The pleasures of bassoon playing are often spoilt by certain problems. Who has not at some time experienced tension and fear, followed by frustration? A limited amount of each can livenup a performance, whilst an excess can actually hinder music-making.

Walking onto the stage can create an instant flow of adrenalin which, unless controlled or redirected, can cause various problems. Some people resort to beta-blockers. These are not necessarily the answer, as other options are open to us which are natural and directly under our control.

We often react subconsciously to situations and people around us, not realising that we have control over our reactions, if not the actual situations. The possibility of acting positively or negatively, with ease or with tension, is ours. Events can often be exaggerated by our minds, disproportionate to their importance, to such an extent that powerlessness is felt when confronted by them.

Various techniques and disciplines can be used to deal with life, whether spiritually, emotionally or physically; each approaching a situation from different angles. The Alexander Technique is one of these, based more on the physical aspect and concerned with maximising the efficiency of the body, so as to achieve the most out of our activities. Alexander himself called it a form of "psycho-physical re-education".

To understand this technique, the word use has to be analysed. This is the way we use ourselves in everyday activities - the actual mechanical (muscle and bone) movement our body does to get us from A to B, or to play a musical instrument. How well we perform depends on how well our motor functions. Tension, whether physical or mental, prevents us from doing our best. This creates a vicious circle, whereby mental tension increases as our ability lessens, causing further inability.

"Inhibiting our initial reaction to a stimulus" as Alexander suggests, enables us to say "no" to habitual reactions, allowing us instead to choose how we want to react; based on our desire, rather than habit.

Playing a musical instrument consists of many components, of which technique is dealt with most, leaving the mental and physical condition of the musician often disregarded. The Alexander Technique helps us broaden our awareness to encompass our body as well as our instrument. We now begin to observe the "means whereby" we use our bodies.

Alignment and balance are of paramount importance from a wind-playing point of view, as they directly affect breathing. Tension, anywhere, will negatively affect the way we breathe.

Breathing happens naturally, due to the effect of atmospheric pressure (15 pounds per square inch) on our bodies. Inhalation is as a result of an impulse from the brain instructing the diaphragm to contract. This dome-shaped muscle, located inside the rib-cage, flattens downwards, causing the abdominal muscles to push out slightly and the ribs to expand outwards and upwards. The reverse happens on the exhalation as the diaphragm lengthens upwards. We seldom allow this process to function efficiently on its own, preferring to inflict our own patterns of breathing on our body.

Alexander himself was an actor who, at an early age, suffered vocal problems which threatened his career. Unable to get satisfactory results from his doctor, he decided to solve the problem for himself. In the process he discovered the most effective way of using his body, as well as being able to prevent himself interfering with this process.

Playing a musical instrument should be smooth and effortless. If this is not the case, we must be interfering in some way and therefore need to discover how and why. The Alexander Technique is an indirect method of allowing this to happen. By focusing attention on our body and by relaxing muscles as we play, the ideal conditions are encouraged for a good performance. Very often the sheer desire to play well, can act as a hindrance to the music emerging naturally.

With so many muscles in the body, where does one begin to focus attention? Alexander singledout the neck as being the major (or as he would say "primary") area to concentrate on. Because this area has an abundance of nerves passing through it, going from the brain to the rest of the body, tension here is likely to affect other parts of the body more than, say, tension in the big toe.

The bassoon can be an awkward instrument to hold, as it has the tendency to pull the body out of alignment. If one is not totally balanced it seems even heavier, because the weight is not evenly distributed. An Alexander teacher can educate the bassoon pupil in how the muscular "stretches" in the body work. By being aware of these I the student can avoid the negative effects of holding the bassoon and so make playing the instrument a more enjoyable and painless activity.

Glyn Williams is a freelance bassoonist and a teacher of the Alexander Technique.

For more information about this technique and a list 01 teachers in your area, contact:

The Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique
10 London House, 266 Fulham Road
London SW1O 9EL
Tel: 01-3510829

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