By minimizing motion, the Alexander Technique can help guitarists suffering from repetitive stress injury.
Repetitive stress injuries that go beyond simple carpal tunnel syndrome are common with professional performing musicians, especially guitarists. Because of the amount of practice, especially among classical guitarists, stresses and strains are placed on tendons and soft tissue in a guitarist's fingers, hands, wrists and arms. This tension can both transfer to the back and neck and be triggered by changes caused by existing back and neck pain. The Alexander Technique, with its emphasis on efficient motion, especially in the back and neck, can help to alleviate many repetitive stress problems that often result from many hours of sedentary practice.
Posture
The basis of practice and performance without the risk of repetitive stress injuries starts with your basic sitting posture. Your feet should be solidly on the floor to prevent muscle strain in your legs and to keep your back and neck loose and relaxed. If you are a classical guitarist, use a foot rest for your left foot to ensure a relaxed posture. By placing your guitar on your left leg, you are also angling the neck and strings for optimal stress free playing by preventing stresses from your shoulders to adversely affect the alignment and relationship of your neck and back. The Segovia Technique is very similar to the Alexander Technique. One difference, however, is the Alexander Technique's requirement to envision the motion before it is performed. Envision your posture before you sit down.
Left Hand Placement
Your left hand should be relaxed with the meaty portion of your thumb flat against the fingerboard of your guitar's neck. By keeping your wrist relaxed with your thumb flat against the neck, there is less tension in your wrist and less pressure on the tendons as you fret and move your fingers on your guitar's fingerboard. Focus consciously on keeping your arm and hand relaxed, starting with your shoulder and ending with your fingers. This relaxation will encourage more free motion of the back, neck and legs to prevent unnatural tensions that lead to pain or repetitive stress injury. By ensuring a relaxed posture in the arm and shoulder, repetitive stress injuries are reduced as well are chronic pain and discomfort caused by excess stresses in the shoulder triggering tense muscles in the back and neck.
Right Hand Placement
Right hand placement also must be relaxed. Your wrist should be bent slightly to allow for economy of motion, especially if you finger pick or are a classical musician. Finger picking places stress on the tendons in your wrist, and proper pre-visioning of a relaxed playing position and style can reduce this stress. As with your left hand and arm, envision your right hand and arm as being very relaxed, beginning with your shoulder. By maintaining the relaxation of both arms and shoulders, stresses on your neck and back can often be reduced, as will any back and neck pain. This, combined with proper posture, will also help reduce repetitive stress injuries.
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