Dear Stephen, I will do my best to answer your questions! (1) Can you learn Alexander Technique without a teacher?
In short, no. One of Alexander's key discoveries was what he called "faulty sensory perception." In simple terms, we can lose touch with what our bodies are doing. Excess muscle tension feels "normal" when it has been held for a long time, likewise poor posture also feels "normal" when it has become habitual. In an Alexander lesson the teacher uses very gentle hands-on techniques to guide the student's posture back into a condition of good use (i.e. the kind of balance that we are born with but often lose as we grow up). This experience of good use often feels extremely strange to begin with, but continued lessons start to put the natural processes in the body back into action. Because of the faulty sensory perception problem it's not possible to do this on your own. Alongside this, in Alexander lessons the student learns two important processes that Alexander developed. The first of these is known as "inhibition" - a method of preventing habitual mis-use from re-asserting itself. Our habitual ways of mis-using our bodies are difficult to break - it's like asking someone who stutters to stop - it's not that easy. (But Alexander Technique can help overcome this problem). The second process is "direction" - a method of giving instructions to our bodies to encourage good use. (Crucially not trying "to do" good posture, which doesn't work). In both cases it's necessary to learn to use these techniques in the context of lessons with a qualified teacher to ensure that they are working. (2) Can one use it to pinpoint and correct a particular problem? Yes, and no! The kind of problem that leads one into AT is often a specific manifestation of a larger problem. Mine was my rh fingers going numb when I played the lute. I was a bit baffled when the teacher started working on my head and neck. The truth of the matter is that the whole body needs to be in a state of balanced good use. When you achieve that, if the specific problems were due to mis-use, they tend to disappear. (3) And approximately how long does it take to learn it? It's a very individual thing. Some people learn to use AT in a few lessons, others take quite a lot longer. Even after learning the technique many people go back for a lesson now and then to keep their use in good shape. And it's a pleasant experience that makes you feel good. As a footnote, I'm afraid that your comment about lack of time is one of the things that Alexander identified as a major problem in modern (i.e. 20th century onwards) life. He called the way our minds sometimes want to leap ahead of ourselves and complete something before we have started "end-gaining." His counter to this is to stop focusing on ends, and pay attention to the "means-whereby" we achieve them. So using the technique is about learning to slow down, although in this slowing down we may accomplish more than we did when we were in a hurry. For holding the lute, incidentally, I use a largish piece of very soft gloving leather (emphatically not chamois, which in my experience works nothing like so well) across my lap, and I find this holds the instrument much more securely than anything else I have ever tried. I acquired this tip from Jacob Heringman, and have never looked back. I hope this is helpful, Best wishes, Denys ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephen Arndt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, May 08, 2006 9:35 PM Subject: [LUTE] Re: Body pain (was Re: lute straps) > My thanks to all who responded with their stories and suggestions. In > particular: > > 1. Eric, thank you for the book recommendation. I have ordered it and am > anxiously looking forward to receiving it and working with it. > > 2. Sandy, I am very interested in the technique you took over from Hopkinson > Smith, but though I can imagine the general outlines of it, I can't picture > it well enough in my mind to use it in practice. A photograph would be a > wonderful help. Even when I use a strap, I have to use my hands and arms to > hold my instrument precisely where I want it, and that extra muscular > tension is, I think, contributing to my problem. I would love to have the > instrument in place without having to exert any pressure to hold it. > > 3. Guy and Liz, I am also very interested in the exercises you mentioned, > since I would rather do therapy myself than go to someone else for it. Could > you describe the exercises you do or post pictures of them? I think they > might potentially help many players on the list. > > 4. Denys, I began looking into Alexander Technique once, but didn't get very > far owing to lack of time. Perhaps you can answer the following questions. > Is it possible to learn Alexander Technique from books, without a teacher? > Can one use it to pinpoint and correct a particular problem? And > approximately how long does it take to learn it? > > 5. Martin, I cannot sustain for very long the position you describe, though > it does work for short periods of time. In any event, I would love to hear > your MP3 files. Please send me one, and many thanks in advance. > > Best regards to all, > > Stephen Arndt > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Eric Liefeld" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Stephen Arndt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 9:16 PM > Subject: Re: Body pain (was Re: [LUTE] Re: lute straps) > > > > And of course I mis-typed the link, try: > > http://www.triggerpointbook.com > > > > Sorry for the clutter. > > > > Eric > > > > On May 3, 2006, at 8:09 PM, Eric Liefeld wrote: > > > >> Dear Stephen, > >> > >> I was going to reply privately, but I'll broadcast here in the > >> hope this can help others. I too suffer from a variety of pain > >> issues in the neck and back, in my case likely caused by > >> playing the violin for many years from childhood (in the > >> modern school), and exacerbated by computer use. I have > >> had frequent severe migraines for at least 35 years. I too > >> have been through the gamut of treatments you list (plus > >> a few) and I eventually resorted to just taking lots of pain > >> medications... not an altogether healthy thing. > >> > >> In a rather desperate search for help about nine months > >> ago I stumbled across a wonderful and well-written book > >> ("The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook") that has literally > >> saved my life. You can find it at http://www.trigerpointbook.com, > >> and even get a discount when ordering through their site. > >> I think its also widely available at the local Barnes and Noble. > >> > >> The author, Clair Davies, is a former piano tuner, and he > >> has some insights into musician's injuries and issues. He > >> basically takes you through every muscle in the body and > >> teaches you how to work on them yourself with a few simple > >> tools. This may sound strange at first, but I have been > >> able to bring about *much* more improvement in my pain > >> situation by working on myself than with any other method. > >> > >> Unlike lots of "treatments" that require a belief system of sorts, > >> trigger points are very tangible, easy to find, and based on > >> published medical literature. Trigger points are basically > >> small contractions in muscle that tend to refer pain in predictable > >> patterns that are described and illustrated in the book. Once > >> you can understand, isolate, and work on the muscles that > >> are causing your pain, I have no doubt that you can resolve > >> it quickly. In my own case, I am almost completely off the > >> pain meds and I can once again move like a human. > >> > >> I have also found this book particularly helpful with the > >> typical repetitive strain issues encountered when playing > >> instruments. > >> > >> Feel free to contact me off-line if you want more information. > >> > >> Best, > >> > >> Eric > >> > >> ps - The knife was in my *left* shoulder blade... > >> > >> On May 3, 2006, at 7:08 PM, Stephen Arndt wrote: > >> > >>> Dear Lute List, > >>> > >>> A long-time reader though infrequent contributor to this list, I was on > >>> the > >>> verge of posting a related topic when Katherine initiated the thread on > >>> lute > >>> straps, a thread that I have followed with great interest. > >>> > >>> Primarily from using a computer keyboard and mouse, I had developed > >>> under my > >>> right shoulder blade a "knot" that felt like a knife stabbing me in the > >>> back. The problem seemed to be exacerbated by reaching around the lute, > >>> which is a rather deep-bodied instrument. From my shoulder the pain > >>> seemed > >>> to radiate all the way down my arm, inflaming the ulnar nerve and my > >>> wrist, > >>> and numbing the ring and little finger of my right hand. > >>> > >>> I made several adjustments to my computer equipment (raising the > >>> monitor, > >>> switching the mouse to my left hand, etc.) and underwent chiropractic > >>> treatment, acupuncture, massage, and medication therapy (muscle > >>> relaxers and > >>> pain pills). Yet, the problem was still so bad that I worried that I > >>> would > >>> have to give up the lute. > >>> > >>> Originally, I held the lute more or less in the classical guitar style, > >>> i.e., on my left thigh and using a footstool. Once my physical problems > >>> developed, I tried using a strap in the "traditional" manner, i.e., > >>> tying it > >>> to the first peg, wrapping it around my shoulder, and tucking it in > >>> under my > >>> right thigh, on which I now rested the body of the lute. Doing so > >>> helped but > >>> did not really solve the problem. In desperation I drove to the nearest > >>> "luthier" (a maker of violins, violas, and cellos, but not of lutes), > >>> who > >>> was two and a half hours away, and had him put two strap buttons on my > >>> instrument, since I was afraid of doing so myself and cracking my > >>> instrument. I have since used both a regular, guitar-style strap, > >>> attached > >>> to the first peg and the clasp button, and the "slider-strap" recently > >>> mentioned on this list and attached to the clasp button and another > >>> button > >>> just below the neck. Doing so seems to have improved my tone since I am > >>> able > >>> to hold the lute higher, so that my forearm is more closely parallel to > >>> the > >>> strings, and has also alleviated the pain somewhat. At this point, > >>> however, > >>> I am merely managing the pain but have not been relieved of it. > >>> > >>> I would like to ask whether any other members of the lute list have > >>> experienced similar physical problems and, if so, how they solved them. > >>> I > >>> would be very appreciative of any help anyone could give me. > >>> > >>> Thank you in advance, > >>> > >>> Stephen Arndt > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> ----- Original Message ----- > >>> From: "Katherine Davies" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>> To: <[email protected]> > >>> Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 10:08 AM > >>> Subject: [LUTE] Re: lute straps > >>> > >>> > >>>> There are lots of renaissance pictures of people > >>>> playing lutes while standing up without any sign of a > >>>> strap. Does anyone do this? Any ideas on how - or if - > >>>> it could be done? > >>>> > >>>> I'm not having a go at strap-users; I'm just a bit > >>>> puzzled - I have enough trouble keeping the thing in > >>>> place when I'm sitting down. > >>>> > >>>> thanks, > >>>> Katherine Davies > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> To get on or off this list see list information at > >>>> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > >>> > >>> > >>> > >> > >> --------------- > >> Eric Liefeld > >> (505) 526-1230 > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > >> > >> > > > > > > -- > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 268.5.2/329 - Release Date: 02/05/2006 > > -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 268.5.2/329 - Release Date: 02/05/2006
