On warming up…

On warming up…

I suppose that writing this post I’m not discovering a New World for anyone. I assume that most musicians already know about the theoretical benefits of warming up, of preparing the body before starting to practice. I write theoretical because the experience tells me that hardly anyone does any kind of body warm up or stretching before starting to play. Only singers have this body routine assumed in their schedules, seldom instrumentalists. Not at least when they are still healthy.

Indeed it is more frequent to see musicians taking more seriously everything concerned with their body, after an injury occurs. Rather than to prevent, these exercises are then seen to heal the harm that it’s done by over practicing or misusing the body. Suddenly the danger is increased. A part from the pain that came from playing, if the exercises are not done with knowledge or care or both, they are not only not going to help, but making the situation worse, increasing not only the physical problem, but adding anxiety and frustration.

Nevertheless it is not my intention to write a devastating post about the horrible consequences of misusing our body when we play an instrument, though it might come another time. But my idea is rather to encourage body stretching and warm up before starting our daily practice routine. We can never forget that our first instrument is ourselves and ourselves means our body as well. Not only hands and fingers (I’m thinking in pianists specially) but also ankles, feet, knees…

Before finishing I would like to recommend the book The MUSICIAN’S BODY by Jaume Rosset I Llobet and George Odam, which I think explains all these matters in detail and it is a specific book written for musicians.

By the way, dancing can be also a fantastic way of relaxing mind and body! Perhaps some salsa after practicing??

Have fun!