Questions tagged [health]
Questions about how playing or listening to music affects a person's mental or physical condition or vice versa, how a state of health affects the ability to play or perform music.
96 questions
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How can I safely extend my vocal range?
What type of vocal exercises should I be looking for?
Are there any temporary influences to the vocal range, like having had a drink?
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35
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14
answers
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Arthritis In Hands (Playing With Pain In Hands) - Are There Recommended Approaches?
I have been playing guitar for 12 years now and I'm 28.
I am under treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis (R.A.) and was wondering if anyone who has R.A., or other pain in their hands, has any approaches ...
bn01
28
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7
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Why does my thumb hurt when I play bar chords?
Certain chords cause my thumb to be sore. How can I play in a way to prevent this?
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Is cold water bad for the throat?
Will cold water affect our throat / voice if we drink it before singing?
Also, in the long run (say if you drink cold water everyday), will cold water cause the throat / voice to be "lousy"?
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Ways to warm up vocal cords?
What are some safe ways to get my vocal cords without over using them before a practice or performance?
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6
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Causes of sharp pain in a fretting finger after playing guitar or bass?
I have been playing guitar and bass for about 20 years now and I have noticed that sometimes, particularly in the last five years, I will do something with my fretting hand that causes a sharp pain in ...
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9
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Can smoking allow a singer to sing in a way a non smoker couldn't?
A lot is said about how singers shouldn't smoke because smoking ruins their voices.
However, there are certain singers known for being smokers who also have a typical hoarse smoky voice. When I listen ...
- 285
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4
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Why can't wearing both ear muffs (whether passive or active) and earplugs simultaneously yield more than 36 dB noise reduction ratio (NRR)?
I read on Wikipedia:
Using both ear muffs (whether passive or active) and earplugs simultaneously results in maximum protection, but the efficacy of such combined protection relative to preventing ...
- 1,597
14
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18
answers
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How can a guitarist treat and avoid lateral epicondylitis in the fretting arm?
I've been playing guitar (both electric and acoustic) pretty seriously for about a year, 2-3 hours a day most days. I couple months ago I developed tendonitis in my fretting arm, which my doctor ...
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9
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Should I worry about painful fingertips?
I just started to learn playing the (electric only for now) guitar, and I love it! I've read on a few pages that it was normal for my fingertips (those that I use on the fret board) to hurt in the ...
- 1,756
13
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How do I know when to stop singing?
Assuming you complete a vocal warmup, I'm wondering how you know when you've overdone it and should stop singing.
Is it normal to feel a bit of strain in the vocal chords? How much strain should you ...
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What instruments can a four-year-old with left-side paralysis begin to learn/hope to ever learn?
My four-year-old sister has tragically suffered left side paralysis from a brain injury. Because she's so young, her brain is remarkably plastic, and a lot of functionality has returned. She can walk, ...
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11
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What to do when we have back pain from playing guitar after a while?
What should I do when I start having back pain every 10min after playing? I sit down and change position but the pain continues. Every player has to support the weight of the guitar if playing ...
- 441
11
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9
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Acoustic guitar: How to stop right index finger nail from wearing away?
My nails tend to chip and crack when playing steel-string acoustic guitar. Cracking and ripping can be kept partially in-check by keeping my nails well-trimmed. However, a far worse problem is that ...
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What can I do to minimize damage to my picking hand wrist as I practice guitar?
My right hand (picking hand) is showing signs of carpal tunnel syndrome, and is slowly, but surely, degrading. I continue to practice guitar, but it's beginning to be difficult to do so.
What can I ...
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5
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Playing trombone with a beard?
I've just picked up trombone, for the first time. I find it really enjoyable to play, but I'm having trouble with my beard and mustache. As far as I can tell, it doesn't affect the sound at all, but ...
- 2,258
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My fingers ache after practice. What can I do about it?
I have played the guitar since 2006 and I had no trouble all that time. Recently I noticed that my fingers ache after practice. What can I do with that?
Bad Horse
10
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3
answers
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What to do? Programming, bass playing and RSI
I am a full time programmer, part time bass player and have recently started suffering from serious repetitive stress injury in my left wrist.
I've adjusted the ergonomics at my work place (and use ...
Choroz
9
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8
answers
15k
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Can Playing Cause Back Pain In Right Shoulder Blade?
At first I thought this injury was related to golf, because it's painful to swing a golf club as well. But I'm beginning to think that playing sitting down for long stretches (4-6 hours) is pulling a ...
- 491
9
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11
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18k
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Fingertip sensitivity/pain related to nail separation
I've been playing for decades. Every now and then I do something that causes a fingertip on my fretting hand to be extremely sensitive — to the point where the slightest pressure causes pain. ...
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9
votes
1
answer
357
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Top-down strokes versus side strokes: what is the most ergonomic drum style between tabla or mridangam/pakhawaj?
Tablas are hand drums that comes by pair which the 2 skins are (nearly) horizontally oriented with the hand moving from top to down, while mridangam/pakhawaj/dol/dolak are hand drums which the 2 skins ...
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8
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7
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Can guitar playing cause stiff fingers?
I've had what I thought was a rock climbing over-use injury on my left hand for a while now, where the fingers on my left hand feel stiff and hurt slightly when I curl them in and the first joints are ...
stoneMonkey77
8
votes
3
answers
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Physical problems during singing
I don't know if this is related to singing specifically, but I noticed that when I am singing and I hit a powerful, held note, pushing all of my vocal power forward (to the point of slightly affecting ...
- 1,254
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How do you prevent injuries from bad posture while playing classical guitar?
I'm tagging this as specific to classical guitar since that's what I am familiar with. The correct posture is very important which playing classical, including the footstool, the position of your ...
user112
7
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3
answers
5k
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Are sweet drinks bad for singing?
I've been told by a high school choral director that drinking sweet drinks, such as soda, before singing is not not healthy/good for the voice. Is this true? If so, why is it bad for you?
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Why does playing the piano give me a pain in the neck?
I have a keyboard set up with a proper stool so my arms are held straight out, with music at eye level - almost identical to how I set up my PC for good posture.
But while I can use the PC all day ...
- 10.1k
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votes
1
answer
3k
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Are there certain foods that harms the throat in the long run?
Are there any food/drinks that, if consumed regularly over a long period of time, would have a permanent negative effect on the throat, and especially the singing voice?
- 1,109
7
votes
3
answers
477
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Wrist, Age and Very Depressed
I'm 60 yo, played guitar my whole life - just not very well. Open chords. 4 years ago, I got serious - 2 hours a day practice - 4 hours on weekends. I play electric blues. I mainly play sitting on ...
7
votes
1
answer
135
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Effect of illness on vocal range
My usual vocal range is F2-A4. During a recent illness, my range was temporarily reduced to F2-C4. Why does throat irritation seem to affect only my high notes?
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Causes of piano finger strain and ways to relieve it
After I practice for a few hours on the piano, I feel a strain in my hands (I don't know if strain is the right word, It doesn't hurt or anything. It actually feels good because I feel like I have ...
- 6,722
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1
answer
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My mandible is abnormal -- can I play the trumpet?
I have retrognathism -- basically, my mandible is a bit "behind" so that my bite doesn't close very well, and so I am a bit toothy.
When I was a kid, I wanted to play the trumpet but I was told by the ...
- 503
6
votes
2
answers
2k
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How often should I renew my custom musician earplugs (silicone)?
I use the Etymotic ER 25 custom musician earplugs (*) when DJing or attending events with loud music. The Etymotic website vaguely says:
Musicians Earplugs are designed to last for many years. ...
- 1,597
6
votes
1
answer
190
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Is it safe to use thumb position in lower positions on cello?
A piece I've been playing has a notation to use the thumb in 2nd position on cello (with thumb on the D-string F# specifically, where first finger would go in normal 2nd position). I tried it out but ...
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1
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How can I achieve maximum hearing protection, beyond custom-fitted earplugs + earmuffs?
I sometimes attend events with very loud music, e.g. Technoparade (> 110dB next to speakers) and at times need to stop listening the music, without having to move. How can I achieve maximum hearing ...
- 1,597
6
votes
1
answer
2k
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Does playing the Jew's harp damage the teeth
When I was a kid I was gifted a Jew's harp. I never formally learned to play it (and also didn't learn to play other instruments, so my knowledge on music theory and on instruments is very limited).
I'...
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In what ways can smoking damage your vocal cords and have irrevocable effects on it?
I was reading this text about "How Is Smoking Bad For Singers" and it says:
While you may feel that smoking helps with performance anxiety, it may damage your vocal cords irrevocably.
And then it ...
- 1,004
5
votes
3
answers
731
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Wrist problems when using the first fret
One perennial problem I've had for as long as I can remember is that any time I play a song that uses the first fret a lot (e.g. the verses for Metallica's "Jump in the Fire" come to mind) I end up ...
Kaji
4
votes
3
answers
6k
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Is it considered bad technique to collapse / lock finger joints?
I am a beginner at guitar. My friend recently told me that bending my fingers this way while playing a chord can cause damage to the fingers. I cant help playing this way because of force of habit.
...
4
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4
answers
3k
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Will nicotine gum (e.g., Nicorette) harm my singing voice?
Since about the age of 30 (I'm 35 now) I have sometimes been addicted to smoking tobacco. I know that smoking tobacco can damage my singing voice--I have experienced this personally. Lately, I had ...
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2
answers
332
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Could the organ I’m selling be a fire hazard?
I have an '80s electronic organ and have agreed to sell it come the end of this week. I dropped something inside it this morning and tried to take it out and noted that the organ is incredibly dusty ...
- 872
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4
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Advice for beginning guitarist for bad fingers
I'm a new guitarist. I just bought my first acoustic guitar two weeks ago, but I have some problems with my fingers.
My pinky is curved, my ring fingertip and middle fingertip are separated (bones ...
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3
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Back hurts after playing piano
I'm learning how to play the piano and after practicing for an hour to an hour and a half my middle to upper back starts to hurt pretty bad. I was wondering if anyone knew what can be done to prevent ...
- 563
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5
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Practice amp for a flute/piccolo
My wife is a fairly accomplished flautist who has recently taken up the piccolo. Already practicing the flute is probably affecting her hearing, and the piccolo promises to be an order of magnitude ...
- 248
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2
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Safe remedies for hoarse voice?
What are the safe remedies to cure a hoarse voice? Are there any safety tips on how to handle the hoarse voice as quick as possible?
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2
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How to deal with hurting fingers (piano)?
I am currently 19 and began playing the piano when I was six - so I have been playing the piano for quite a long time. Last year I began an apprenticeship as an software engineer - so I spend a lot of ...
4
votes
4
answers
420
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Can't stop thinking about fingers
This is a problem I think I have always had, it has just become more apparent to me after a recent OCD diagnosis.
I can't stop thinking about my fingers, especially when playing fast or difficult ...
- 41
4
votes
2
answers
663
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Blisters on Fingers: Double Bass
My band practiced for four hours tonight and I got a blister on my right middle finger, popped it (as I was playing), got another one, and got one on my index finger. We're performing twice tomorrow (...
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3
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569
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Physical fitness and musical performance
Is there a known relationship, either direct or indirect, between physical fitness and musical performance? I haven't been able to find a definitive source or study that confirms my belief that there ...
- 602
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3
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450
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Can I injure my hands by typing or playing guitar too much?
I have been playing fingerstyle guitar for a year now, and I play on average at least an hour daily.
I am also a full time software engineer, so I type a lot.
At the end of the day my fingers hurt ...
- 109
4
votes
4
answers
237
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Playing recorder with bandaged finger
Stupid me decided to drill half-inch holes with a drill-press in a piece of aluminum trying holding the piece with my bare hands. I ended up with a good sized cut on the pad of my left fourth digit ...
- 7,510