Push straight down on the buttons

[LR71]

I've been playing Anglo (Irish music) for a bit over a year and after a few months I started to get pains in random fingers.  Ice/putting the thing down for a while/playing a bit more gently/not playing for hours on end seemed to help, for a while, but I'd always get aches again.  Which finger would sting seemed pretty random.  Strange to say but when they'd act up I could pick up the button box and start in, and it would mostly feel fine.

 

Yesterday it occurred to me that maybe I was pushing buttons like you do on the box - flattish - and what's the point of doing that on the concertina?  It's not like we slide from button to button.  And sure enough, making sure my fingers were pointed straight down meant that all of sudden the aches and pains are gone, and I'm finding it easier to work the G row, too.

 

 

On his instructional tape/DVD John Williams mentions only pushing from one side as a fault of box players who try and play the concertina, and perhaps this is another.  Hope it's of interest.  

 

[seanc]

I am assuming that you are saying that with your fingers arched and pressing directly down? Rather than your fingers staying straight/ parallel to the ends?
 

that seems to me to make sense. And I suspect is the common way to do it. I would suspect that you’ll find arching the fingers, you are also likely to play considerably cleaner and faster.

but it is really good that you noticed this quickly and corrected. It can be very difficult to unlearn and relearn something once you have that muscle memory imprinted.

 

[wunks]

There are many underlying causes of aches and pains as we age who's onset coincides with our taking up the concertina.  I've only found playing to be therapeutic.  I slip and slide, mash, thumb note, and double-up.... what ever works to get the desired effect;  beyond redemption I reckon....😊

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

Take breaks between playing;  give your hands a rest. Any creative skill is a combination between mind and hand. The brain continues its learning, even when you have a rest for a while.  And so you will still progress, once you begin playing again.  

[seanc]

I am not an orthopedic expert. Or a concertina ergonomics expert. 
 

and I would absolutely defer to experts here. But, proper position and playing is really important in terms of fatigue and preventing issues. And definitely consult someone that is practiced in this area.

 

but I view the concertina much like I do typing on a keyboard or playing a string instrument. In either case arching fingers is important in terms of both playing cleanly as well as preventing fatigue repetitive motion/ stress related issues.

 

If you have been experience pain, twinges, shooting pain etc.. I would really suggest talking to experts.  You don’t want to damage yourself. Or get to the point of carpal tunnel.

 

[Ken_Coles]

What seanc says - arch fingers, don't flex wrists backwards. Some, but not all, of us are prone to problems if we aren't careful about that.

 

Ken, speaking from (painful) experience

[Mic]

When pushing, it’s important to move the bellows with the heel of your hand & not the finger that is pressing the button. I’ve had a problem with this in the past, resulting in finger pain ( mainly index fingers).

[Breve]

I attended a workshop taught by Niamh Ni Charra last year and she stressed the importance of taking care of your hands, wrists and arms. We went through simple massage techniques to relieve tension.