Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Subject: Re: Problems with the Shearer School
Date: 29 Jun 1999 07:37:05 GMT

Charlie  wrote:

: Am I mistaken?  

For whom? :-)  (ta da dum...)  

: Isn't it true that Shearer had to quit playing because
: he developed carpal tunnel syndrome?  (Or is this an untruth?)  

Yes.  (No.)  

: What
: does this say about his technique?

Not necessarily much.  It does, however, explain his unswerving focus
on applying sound ergonomic principles to CG technique in an effort
to reduce repetetive strain injuries (RSI) and CTS incidence amongts
guitarists.   (Which effort I greatly applaud, if it need mentioning).

Having suffered a severe bout of RSI myself which still renders me
unable to type on regular keyboards without immediate significant
pain (I use Comfort Keyboard now, kbd split in 1/2, set apart at
shoulder width and each tilted media side up 45 degrees),
I also have to address guitar & ALL OTHER LIFESTYLE ACTIVTY 
ergonomics extremely carefully  to avoid recurrent bouts of 
tendinitis in both wrists, predominantly left wrist due to
strains of CG.  (I don't agree with John that not much strength
is needed in the left hand/wrist - I find advanced CG repertoire
much more stressful to the left wrist than any other stringed
instrument I've played, due to the barres & stretches...)

Development of RSI in an individual can speak more about their
lifestyle & practice habits than technique.  I developed RSI
because I was 

1) working very hard at the time on the impending tape release 
of a IC design,  
2) working with very poor ergonomics
3) caring for a newborn baby
4) playing weekly gigs with a jazz band until 1:30am
5) practicing with poor ergonomics (get up very early am in
   winter, just a tshirt, practice 1-2 hours very firsth thing
   upon waking in cold basement room)
6) sleeping in cold rooms with just a short sleeve tshirt
   habitually bending my left elbow > 90 degrees while
   sleeping (all of which impede circulation needed for
   the bodies reparative mechanisms to operate overnight)

It wasn't because my guitar technique was bad that I got rsi,
it was the accumulation of stress greater than my body could
recover from on a daily basis.

If a person persists in activity in spite of persistent pain,
they are likely to incur permanent scar tissue buildup on the
interior of the tendon sheaths, inhibiting free movement of
tendons therein, more friction, thus perhaps permanent disability.
Or, if the carpal tunnel nerves have been damaged due to
persisent lack of circulation/swelling, peramanent disability
can result (MORAL: iF it feels bad, don't do it!  the converse
is not necesarily true, unless one is at woodstock 69, or
has special corporate sponsor platinum VIP passes at woodie 99 :-)
Anyway, Shearer no longer can play guitar full time as a result
of his injury, and thus his dedication to teaching.
I, thankfully, can still play, though sometimes I must back off
and take rest periods when I detect symptoms of persistent pain
or numbness in my wrists.

Don't let it happen to you.. it was mortifying being literally
unable to play guitar or keboard without significant pain for
about 6 months...not knowing if could ever play guitar or
work as an engineer again... it took a comfort keyboard (which
had to be interfaced to HP-HIL workstations) before I could
type without reinjury!