Harp Chairs

[luanne-oreilly]

I cannot play the harp (pedal) any longer without back support. My back muscles start to bother me and then I get the “axe in the shoulder” pain. this starts almost immediately when practicing. I have check my height, position of the harp, shoulder rising, etc.

I am looking at the Adjustrite harp/cello chair. The price is right. If anyone has this – can you tell me how the back support is? thank you!

[susan-koskelin]

I am very familiar with the pain in the back and the “axe-pain” in the shoulder. I have tried many solutions. The one thing that works for me is the back support brace that I bought at Wal-Mart! It is the same thing you see construction workers and moving men wearing. If I put it on before practicing and lengthy rehearsals, I have no pain. It’s very inexpensive, and I would not be without it.

Susan

[luanne-oreilly]

Thank you Susan! I did not think of this – I’m off to Wal-mart. If this does the trick, I will be forever grateful. I’ve not been able to be at the harp for more than 10 minutes without the pain setting in. I’ve been to chiropractors, am currently enduring deep tissue massages (no fun), to no avail. Would love to get that axe out of my shoulder!!!

[ellen-beckerman]

Hi there,
I have the adjustrite chair, and I really like it. I too have suffered from the axe in the shoulder syndrom, and having some back support has really helped. I find I don’t need to use it all the time, but when I do it is great. And I love that it has so many heights, so you can really tailor it to your needs, and it is very easy to transport to gigs. Hope you feel better soon!

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

A chair with a back can cause problems as your upper body has to be able to move, so make sure it is flexible enough not to impede that. As you pedal, your back adjusts, too. A brace helps strengthen the core muscles a lot, and doing core exercises, which can be fun, will support your back better. If one performs, it is important to have a bench or chair that matches the harp well.

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

The only time I use the back on my chair is when I am playing in the orchestra and sitting for long periods of time while counting tacet bars. One should sit at the front of the seat when playing, so it shouldn’t matter whether the chair has a back or not. Are you sitting all the way at the back of your chair? That might be part of the problem.
I think Saul must mean that a back brace supports the core, but strengthening can only be done by exercises.

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