Effectiveness of a brief body-oriented intervention on muscle activities when playing the violin

Violin performance requires highly complex sensorimotor coordination, resulting in specific playing techniques and individual ergonomic strategies. Despite this adaptability, violinists frequently experience musculoskeletal problems, particularly involving muscle fatigue and overuse. A better understanding of muscle activities during violin performance and approaches to reduce muscular load remains necessary.

This study investigated the effects of a brief body-oriented intervention based on the Feldenkrais Method on muscle activity and movement patterns during violin performance.

Fourteen violinists performed a musical excerpt while upper-limb kinematics, violin position, and electromyographic (EMG) activity of selected shoulder and arm muscles were recorded. Measurements were obtained at three time points: (1) baseline, (2) following a 30-min rest period, and (3) after a 45-min Feldenkrais-based intervention. Participants also reported the presence of playing-related musculoskeletal complaints.

The EMG activity values decreased across the three measurements in all muscle groups. However, the muscle activity of some muscle groups, including the forearm flexor muscles on both sides and the left biceps, decreased after the pause, while the muscle activity of other muscle groups, including both upper trapezius muscles and the right biceps, decreased after the intervention. The range of motion in the right arm remained unchanged across the measurements. The analysis of the violin positioning identified four distinct playing types based on the violin height (high: scroll at shoulder level; low: scroll at breast level) and angle relative to the frontal plane (approximately 20° or 45°). Certain muscle activation patterns differed between these playing types. Violinists playing in a lower violin position reported shoulder and neck complaints more frequently than those performing in higher playing positions.

Although the short rest period reduced activity in several muscles, the Feldenkrais-based intervention provided additional reductions in muscles that did not respond to rest alone, particularly the upper trapezius muscles, a region commonly associated with playing-related pain in violinists. The findings suggest that approaches based on body-oriented interventions are necessary to selectively reduce muscular load during violin performance. Those interventions help optimize muscle function and potentially reduce the risk of long-term musculoskeletal problems.