Monday, 23 March 2015

Stretches



During piano practises I noticed my hands were starting to ache and cause my pain, also that I was unable to stretch my fingers as far as I would like. Due to this I looked into hand and arm stretches to help me overcome these difficulties, this is what I found.

Stretching exercises should be done when the muscles are warm. For example, stretches can be done after a shower, after a bath or after performing some light exercises. Musicians should always stretch prior to practicing. They should also take regular breaks when practicing to stretch. For example, stretches can be done before switching to a new piece or after practicing a physically challenging section of music. Musicians should also stretch prior to performing and in between performances.

1 Finger Flicks
Purpose: Prevent Tendinitis and Trigger Finger, relieve tension and increase blood circulation in the hands.

2 Wrist Circles
 Purpose: Prevent Tendinitis, relieve tension and increase blood circulation in the wrists

3 Forearm Flexor Stretch
Purpose: Prevent Tendinitis in the elbow and forearm, relieve tension and increase blood circulation
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4 Single Arm Forearm Flexor Stretch
Purpose: Prevent Tendinitis in the elbow and forearm, relieve tension and increase blood circulation.
(Arca, 2013)

These techniques have allowed me to practise for longer without my hands becoming tired, it has meant I have more use of my time and have been able to achieve more.

Queen

When looking into 70's music I found the Queen were very iconic and decided to look into their music. Each of Queens songs are very different and they have experimented with many different styles within rock. There songs are very complex, besides vocal harmonies, Queen were also known for multi-tracking voices to imitate the sound of a large choir through overdubs. This is clearly heard in 'Bohemian Rhapsody' which is a song made up of several sections creating a gradual climax into a guitar solo, this is one of Queen's most famous songs. Linking my group work and individual work together I decided to learn part of this song on piano as from this exam I would really like to push myself into creating a piece on piano.

This video is taken of me playing the song when I first learnt it, so it needs lots of practise.