Abstract
My intent with this article is to speak about my understanding of some concepts and ideas that were inspired by my years of studying the Alexander Technique and putting the work into daily practice.
I first became interested in the Alexander Technique as a violin student of Professor Nicolas Chumachenco at the Musikhochsuchule Freiburg. The Alexander Technique lessons I took during those years helped me develop as a violinist and became the groundwork of my technical approach to the instrument. Fast-forward many years—these concepts are now a central aspect of my violin teaching, and I have found ways to transmit my understanding to my students at Portland State University (PSU) and at master classes around the country. By attending my colleague Lisa Marsh’s “Body Mapping” class at PSU and through conversations with Alexander Technique teachers such as Eve Bernfeld, Michael D. Frederick, and Juilliard School faculty member Lori Schiff, I continue to build and refine my understanding and teaching of these concepts.
It is important to note that no article can replace the benefit of hands-on work with a certified Alexander Technique teacher, but it can indeed be a useful introduction to new thoughts and a catalyst to learning more about the way musicians use their bodies.
Kinesthetic Awareness
An essential part of the work of musicians relies on the kinesthetic sense. The kinesthetic sense is the perception of the body: its relative position, size, location, strength, movement, and the effort required to utilize it. This sense seems to be somehow neglected compared with the other senses. The Alexander Technique helps develop an increased awareness of the kinesthetic sense and retrains habitual patterns. Based on detailed observation and guidance, musicians can achieve greater freedom in their movements.
Beyond the growing acceptance of the benefits of Alexander Technique for performing musicians reflected in the incorporation of course offerings at music conservatories and schools, new research has helped shed more light onto this hundred-year-old method. In a recent publication of his work on proactive selection inhibition, Ian Loram and his team scientifically demonstrate the relationship between the regulation of the neck muscles and the global motor control, in which neck regulation causes involuntary changes in the movement of the whole body, including the arms, lower trunk, and legs (Loram et al. 2017). By studying the movements of violinists and violists using ultrasound, kinematic, electromyographic, and electrodermal recordings, a minimization of anticipatory neck and head movements was shown to simplify the planning necessarily to control the rest of the body and to achieve a greater freedom in its use. This targeted regulation of the neck muscles indirectly reduced the global cost of movement by improving global balance and decreasing the physiological cost in muscle activities, skin conductance, and the compressive force on the chinrest. Furthermore, the study points out that the physiological patterns eliminated through the use of neck regulation (protracted shoulder, neck flexion, and chinrest compression) are associated with chronic pain, injury and performance limitations, which suggests that the voluntary, inhibitory regulation of neck muscles has potential therapeutic value (Loram et al. 2017).
Mental Directions
F. M. Alexander was aware of this imperative relationship between the head, neck, and spine, which he called the “primary control” (Alexander 2001). In developing his method, he sought to bring an increased awareness to the benefits of a free and balanced “primary control” on a person’s ability to execute physical tasks. To heighten the kinesthetic sense and develop the ability to direct the body, the Alexander Technique provides a series of mental directions. These directions are cues that help recover and regulate the use of the body. They allow freedom and constant rebalancing.
In the Alexander Technique, the first direction is to allow the neck to be free, so that the head can move freely on top of the spine, which in turn allows the back to lengthen and widen. To locate the top of the spine, place your fingers on both sides of the skull behind the earlobes, and visualize the middle point in between. For the head to be in good balance at this joint, there should be minimal tension or tightening in the neck. Picture the head like a kugel fountain—allowed to move nearly effortlessly, free of friction. Other Alexander Technique “directions” include allowing the shoulders to spread away from each other while continuing that extension through the elbows, wrists, and fingers.
Grounding is also essential for good use of the body. Grounding techniques involve sensing the soles of the feet on the floor, releasing the knees so they can move forward and away from one another, and leaning the trunk slightly forward from the hips (Alexander 1995). In addition to the condition of the neck, the contact with the floor and the state of the legs affects the arms and hands. A stable, yet flexible body position can be achieved though grounding and through a continuous awareness of the body.
“Preventing the counterproductive habits discussed in this article can promote calm and confidant playing while reducing unnecessary tension and pain.”
Although these directions are meant to be practiced during diverse activities, a good way to start practicing them is while lying down. Using a yoga mat and one or more books under your head to elevate it slightly, lie on your back with your knees bent (pointing up and at the width of the hips) and with your feet flat on the ground. The hands rest on the belly. Start by bringing awareness to how your body lies and receives support from the floor. Calmly allow your body to lengthen and widen in opposing directions. Free the joints by imagining there is more room or space inside them. Remember that it is not about actively moving anything. Using your awareness, scan the different parts of your body. The ability to focus your perception on different parts of the body while continuing to maintain awareness of the whole is referred to as “inclusive awareness” (Alexander 1995).
Stay aware of your breathing while lying down. Rather than attempting to control the breath, simply avoid any extra effort and refrain from holding or stopping the breath. Although breathing is an automatic process, being aware of the breath and allowing it to be free helps prevent tightening, which improves one’s physical, mental, and musical possibilities. Integrate all these feelings while still lying down. This is a fantastic way to rest during practice sessions and to reorganize energy before a performance, as it brings more awareness to the breath and to the body. Finally, think before standing up again to avoid losing the state you are in, which includes not tensing the neck or other parts of the body.
Learning New Habits
Improving the accustomed way of using one’s body can be challenging. People perceive what they are used to as familiar and normal; therefore, something new will often feel unfamiliar and “unnatural.” Similar to when a person becomes so habituated to background noise that he or she stops hearing it, musicians can also become desensitized to overtensing their muscles through years of habit. An Alexander Technique teacher can help the body learn new habits by pointing out faulty perceptions and helping the student experience new sensations.
In Alexander Technique, “inhibition” (Alexander 2001) refers to preventing an old habit and allowing something new or better to occur in its place. To correct a habit, work on the process rather than focusing on the goal. For example, imagine that you need to reach a high note on your instrument. Instead of becoming obsessed with the shift and trying hard to reach the note, work on inhibition. Try not to allow yourself to become stressed or frustrated about reaching the note. Avoid causing unnecessary tension or spasms right before or during the shift. When one succeeds at this, it will feel as if the shift happens on its own, effortlessly. This process requires stopping and thinking before starting or repeating an action to check that any unnecessary tension or unwanted habits are disengaged and circumvented.
To identify the habits that get in the way of effortless playing, it is a good idea to video-record a performance and to watch the footage without sound. Notice your movement and identify unhelpful patterns. Slow motion videos are also helpful. By using a video or a mirror, check that while you increase your kinesthetic awareness, you are:
Not creating unnecessary movements/accents with your head or with the scroll of the instrument.
Allowing your chin to rest against the instrument without pressing.
Not tightening the muscles in your neck or jaw.
Keeping the arms from stiffening or getting heavy, the shoulders from tensing upward, and the back from losing its length and width.
Preventing the hips and knees from stiffening.
Sensing your feet on the ground.
Spend time in a practice session during which your attention is split 5 percent toward the notes/music and 95 percent toward the tool or your body. The mind should work like the system checking a car, turning on a warning light if there are any problems detected anywhere in the body of the car. While you continuously check your body, allow it to be at ease and be sure your breathing is uninhibited.
Another gauge for whether or not musicians use their bodies freely is imbedded in the very sound they create. The importance of listening carefully to the sound you are producing cannot be overstated, as the sound informs the player constantly. It is advisable to record yourself often when you practice. A resonant sound that is neither pressed nor flautato is a good indicator that you are using the body in an optimal way. Clarity of intent, rhythm, and articulation are also indicators that one is able to move freely as needed.
Once you identify your counterproductive habits:
Work on one or two habits at a time. Use Post-it notes to give yourself reminders of important directions while you practice.
Repeating in and of itself is not necessarily good. Instead, try varying exercises, creating exercises, and being imaginative.
Have patience with yourself and with your body. Avoid getting emotional about mistakes, technique, goals, and results. Frustration and impatience tend to cause more tension and will produce the opposite result. Trying hard and wanting too much often leads to reverting to old habits.
Mark reminders in the music at critical points to double check that you are breathing and that you are releasing unnecessary tensions.
Practice slowly to sense your body. Stop even in mid-phrase, with the bow on the string, and check for relaxation before continuing.
Practice passages at faster tempos to train your brain to anticipate and release more quickly, and to check for fluidity and economy of motion.
While not Alexander Technique per se, the list of exercises below can help identify typical counterproductive habits of string players and aid in recognizing and relieving unnecessary tension. 1
Raise and drop your shoulders, allowing gravity to pull them toward the ground. Remember the feeling of hanging the shoulders to avoid the typical tendency of many violinists to raise their shoulders when they intend to play expressively.
Raise your arms and let them fall, making sure you are not inhibiting their drop at any point while they fall, to experience how it feels to let go of any unnecessary tension.
Play the violin lying on your back on a yoga mat, with your knees up to help prevent raising the shoulders and any unnecessary neck tension (Figure 1).
Play with your head off of the violin/chinrest to experience how it feels not to press down with your chin.
Speak while playing to make sure you are not tightening your jaw.
Place you right elbow on a piano, stand, or platform. Enjoy not needing to hold up your arm. Let go of any tension in your shoulders and behind your shoulder blades. Move your forearm freely (Figure 2).
Ask someone to hold up either of your arms by cradling your elbow with their hands to receive feedback on whether or not you are truly letting all of the tension go.
Have someone take control of your hand and move it in any direction. Allow the movement without interference or resistance to learn how to allow free movement.
Wiggle each elbow left and right/up and down while in playing position to check the range of motion and to make sure you allow movement.
Cup the inside of your right armpit with your left hand. Move your right arm in all directions to check that the muscles your hand is squeezing do not contract involuntarily.
Bend your knees slightly while playing. It is more difficult to tighten the body if the legs are bent.
Practice without your thumb touching the neck of the violin to make sure that you are not tightening it.
Practice while squatting with you back flat against the wall to feel the support of the floor and the wall, as well as to avoid overarching your back.
While you play, move up and down by bending your legs or rotate your hips to make sure you are flexible and allow movement in your lower body.
Play the violin lying on your back on a yoga mat, with your knees up to help prevent raising the shoulders and any unnecessary neck tension.
Place your right elbow on a platform. Enjoy not needing to hold up your arm. Let go of any tension in your shoulders and behind your shoulder blades. Move your forearm freely.
There are numerous methods to approach similar goals. Besides the Alexander Technique, many musicians also practice the Feldenkrais Method or use “Body Mapping” (B. Conable and Conable 1998). Others, including Menuhin (1972), preferred yoga. Paul Rolland (1990) developed his own method to eliminate tension where awareness and movement is the antidote to unnecessary tension.
Preventing the counterproductive habits discussed in this article can promote calm and confidant playing while reducing unnecessary tension and pain. Furthermore, using the Alexander Technique-inspired inhibition exercises mentioned above, as well as those in my recent articles for the Strad Magazine (Cotik 2016, 2017a, 2017b, 2017c), can lead to a freer and more spontaneous way of playing rather than an automatic one—allowing musicians to further develop their technique and get closer to their musical ideals. It is not about trying hard to be musical, but rather allowing the music to speak for itself without getting in the way.
Footnotes
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Tomas Cotik (