Archive for December, 2010

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Relax, Don’t Do It

December 12, 2010
by The Brehms Blogger

Avoid tension.  Very few musicians think about it until they hear a nasty pop in their wrist.  Ask Vito Bratta about that.  A good warm–up can help prevent serious injury, so start with some stretching and then move on to some scales and arpeggios.  Avoid playing really hard songs “cold.”  Keep your music, metronome, tuner, etc. within your reach to prevent twisting your body, and keep your practice space well lit to avoid eye strain.

If you are not sure if your technique is problematic, take a mental snapshot to see if you voluntarily tense up your jaw, neck, shoulders, or another part of your body.  One you identify where you are tensing up, invest the time to correct the problem.  Always attempt to support your body weight evenly as you play.  Loosen your grip once in awhile to avoid excessive tension in the knuckles or wrist.  Be patient and take frequent breaks to prevent tension from building up.  Small adjustments in your playing habits can go a long way to preventing injury.  Shorter, more frequent practice sessions are easier on your body than marathon practices once a week.

Your equipment can also cause trouble.  If you play a stringed instrument, try lighter–gauge strings or consider lowering the action.  Always use a comfortable strap, and find a gig bag with backpack–style straps to distribute weight evenly.  If you have to transport an amp or PA to gigs, invest in a small dolly.

Listen to your body.  When your arms are feeling tired and strained from playing – stop and rest.  When your back and neck are starting to ache – take a break.  When your throat is starting to get sore – take a breather.  Practice makes perfect, but too much practice can be potentially dangerous.  Take regular breaks, pace yourself do not force yourself.

Do not ignore the warning signs.  If you fear you are in danger of injury or have injured yourself, don’t wait, consult a doctor immediately.  Most injuries are treated easily when caught early.  The most difficult time in my professional life happened during a 9 month stay overseas.  I wanted so badly to improve my playing.  I practiced and practiced for hours on end without even the tiniest break.  When I did finally stop playing the guitar (usually to eat something unhealthy) I compounded the issue by hopping over to my computer and sliding the mouse around for hours and hours.  I never rested, moving back and forth from one to the other.  Then one day I realized I couldn’t hold a fork to eat.  The growing numbness in my hand had progressed to the point of complete failure.  I was diagnosed with a combination of tendinitis and the more common nerve entrapment syndrome, carpal tunnel.  My level of discomfort was steep enough to warrant my arm in a sling and various forms of rehabilitation for six months.

The rehab process was tedious and slow, but I learned a lot.  For instance, carpal tunnel is a specialized example of subluxation.  The hand has many nerves that travel in and out of a tunnel of bones forming the wrist (these bones being the carpals.)  This delicate system of nerves can become entrapped, compressed, and pinched with the slightest misalignment of the carpal bones.  Tendinitis on the other hand, is really a description of the symptom and not the cause.  Tendinitis is an inflammation, and can be “minimized” by locating the nerves that are blocked and/or the nutritional problems causing it.

Oftentimes  the life of a musician can be a world of stress and stimulation.  This stress – whether physical, mental, emotional, or chemical – first stops at the adrenal glands and makes them overactive.  Your body’s adrenal glands sit atop each of your kidneys and produce a very powerful chemical called adrenaline.  In times of stress your body uses this chemical to help keep up with what your brain is telling it to do.  Eventually, without proper nutrition, stress burns out the adrenal glands and your body cannot keep up.

I often made the mistake of fueling my body with junk food, not getting enough sleep, all the while working under high-pressure situations.  Turns out my adrenal glands were blown out and highly deficient in B and C-vitamins.   Nowadays I make a habit of eating a decent breakfast and taking my vitamins.  Turns out Mom was right all along.

Remember, prevention and attention are the keys to avoiding tension.  If you take your vitamins, rest, and lighten up (your grip), there is a good chance you will prevent injuries and ensure you will be able to play your instrument as much as you like.

- The Brehms Blogger
staffwriter@bluelogicentertainment.com

: Gear, health, Inspiration, Technique
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Getting On My Nerves

December 12, 2010
by The Brehms Blogger

Many musicians have experienced the tight hands, muscle strain, or fatigue from playing too much in an intense workshop or marathon practice session.  Playing an instrument is a complex, physical activity–just ask any novice guitarist who has yet to build up calluses or is still fumbling with barre chords.  But few musicians think about the physicality of playing their instrument until an injury like tendinitis or carpal tunnel makes it uncomfortable or impossible to play.  Fortunately these injuries are often preventable with some planning and awareness.  As a guitarist with carpal tunnel (over ten years now), I can offer a personal perspective on the subject, but in no way should this substitute for medical advice.  If you are experiencing pain or continual discomfort, see a doctor who has experience diagnosing playing-related injuries.

Most playing–related injuries fall under the following categories:

Cumulative Trauma syndromes.  Usually caused by repetitive motion and occur mainly in the wrist and forearm.  Symptoms include fatigue, tenderness, pain, swelling, numbness, and lack of control.  The most common cumulative traumas are tendinitis (inflammation of the tendons), epicondylitis (inflammation of the area near the elbow), and bursitis (inflammation of a fluid-filled sac near a joint).

Nerve Entrapment syndromes.  If you work at a computer (most of us do), you’re probably familiar with the most common nerve entrapment syndrome:  carpal tunnel, which is caused by the pressure on the median nerve in your wrist.  Symptoms of nerve entrapment syndromes include pain, numbness, weakness, and tingling (a “pins and needles” sensation).

Thoracic Outlet syndrome. The nerves behind the collarbone (the lower brachial plexus) originate in your neck and connect to your arms and hands.  When those nerves become compressed, you may feel pain, weakness, or numbness in your arm or hand.

Focal dystonia.  Poor posture, awkward body positioning, and holding your breath while you play can lead to an abnormal spasm of isolated muscle groups.

“If it hurts, don’t do it.”  You have heard that one before.  I chose to ignore this primitive but plausible advice.  Before long I was unable to hold a fork, and forced into rehab.  Arm in a sling for 6 months, my disposition was intolerable at best.  Before seeking treatment I had convinced myself the early symptoms were a sign of weak hands and I needed to practice harder and “muscle” through the pain.  Do not do this!

On the flip side, your playing might not be the problem.  I once know this amazing classical player with incredible technique who suddenly experienced wrist pain after playing for years without mishap.  When I asked what else he was doing, he told me he was a computer programmer and was spending hours on end (with little sleep) punching keys.  Each of us are different, and sometimes our bodies will respond poorly to common, everyday situations–driving a car with a standard transmission, wearing tight wristbands (I don’t know how Zakk Wylde does it), or sleeping in the wrong position–can each have a direct impact on your ability to play comfortably.

Next time I promise to offer some prevention techniques I learned over the years.  Sadly, I do still have carpal tunnel, but I have learned to keep it under control without the expensive surgery.  In the meantime, I encourage you to listen to your body and be aware of what it is telling you.  If you ignore it like I did, you may need to borrow my old arm sling.

- The Brehms Blogger
staffwriter@bluelogicentertainment.com

: health, Inspiration, Technique
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Effects

December 12, 2010
by The Brehms Blogger

“You can sure learn a lot when you write music, particularly when searching for effects that will work best for you,” says guitarist and songwriter David L. Brehm.  “When you write music as a means to express yourself, in your own voice–only you know what is supposed to fit within the song structure.  As musicians, we often contemplate what we own in terms of effects and at the same time are asking, ‘How do I make this song happen the way I hear it in my head?’

With a little help from his Pro Tools software, David taps his own creativity by working in his home studio in Dallas, Texas.  “When we first started writing our own material, the ideas came from melodies and various chord progressions, but we wanted to fill out the sound once we started bringing in other instruments.  This led me to try the Eleven Rack to greater enhance my effects options.”

“We really tried hard to create sophisticated yet ‘retro’ orchestrations, particularly on ‘You & Me,’ which we knew had room for greater effects on the bridge section,” says Stephanie.

“Such orchestration typically requires some fancy pedalboard footwork in live settings.  Whether in my solo shows, or during our duo shows,  I loop myself (David uses a Boss RC-50 Loop Station) so I can have something on which to play jazz solos or maybe to add interesting harmonies where solos are not required.”

“Effects need to have a reason to be.” says Stephanie. “David and I don’t agree on everything, but we agree on that.”

-The Brehms Blogger
staffwriter@bluelogicentertainment.com

: Gear, Inspiration
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Its Complicated

December 9, 2010
by The Brehms Blogger

Learning music is a complicated process, involving ideally all of the musician’s primary skills simultaneously.  The ear, the intellect, visual awareness, and physical technique all should blend in perfect harmony during the course of learning and/or performing.  But players often develop certain “comfort zones” that are usually linked directly to their possession, or lack of, the aforementioned skills.  It is very common for a guitar player to learn music strictly by ear.  Many guitar players over-accentuate technique, especially speed, without really listening or paying attention to whether something truly sounds good or not.  This can sometimes leave “gaps” in that player’s musical evolution.

It may seem too simplistic to judge our abilities at whatever we attempt on the basis of acquired time and experience, yet isn’t that what it really amounts to?  It makes sense that if a player is deficient in any area, there is a direct link to the time and experience factor.  Want some examples?

Do you experience performance anxiety?  Well, how often do you perform?  Problems learning music by ear?  How frequently do you try?  Inadequate reading skills?  Do you read on a regular basis?  Insufficient song vocabulary?  Have you learned a new song this week?

Some would say the biggest problem guitar players have is connecting their fingers to their ears.  It is often the last thing that comes natural to a player.  For a saxophone player when you play middle C your fingers go to the same place every time, because there is only one middle C on that instrument.  But on the guitar there are five places it could be, and when you multiply that by how many fingers you could play it with, it gets complicated.

If you are a player, is this the point where you head starts to spin?  I hope not.  Try not to let the logistics of music get a hold on you.  Despite having to wade through all the potential complications, it really all comes back to what counts most, and that remains the sound.

- The Brehms Blogger
staffwriter@bluelogicentertainment.com

: Inspiration, Technique
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