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Bagpipe Stretching
Similar to athletes, musicians are prone to overuse injuries and need to stay fit to enjoy a long and healthy career. The hand can be of particular concern; painful conditions such as tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome can develop from long hours practicing the bagpipes. Regular stretching, exercising and proper hand position can help to keep your hands and fingers strong, flexible and agile.
Warm Up and Cool Down
Increasing blood flow to your hands and fingers before practicing or playing is just as important as warming up your body for a strength-training session and can help to ward off injuries to the muscles and tendons. Perform wrist circles, gently, and finger and wrist flexion movements for 2 minutes before playing. Keep the warm-up session light and easy; start slowly, and gradually increase the pace of your hand and finger movements as they become warm. Repeat this practice after playing for a cool-down and stretching session.
Warm Up and Cool Down
Increasing blood flow to your hands and fingers before practicing or playing is just as important as warming up your body for a strength-training session and can help to ward off injuries to the muscles and tendons. Perform wrist circles, gently, and finger and wrist flexion movements for 2 minutes before playing. Keep the warm-up session light and easy; start slowly, and gradually increase the pace of your hand and finger movements as they become warm. Repeat this practice after playing for a cool-down and stretching session.
Some other tips:
- Your fingers should be straight, however they don't need to be so straight that they are causing you pain. The ends of your fingers should have a little bend in them.
- Don't clench the chanter. You should be holding on to it firmly but not so hard that it strains your hands.
- Try playing different angles. Some people prefer to play on a high table while some people prefer to play on their knee and other like to play the chanter on nothing. There is no right answer, it's whatever you find comfortable. However, it is preferable in most pipe bands in you can learn to play on a table to that everyone can see your fingers.
- Don't play for more than 1 hour at a time.