HOW ONE LOOKS, FEELS, AND SOUNDS is inextricably linked when it comes to playing stringed instruments. Good posture is often the easy solution to melding these three pieces. When posture is “good,” bones are properly aligned and joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons are strain-free, promoting movement efficiency and stamina.

Muscles like to be in positions of the least strain and the least effort. Data indicates an increased risk of injury if work necessitates adopting awkward postures, fixed (or held) postures, or stiff body positions. These are undesirable as they load or put stress on joints in an uneven or asymmetrical way. Yet, many times these postures are unavoidable, especially when the nature of work seemingly yields no other options.

But what exactly is good posture and how can players know when they are practicing it? It can be a tricky thing to recognize and often requires breaking a series of bad habits. For string players, risky postures are those that strain necks, torsos, and shoulders. Good posture means all three of these areas are in balance and in the position of least strain.

RISKY POSTURES
Are you a violinist who lowers your head or turns it to one side to hold the instrument? Or are you a cellist who looks down at the fingerboard when you play in thumb position? These behaviors result in strain and tension in the neck. Having to support the head constricts the muscles in the neck and shoulder area, obstructing blood flow and compressing surrounding nerves, many of which extend down the arm. Over time, this tension can bring on disc or nerve problems, headaches, and eye strain.

It is important to keep one’s head erect and neck relaxed. The average head weighs approximately 15 pounds. When a musician tilts, rotates, or cocks his or her head forward or down, the body is holding this weight, and that means additional stress on the cervical spine. It also adds tension and strain to the muscles and tendons in the neck and shoulder area, compressing nerves that originate in the neck and travel down the arm.

It is essential to sit in the position of least strain.

If a musician bends, turns, or twists the torso, or leans forward or backward, he is straining all the muscles and tendons in the back and stressing the spine. Cellists are tempted when playing on the A string to turn their bodies towards that side, inevitably twisting the torso. Violinists may have a tendency to arch the backs and lean back. When players feel tired, they often slump.

These postures are more work for the body because they are unnatural, and holding an unnatural position requires sustained muscle tension. Any leaning makes muscles work harder on one side of the body than the other and over time can cause injury. If you allow your torso to collapse, you may compress discs in the spine, causing a reduction in blood flow to muscles and tendons, which will "starve” the tissue.

Be aware that some wear and tear is inevitable in string-player bodies because holding arms up for long periods of time is absolutely required to play the instruments. Lower your arms often, or whenever you can. Violinists and violists, do you lift your left shoulder when holding your instrument? Cellists, do you raise your shoulders when going into the thumb position?

The forward shoulder position destabilizes the arm during this movement, making its motion more difficult. It is tiring work for the body to lift shoulders. Lifting shoulders also contributes to tension in the trapezius muscles located in the upper back and shoulders. Drooping shoulders, on the other hand, make it difficult to sit upright, resulting in hunched or collapsed chests. Over time, this causes pain and may lead to injury.

Finally, holding arms away from the body at or above shoulder level for long periods of time is tiring and is a position of strain when maintained. Good posture entails keeping shoulders relaxed and down.