Monthly Archives: July 2012

To get the most from this article, please see my first post on Modes  (“Demystifying Modes”, published on this site on 5/30/2012),  in which I presented the basic concepts of modes in an easy-to-understand format. When a folk or traditional musician sits down with a group to play a tune, the usual question is, “What keyContinue reading “More on Modes”

(To get the most from this post, please also read last week’s post.) For those who play an acoustic stringed instrument, the term “technique” refers to the way we use our hands to play. Good technique produces the melding of four elements: optimal relaxation of the hands through good ergonomics of the hands and armsContinue reading “More About Hands: Technique Issues”

To get the most out of the following information, reading the three previous posts will give you the background information on this subject. The information here is not a substitute for medical diagnosis and treatment. ***  Musicans’ hand discomfort or injury most often develops from holding the hands stiffly or awkwardly while plucking or pressingContinue reading “All About Hands (part 4 of the Discomfort and injury series)”

To get the most out of the following information, please read the two previous posts in which I discussed neutral posture (in contrast to the posture most of us have been taught is “correct”), ways in which the holding and playing of an instrument affects the body of the musician, and specific physical problems oneContinue reading “PART 3 – Discomfort and Pain Related to Playing Your Instrument: Symptoms, Causes and Solutions”