for a few hours. Squeezing/holding weights for a while makes it so my finer finger motions aren't spot on. It goes away after a few, though

[@hast3033]

@@MurphyMusicAcademy I see your point. Though I only use bodyweight excersises, rings and pullup bar, which also strengthen flexibility and releases a lot of tension that i accrue while practicing. Im only 5months into learning the violin so I'm doing my best to easing and figuring out how to get rid of unnecessary tension while playing, its a lot better than when i started playing atleast :)

[@JasperChang-zr3hq]

Is it possible for you to make a video about throwing bows to the string. I've been struggling with it a lot recently. It would be a great help if you can make a video about it.

[@mariaphilipp441]

Hi, could you please make a video on pinky vibrato in very high positions? I’m just beginning to learn the Beethoven concerto and struggling a lot with that because I have long and thin fingers but my pinky is so short 😭 thank you in advance, greetings from Italy

[@marcoflorestello]

I'd like to recommed the basic series from the Renaissance Periodization channel, Athlean-X is okayish but has a lot of advice that's just not true, he likes to scare people away from totally safe exercises.

[@csar1523]

Dr. Mike has the best advice out there, glad to find another man of culture

[@MurphyMusicAcademy]

Israetel is great, but he's not someone I automatically think of when introducing beginners to weightlifting. I've not seen his basic series, so I'll have to check it out. I knew for a fact that for someone that doesn't know anything, Jeff Cavaliere would be a good start

[@lemonke8132]

it's the same thing for drawing. If you wanna draw long straight lines, don't use your wrist at all!

[@davidrussell3112]

I heard that working out can override the small controlling muscles developed while violin playing, leading to less fine control over the instrument. I think I heard Hilary Hahn talking about how she used to weight-lift but now doesn’t because she was experiencing the thing I am talking about. I was wondering what you thought about that and if that would be a problem while working out as a violinist.

[@MurphyMusicAcademy]

I honestly think it’s an excuse musicians use to avoid exercising, haha. It really shouldn’t affect your finer muscle movements unless you are playing right after you work out. If I do a lifting session I can’t play normally for a couple of hours, largely because the amount of squeezing and holding with the hands does take away from the finer motions. However, this goes away after a few. Just don’t work out right before you have to perform

[@justusforviolin2719]

I Would say calisthenics (Daniel Vadnal, Calimove) Martial Arts (research a good school especially one which might offer Tai Chi) , or chestexpander workouts (exercise bands) are really best if you are at absolute 0 fitness wise. weightlifting is great too, especially if you are around or right past adolescence, if you are older, starting with bodyweight and bands is best, and working/ mixing in weightlifting too a bit later.. to be honest, I think playing tennis or golf can help too. Everything that forces an increase in mid muscle connection and control.

[@stephenbrivati3233]

100% correct. This is an important point. But it's more than just the violin. Building muscle after age forty is now widely regarded as the benchmark for longevity. I recommend kettlebells for violnists but free weights are great. Use dumbells not barbells though.

[@smithmusicstudies]

What's wrong with barbells? I love them! Though I do think having a trainer teach you is important before starting with barbells.

[@MurphyMusicAcademy]

Depends on what you are trying to do. I love barbells, largely because I like lifting heavy. However your chance of injury as a novice is less if you use dumbbells. I use both. Don’t have any kettlebells, however

[@MurphyMusicAcademy]

For those interested in Skype (or your favored video chat platform) lessons, email [e-mail]. Support the Channel by Joining for only $1.99 a month: kzbin.info/door/ZQIHAPEvArUZ6EQ8HHm3_Ajoin You also get to use these violinist emojis: But most importantly you'll be supporting the channel.

[@alidanesheim8742]

Hi! What chinrest do you use? I’m on a big never ending search for a good chinrest for me!

[@MurphyMusicAcademy]

Berber chinrest. I love it an recommend it to all my students. But try a lot of different models to see what works

[@DivaDeb1234]

My trapezius is jacked up bad 😢

[@MurphyMusicAcademy]

Many such cases. My wife’s was incredible jacked up from years of improper playing. It’s taken almost a year of very slowly getting back into before she could really start practicing some basic stuff again. It can be overcome, but it takes time

[@DivaDeb1234]

@@MurphyMusicAcademy I still play everyday as a junior college level intermediate. I've got to fix this man, 😔 it's a must do. Recently in school I realized that holding the violin using my abs takes some of the tension off of my shoulder. Do you have any thoughts on that? BTW I've been an aerobics instructor at the gym for over 25 years.

[@DivaDeb1234]

@@MurphyMusicAcademy by the way for me it's my left trapezius.