I constantly get pain in my left upper back muscle after playing fiddle for a while. I’ve been hearing that I’m not supposed to lift the shoulder, not supposed to crane the neck/clamp down with the chin, and not let the instrument angle downwards. What is the trick to doing all three of these at once without tension?! If I hold up the fiddle with the space in my left hand between the thumb and index, I still get the pain/tension and can’t really slide into notes with my index finger. Even if I just hold the instrument on my shoulder/neck without doing anything with my left arm, I can still feel the tension.
Fiddle Playing Posture
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Shoulder rest! I don’t personally use one, but everyone else does. It really helps with spacing, and if you can find one that’s comfortable, it will really help with that tension
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I do use a shoulder rest; it’s a Kun so I don’t think it itself is the issue. It feels as if it’s not tall enough, but that’s probably just me as it’s full size and I have it at the maximum height.
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It might still not be tall enough, or maybe you need a taller chin rest. There’s enough adjustability of accessories that you should be able to find a comfortable combination
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I’m not sure, it just feels natural to me. So sorry, I can ask my sister she’s a good violinists.
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Yeah I think classical players are more concerned with proper posture than bluegrass players. In this video, Mark O’ Connor has the fiddle angling downwards a bit:
Of course, the whole picture perfect posture and everything doesn’t seem to affect Michael Cleveland too much.
Proper posture - Take you pick
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