Music
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Hi guys! I am at sixth-form college, and was just practising for an "intimate cabaret evening" we're putting on this Thursday, and I just wondered if any of you guys play a musical instrument? I play clarient (and sax :cool: but I'm not very good at that yet) at about (in Britain) grade 6/7. Just wondered, ya know. Oh - like the Christmassy logo for the site Chris! cheers, Andrew.
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Hi guys! I am at sixth-form college, and was just practising for an "intimate cabaret evening" we're putting on this Thursday, and I just wondered if any of you guys play a musical instrument? I play clarient (and sax :cool: but I'm not very good at that yet) at about (in Britain) grade 6/7. Just wondered, ya know. Oh - like the Christmassy logo for the site Chris! cheers, Andrew.
I've played guitar for the past 12 years, gave up in Feb. ( just before I got my first coding job ) because the amount of PC time I spend nowadays means the second I start to play I get severe cramping in my arms and shoulders, especially the left. Does anyone have any advice for dealing with strain injuries/aches and pains obviously caused by a life at the keyboard ? Christian The content of this post is not necessarily the opinion of my yadda yadda yadda. To understand recursion, we must first understand recursion.
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Hi guys! I am at sixth-form college, and was just practising for an "intimate cabaret evening" we're putting on this Thursday, and I just wondered if any of you guys play a musical instrument? I play clarient (and sax :cool: but I'm not very good at that yet) at about (in Britain) grade 6/7. Just wondered, ya know. Oh - like the Christmassy logo for the site Chris! cheers, Andrew.
My principal instrument is baritone/euphonium... I'm not sure if that means much anymore. I make it back to college each year for homecoming to play in the Alumni Band but that's about it for playing these days. I also play trumpet, trombone, tuba, piano, and sing. Of course those days of pure musical joy been mostly replaced by this keyboard.
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Hi guys! I am at sixth-form college, and was just practising for an "intimate cabaret evening" we're putting on this Thursday, and I just wondered if any of you guys play a musical instrument? I play clarient (and sax :cool: but I'm not very good at that yet) at about (in Britain) grade 6/7. Just wondered, ya know. Oh - like the Christmassy logo for the site Chris! cheers, Andrew.
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Hi guys! I am at sixth-form college, and was just practising for an "intimate cabaret evening" we're putting on this Thursday, and I just wondered if any of you guys play a musical instrument? I play clarient (and sax :cool: but I'm not very good at that yet) at about (in Britain) grade 6/7. Just wondered, ya know. Oh - like the Christmassy logo for the site Chris! cheers, Andrew.
I do some piano playing, plus I sing in choruses and compose. I find it keeps one quite busy, but it's only because otherwise the programming would drive me insane!
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Hi guys! I am at sixth-form college, and was just practising for an "intimate cabaret evening" we're putting on this Thursday, and I just wondered if any of you guys play a musical instrument? I play clarient (and sax :cool: but I'm not very good at that yet) at about (in Britain) grade 6/7. Just wondered, ya know. Oh - like the Christmassy logo for the site Chris! cheers, Andrew.
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I've played guitar for the past 12 years, gave up in Feb. ( just before I got my first coding job ) because the amount of PC time I spend nowadays means the second I start to play I get severe cramping in my arms and shoulders, especially the left. Does anyone have any advice for dealing with strain injuries/aches and pains obviously caused by a life at the keyboard ? Christian The content of this post is not necessarily the opinion of my yadda yadda yadda. To understand recursion, we must first understand recursion.
Yeah - I've played guitar for 11 years, since I was 8, and I get hand cramp when playing bar chords for ages - I normally resort to first positions chords. No problem with anything else though, but I did have trouble with the Cello for the same reason - hand cramp. I've been using computers since I was around 7, so it could be something to do with RSI. Berkut
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Hi guys! I am at sixth-form college, and was just practising for an "intimate cabaret evening" we're putting on this Thursday, and I just wondered if any of you guys play a musical instrument? I play clarient (and sax :cool: but I'm not very good at that yet) at about (in Britain) grade 6/7. Just wondered, ya know. Oh - like the Christmassy logo for the site Chris! cheers, Andrew.
Guitars. Drooooool. I taught myself to play about 4 years ago (at the grand old age of 25 ... I wish I'd started as a teen!). I'm not much more than an enthusiastic strummer, but I love to play. I seem to be going through a massive Beatles phase at the moment (after years of not being bothered) and I can't put my acoustic down. I also work from home, and at lunchtime I pick up a guitar and strum for an hour ... magic!
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I've played guitar for the past 12 years, gave up in Feb. ( just before I got my first coding job ) because the amount of PC time I spend nowadays means the second I start to play I get severe cramping in my arms and shoulders, especially the left. Does anyone have any advice for dealing with strain injuries/aches and pains obviously caused by a life at the keyboard ? Christian The content of this post is not necessarily the opinion of my yadda yadda yadda. To understand recursion, we must first understand recursion.
You've had to give up playing guitar? Man, that is really tragic - I bet after 12 years you're pretty good too. I would be GUTTED if I had to stop playing. About 6 months ago I started getting severe bouts of "pins and needles" down my left arm, but mainly in my hand. I noticed that if I just touched a certain spot on my elbow, I would get shooting pains. I spoke to my boss, and he suggested I see a consultant. One x-ray later, and it was obvious that there was some nerve damage (scar tissue) that was causing the nerve to stretch and cause the pain. I also had this habit of resting my elbows on the hard plastic arms of my chair when typing - and the consultant seemed to think this was relevant, as the nerve damage was accumulative. So, instead of a nasty operation which involves moving the nerve around to the other side of the arm (3 weeks in a sling), he said I should dump the chair for one with no arms. He also recommended keeping the arm straight when sleeping, sitting in front of the TV, etc. so the nerve could heal. Lo and behold, 3 months later, I havent had so much as a twinge.
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Hi guys! I am at sixth-form college, and was just practising for an "intimate cabaret evening" we're putting on this Thursday, and I just wondered if any of you guys play a musical instrument? I play clarient (and sax :cool: but I'm not very good at that yet) at about (in Britain) grade 6/7. Just wondered, ya know. Oh - like the Christmassy logo for the site Chris! cheers, Andrew.
I played the saxophone (alto, plus a little soprano) for twelve years, but I've kind of dropped it. I was pretty good back in the day (I'm 24), but I'm probably a bit rusty now. I tried jazz for a while, but was never all that good. I whip it out (my saxophone, that is) every six months or so to see if I've still got it, but other than that, my beautiful Selmer Mark VI languishes in its case. I've wanted to play guitar like Leo Kottke for a while now, but I really need lessons to even get halfway decent. Unfortunately, between work, school, and EMS, I don't really have the time. Oh well! Nick
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I've played guitar for the past 12 years, gave up in Feb. ( just before I got my first coding job ) because the amount of PC time I spend nowadays means the second I start to play I get severe cramping in my arms and shoulders, especially the left. Does anyone have any advice for dealing with strain injuries/aches and pains obviously caused by a life at the keyboard ? Christian The content of this post is not necessarily the opinion of my yadda yadda yadda. To understand recursion, we must first understand recursion.
Does anyone have any advice for dealing with strain injuries/aches and pains obviously caused by a life at the keyboard? First, see a doctor to make sure the source of the pain isn't serious (like nerve damage, as someone mentioned below). The way to get yourself healthy again is to sit correctly. You should have a chair with padded arms. Rest your elbows (the sides of your elbows, not the points) on the arms and hold your hands out with your forearms parallel to the ground. See where your hands are? That's where the keyboard needs to be. If it's higher or lower, it's in the wrong position. A split keyboard (like the MS Natural keyboards) also helps keep your wrists straight. I learned all about this stuff after getting numbness in my left hand - turns out I had my keyboard _way_ too high and it was damaging a nerve or two. Once I got my desk set up right, it went away after 2-3 weeks. Unfortunately it seems like I'm really sensitive, after working for years in the wrong position, because if I sit at a desk that's not set up right, I feel it in my hands after about only an hour. --Mike-- http://home.inreach.com/mdunn/ "That probably would've sounded more commanding if I wasn't wearing my yummy sushi pajamas." --Buffy
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Does anyone have any advice for dealing with strain injuries/aches and pains obviously caused by a life at the keyboard? First, see a doctor to make sure the source of the pain isn't serious (like nerve damage, as someone mentioned below). The way to get yourself healthy again is to sit correctly. You should have a chair with padded arms. Rest your elbows (the sides of your elbows, not the points) on the arms and hold your hands out with your forearms parallel to the ground. See where your hands are? That's where the keyboard needs to be. If it's higher or lower, it's in the wrong position. A split keyboard (like the MS Natural keyboards) also helps keep your wrists straight. I learned all about this stuff after getting numbness in my left hand - turns out I had my keyboard _way_ too high and it was damaging a nerve or two. Once I got my desk set up right, it went away after 2-3 weeks. Unfortunately it seems like I'm really sensitive, after working for years in the wrong position, because if I sit at a desk that's not set up right, I feel it in my hands after about only an hour. --Mike-- http://home.inreach.com/mdunn/ "That probably would've sounded more commanding if I wasn't wearing my yummy sushi pajamas." --Buffy
Thanks for the advice - I certainly have not been sitting the way you recommend. I'll be starting today :) Christian The content of this post is not necessarily the opinion of my yadda yadda yadda. To understand recursion, we must first understand recursion.
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Hi guys! I am at sixth-form college, and was just practising for an "intimate cabaret evening" we're putting on this Thursday, and I just wondered if any of you guys play a musical instrument? I play clarient (and sax :cool: but I'm not very good at that yet) at about (in Britain) grade 6/7. Just wondered, ya know. Oh - like the Christmassy logo for the site Chris! cheers, Andrew.
I play:- synth (not good at keyboard instruments) guitar (had to give that up mainly due to RSI/WRULD, play now and again) mandolin (started when I gave up the guitar). LOvely instrument whistle recorder a strange turkish wind instrument with an unknown name. gaita (spanish bagpipe, very happy sounding) in C (Do) major and D (Re) major tenor banjo 5 string banjo (at a push, god awful tuning). I'd quite like a clarient, haven'ty got around to getting one. I'd also like a hurdy gurdy and quite a few more bagpipes (asturian, english, swedish and uillean) No drum-related instruments That enough for you? Stephen Kellett :)
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I've played guitar for the past 12 years, gave up in Feb. ( just before I got my first coding job ) because the amount of PC time I spend nowadays means the second I start to play I get severe cramping in my arms and shoulders, especially the left. Does anyone have any advice for dealing with strain injuries/aches and pains obviously caused by a life at the keyboard ? Christian The content of this post is not necessarily the opinion of my yadda yadda yadda. To understand recursion, we must first understand recursion.
I got RSI in 1994 and luckily found a great therapist that helped me recover. The key thing was that she showed me many exercises to do that involved stretching. She also showed me how to sit properly and walk properly. What? I was 28 years old and she was teaching me how to sit and walk. Yes really. No one ever gets taught this, everyone thinks it is so obvious. I now find it virtually impossible to look at someone without noticing if they take care of their posture. RSI/WRULD is not just an overuse problem. It is worsened by poor posture. If you can rectify your posture and take sensible breaks (many short ones are better than a few long ones, ie: 4, 5 minute breaks are better than 1, 20 minute break over the same work period. So DO take those coffee breaks. And get a proper chair. IT should have:- 5 castors, variable height seat, tilting seat (so that your hips are slightly higher than you knees, it tips your pelvis into a better position) Only have arm rests if they don't get in the way, should be individually height adjustable. Variable height seat back. It should support you from your lower back to your shoulders. If your employer doesn't value you enough to get you one of these, leave them. I own my own chair and take it on each contract if their furniture is not up to scratch. Re: Guitar, try playing when you haven't been coding for a while. The problem with guitar, 5 string banjo and bouzouki is the very long neck, which put a large static load on your fretting hand. The best solution is to find another instrument. I had been playing guitar for about 14 years when I got ill. I hardly play it now, but find that I can play mandolin most of the time. I've also found that I play mandolin far better than I ever played guitar. But thats a different kettle of medium gauge strings. One final thing, if you get diagnosed as having carpal tunnel syndrome, beware:- They can only inject you with cortisone 3 times, after that it starts to damage your bone structure. If they operate on you, you may be out of action for a long time, with no gaurantees. Both of these work on symptoms not cause. Do take the time effort and commit to spending the money with a good hysiotherapist (I don't recommend any other treatment, from my experience. Although as a complement to physiotherapy, Trager would be a good treatment, if you can find a practitioner, it is rather rare...) Stephen Kellett
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You've had to give up playing guitar? Man, that is really tragic - I bet after 12 years you're pretty good too. I would be GUTTED if I had to stop playing. About 6 months ago I started getting severe bouts of "pins and needles" down my left arm, but mainly in my hand. I noticed that if I just touched a certain spot on my elbow, I would get shooting pains. I spoke to my boss, and he suggested I see a consultant. One x-ray later, and it was obvious that there was some nerve damage (scar tissue) that was causing the nerve to stretch and cause the pain. I also had this habit of resting my elbows on the hard plastic arms of my chair when typing - and the consultant seemed to think this was relevant, as the nerve damage was accumulative. So, instead of a nasty operation which involves moving the nerve around to the other side of the arm (3 weeks in a sling), he said I should dump the chair for one with no arms. He also recommended keeping the arm straight when sleeping, sitting in front of the TV, etc. so the nerve could heal. Lo and behold, 3 months later, I havent had so much as a twinge.
PAin in the elbows, typically epicondylitis. Inflamation of the epicondyl. Which is where your tendons and muscles join your bone. Pain in the nerves often caused by nerve compression. A good treatment are a series of stretches. I was given a load of stretches to do called 'adverse mechnical tension' or AMT. Find a physiotherapist and ask them about AMT. If they don't know about it, find a different one. You need a physio specialising in this sort of thing. The physio that sorted me out, she specialised in backs and in RSI. Cheers Stephen Kellett (disclaimer, I'm not a physio, just someone who benefitted greatly from their treatment, I code for a living).
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I play:- synth (not good at keyboard instruments) guitar (had to give that up mainly due to RSI/WRULD, play now and again) mandolin (started when I gave up the guitar). LOvely instrument whistle recorder a strange turkish wind instrument with an unknown name. gaita (spanish bagpipe, very happy sounding) in C (Do) major and D (Re) major tenor banjo 5 string banjo (at a push, god awful tuning). I'd quite like a clarient, haven'ty got around to getting one. I'd also like a hurdy gurdy and quite a few more bagpipes (asturian, english, swedish and uillean) No drum-related instruments That enough for you? Stephen Kellett :)
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PAin in the elbows, typically epicondylitis. Inflamation of the epicondyl. Which is where your tendons and muscles join your bone. Pain in the nerves often caused by nerve compression. A good treatment are a series of stretches. I was given a load of stretches to do called 'adverse mechnical tension' or AMT. Find a physiotherapist and ask them about AMT. If they don't know about it, find a different one. You need a physio specialising in this sort of thing. The physio that sorted me out, she specialised in backs and in RSI. Cheers Stephen Kellett (disclaimer, I'm not a physio, just someone who benefitted greatly from their treatment, I code for a living).
I also forgot to say about chairs:- When choosing the height of your chair, ignore your desk. Set the chair up so that the angle between your lower leg and upper leg is just great than 90'. This will setup the correct height and put a suitable tip on your pelvis so that you will sit with an S shaped spine, as opposed to slump with a C shaped spine. Once you've sorted your chair out, adjust the desk to suit you sitting in the chair. Someone else's advice here about keyboards is correct. Your wrists should straight when viewd from above and from the side. Monitor should be on a stand or bricks/whatever so that the top fo the monitor is roughly level with your eyes. Bottom of the monitor should be 15' or less angle from aline from your eyes to the top of the monitor. Chair seat depth should be such that you can just get 4 fingers between the back of your leg and the front of the seat. This gives you freedom and support. Its very prescriptive, I know, but allows a different solution from each individual. Seriously this works, how many people do you know, that get RSI so bad they stop driving, have to use 2 hands to hold a pint of beer, and have hands that are blue (and painful) all the time? And still have a job? Right, well that was me, 6 years later I work for myself. If you are in trouble with RSI, following just some of this advice will help you. There is more to it than this, but this is not the appropriate place. Regards Stephen Kellett