I hope someone who reads this may be able to offer me some advice. I started playing arrangers about 4 years ago. I love it! I am confident that (with more practice) I will be ready to start gigging w/my keys and/or my sax. OK - I have started to develop some pretty serious pain in my back right below the shoulder blades. It seems to "burn" when I am leaning over my PSR 3K with my arms extended. I have the 3K sitting on an adjustable stand (it's a QUIK-LOK double braced adjustable height).... I have the stand adjusted so I have to lean slightly forward over the keyboard, so I realize I'm "somewhat slouching"... However, to see the display on the 3K, I have to tower over it somehow...maybe I need a higher chair, I'm sitting on a regular piano bench right now...

Has anyone experienced this kind of ache from playing your boards? I must admit, on weekends, I play almost non-stop... but this weekend I had to take breaks today because my back is aching.

HELP! I don't want to play "less" and taking 4 MOTRIN's at a pop is not good for me either...

Thanks in advance to any and all who offer me some assistance! You guys are GREAT!

Randy

Slouching is not a good thing to do. It will give you the back problem you are talking about and also will fatigue your entire body. I can tell you this from my own personal experience as well as from observing my students.

I use an organ bench. It is higher than a piano bench. But it all depends how high your keyboard is.

Main thing is you either need to sit higher and/or lower your keyboard.

Once you experiment finding a better relationship between the keyboard and your bench, experiment moving the bench in different positions closer to the keyboard than normal and gradually move the bench away until you find a comfortable spot where you can sit straight. Once you've done that try to find your center of balance by tilting a little forward and then try tilting backward.

With a little experimenting doing this you will locate your center of balance and be able to play for hours.

I used this to correct one students problem who had a very bad back problem. She was older and had deteriorating vertebrae. She could only play for 15 minutes and had to stop. She was going to give up playing because the pain was unbearable.

I had her go through the above series of movements and we found her center of balance which allowed her to be comfortable sitting at the organ.

I talked to her a couple days later and she was so happy that she was now able to play a few hours at a time.

Hope this helps.

Best
Scott Langholff
http://ScottLMusic.com

Hi Randy

Hey, I just noticed you're from Niceville. I live in Pensacola. I have students who live in Niceville.

Best
Scott

Randy,

Most high back pain is usually the result of posture, essentually your position in relation to the keyboard. First, a standard piano bench doesn't provide you with any support at all, and it's likely too low for performing while still maintaining good eye contact with your audiences.

I've been using the Quiklok D-749 for about two years and my upper back no longer experiences the pains you described.

It provides the correct height in relation to the keyboard so your forearms are horizontal while your biceps are vertical, which is the preferable position. It also provides much needed support for your lower back, which also takes a beating using a standard piano bench type seat. The D-749 is full adjustable and has a foot rest as well.

Cheers,

Gary

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Travlin' Easy

Hey Scott - sounds like you have the expertise I was hoping to find! Even though I'm now in my 50's, I can still play a tenor standing up for several hours without any problems.... I played a gig on Friday and then started the keyboard Saturday AM - next thing I knew my back was hurting. So I'm pretty sure you're right on the money. I noticed today that I had pain having my arms extended...

Sooo... I am going to reset my stand height and see if I can bring the board up to where I can sit upright - not sure how this will impact my screen on the 3K. I'll let you know - but I REALLY appreciate your response! I just took a Hydrocodone and 4 200 mg Motrin's! But I am getting better on my board! HA HA!

By the way, we are only 50 miles or so apart.. I live in Niceville. I would like to come to one of your gigs sometime..I can bring my sax along too!

Thanks again Scott for the GREAT advice - and I look forward to meeting you in person.... soon!

Randy

Hey Gary - thanks so much for the tip on the seat! I am going to check into getting one of those - I agree, the bench I have seems low and with no back support, and playing for hours on end (can't seem to quit playing that thing!) I always end up "limping away" from the board!

I am NOT going to play another song til I move the height on the stand...and I am going to get a chair w/back support in there. I'm also going to check out the QUIK-LOK chair - it looks like "Just what the doctor ordered"...

Thanks again for the great tip and your time!

Randy

Hi Randy, I concur with Scott & Gary. Mine isn't as fancy as Gar's, but I use a high stool as well, and a double braced keyboard stand that's adjusted to the correct height, relative to the stool, and am no longer suffering the similar back pain I had to yours. I'm confident once you make the suggested changes, you're going to feel alot better and play better too. Good luck. - Scott

I play four hours a night almost every night and the correct position is essential.
I have used a draftsman type stool I got at Office Depot years ago. It has a back, swivels, adjusts up and down and has rollers, so I don't have to carry it. I would sooner lose my keyboard than my stool! I actually vary the height during the night to change positions.
DonM

Scott and Don - thanks again for the great advice. I wanted some reassurance that it was indeed my playing that was "killing me"... sounds like several of you have been there - so I am very glad I checked on here. I am going to invest in a good chair w/backrest and get my stand adjusted. I may wear my back support - just to help remind me to "not be a slouch".

Thanks again for the help! I have to tell you guys that I have played a lot of gigs w/my sax and I truly love playing the sax - but to be honest, I really love to play the arranger and look forward to taking it along to "my first gig playing both" (which may be in a month or so).

Thanks again so much for the advice!
Randy

I too have to take some care to avoid posture problems giving me grief. Stooping is an absolute no-no!

Since I had to retire my old Ensoniq SD1 I've been using the 3k on its own; and in the resulting lower location I have some trouble looking down at the display. I am thinking about using a small LCD (TFT) screen driven off the 3k video output that I could position at a more comfortable location.