Viola – A Free Neck as Part of Technique (Musicians)(Psychology)(Pain)(Strain)(Injuries)(Posture)(Alexander Technique)(Albuquerque)

This ebook, An Alexander Technique Approach to Viola Technique, is published on this website in a PDF format. It is very detailed and practical, and it will give you the physical tools you need to take the limits off of your ability to create the accurate viola technique you want without sacrificing your body.
This ebook is also for sale on all AMAZON websites in a KINDLE format.
Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. (MOVEMENT THERAPY)
What if you bring as much awareness to your neck being free as you play the viola, as you do to how you use your arms and fingers? What I’m talking about here is central, absolutely core to how the Alexander Technique approaches playing the viola.
The Alexander Technique believes that an unlocked neck in playing the viola is central to playing the viola with the ultimate coordination and PREVENTS INJURY.
How does a free neck prevent injuries on the viola? It allows you to play the viola with a released lengthening spine, and this released lengthening spine allows the body to play with its finest coordination. When you play the viola with your finest released coordination, then you are much less likely to FORCE the body to play well, because you are already allowing your body to play well.
What is a free neck? Think about what this means. It is such an obvious statement to say play the viola with a free neck, but I can’t count the times that I’ve asked a new Alexander Technique viola student to play with a free neck, and he or she looks at me not knowing what I’m talking about.
HERE IS A DESCRIPTION OF PLAYING THE VIOLA WITH A FREE NECK. It means that as you play the viola, and I place my hands gently on both sides of your head, that I can easily turn your head and/or move it from side to side.
If I place my hands on sides of the head of a performing violist, and say let me move your head, one of two things usually happens. I can’t move the head, or the violist moves his or her head for me.
In the Alexander Technique we talk about allowing the head to be available for movement as you play the viola. What does this mean? IT MEANS YOU ARE USING THE MINIMAL AMOUNT OF NECK MUSCULATURE TO SUPPORT THE HEAD WITH HIGH DYNAMIC. HIGH DYNAMIC MEANS THE HEAD IS SUPPORTED WITH THE MINIMUM OF MUSCULATURE SUPPORT, BUT NOT FLOPPY AND THE HEAD IS FLOWING UPWARD.
YOUR HEAD AVAILABLE TO BE MOVED WITH AN UPWARD FLOW, IS WHAT INVITES THE SPINE TO LENGTHEN AND CREATES A FREE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM THAT ORGANIZES THE WHOLE BODY ON THE VIOLA. WE CALL THIS ORGANIZED UPWARD FLOW “DIRECTION”.
How do you invite your neck to be free as you play the viola? You gently order it to be free! Just before you play a simple note pattern, you say to yourself, “My neck is free leading my spine into lengthening as I pivot the head onto the chin rest”, and then you play.
What if this doesn’t work? Let me restate the question. What if you can’t tell if this is working? Sit or stand away without the viola, so that you let go of any intention to play the viola. Now, let your head drop forward resting on your chest with no support. Experiment with how little neck muscle it takes to bring your head to fully upright and balancing on your unlocked free neck.
There is also another way to connect to how much tension you have in your neck. Tense your neck as much as you can and then release it. This is an excellent way to bring to your consciousness how much tension you live with in your neck. Simply, there is almost never any reason to do anything with a rigid immobile neck, from viola playing to lifting weights.
One last point, as you play the viola and you become aware of how part of your viola technique a held neck has been, realize that an immobilized neck and head ISN’T necessary to play the viola. MAKE PLAYING WITH AN UNLOCKED NECK PART OF YOUR VIOLA TECHNIQUE.
THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE PRINCIPLE OF NOT DOING SOMETHING AS PART OF YOUR VIOLA TECHNIQUE IS THE GENIUS OF THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE.

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An Alexander Technique Approach to Viola Technique

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Ethan Kind

AUTHOR, TRAINER "When you change old habitual movement patterns with the Alexander Technique, whether in playing a musical instrument, running, weightlifting, walking, or typing at a computer, you create an ease of body use that moves you consistently into the zone." - Ethan Kind Ethan Kind writes and is published extensively on all of the above activities. He teaches musicians, athletes, and computer operators how to stop hurting themselves, by showing them how to use their bodies with ease and coordination. He brings a unique perspective to his work, having been a musician and athlete all of his life. After training for three years at the American Center for the Alexander Technique (New York, NY), Ethan received Professional Certification credentials.