Ask Harry Wimmer



Q & A#3
a
  Q.I find myself sitting for hours practicing, rehearsing and playing concerts.
What can I do about my lower backaches?

A.'Cellists are a chair-bound species. Of necessity we sit, sometimes
for hours at a time. Therefore we must find a sitting posture that
provides a foundation of comfort, flexibility, strength and endurance
for hours of varied playing. Sitting well is just as important for
cellists (and pianists) as is the proper stance for actors, singers and,
yes, violinists on stage.

The main object should be to SIT LOOSELY, YET NOT SLOUCHED BACK,
EXPECTANTLY, YET NOT RIGIDLY.

Find a sturdy, full-sized straight chair. Sit down solidly on the
forward part of the chair. Now pull your feet back toward the chair,
toes slightly apart with heels touching (making the letter "V") until
you can lean on the balls of your feet (with the heels off the floor).

Continue with the following exercise from Master Lesson 1 of The Joy of Cello Playing.

The Rider: To Find a Good Sitting Posture _ This exercise from Master Lesson 1 of The Joy of Cello Playing book series by Harry Wimmer draws the analogy of sitting loosely in the saddle while riding a horse.
Copyright©1986 by Harry Wimmer

If you found this posture exercise helpful, you might want to
reexamine how you hold your cello:
See The Joy of Cello Playing, Master Lesson 1
 Master Lesson 1 available online from: sharmusic.com

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This site created and maintained by Harry Wimmer (hwimmer@wimmercello.com). Thanks to Shirley Givens (sgivens@peabody.jhu.edu)
for her imaginative illustrations. Thanks to Kevin Wimmer (kwimmer@aol.com) for his selfless and expert assistance.
Design and content ©1999 - 2006 by Harry Wimmer. Artwork ©1999 by Shirley Givens.
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