injured toe while practising in bare feet

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

I thought I should share this with you, since I couldn’t believe that it happened to me. I was practising in bare feet two days ago. While my big toe was pushing down on the E pedal, a blood vessel ruptured in it! Luckily, it only hurt a bit, so I put on a pair of shoes and kept practising. The next morning, the toe was all blue! It still hurt a bit, too, but today it is much better. I have been playing the harp since 1970, and this is the first time such a thing has happened. From now on, I will be practising in shoes!

[mia-strayer]

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That sounds like that hurts
I guess having no feeling in my
feet sometimes comes in handy
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You been playing Harp sense 1970
that’s pretty cool I think

[Jerusha Amado]

Wow, it’s good to know that this kind of thing can happen. My teacher always taught me not to practice in bare feet. I never got into the habit of it and am glad I didn’t!

[kay-lister]

OHHHHHHH Elizabeth – that hurts just thinking about it! Now I have practiced in sandles, but never bare feet. Definitely won’t now!

Feel better!!

K

[Sylvia]

I always practice in bare feet. Maybe some of us just have big, strong feet and Elizabeth is more dainty. I’d trip up on sandals, for sure. I have hand-made soft leather shoes I wear to perform, or I wear ballet shoes if I’m in black.

[mia-strayer]

Sometimes I do practice in bare feet because of
the circulation in my feet not being the greatest
But luckily I never had that happen

[alexandra-baldwin]

I broke a blood vessel in my upper arm one Summer… it didn’t really hurt but WOW was it a amazing bruise! It lasted for weeks, and was every color you can imagine.

[catherine-rogers]

My teacher always advised practicing in closed-toe shoes because the pedal can really hurt if it gets caught between your toes and the sole during rapid pedal changes. Speaking from painful experience, she was right!

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

Wow. Sorry that happened, but what a great story to stop students from practicing in bare feet. At worst, I wear flip-flops. At best, sandals or shoes.

[Briggsie B. Peawiggle]

At the Lyon & Healy 150th festival I saw Marie-Pierre Langlamet walk in to play, kick off her shoes and do absolutely AMAZING things with transcriptions. I guess she either has iron toes and feet, or she has figured out a way not to get hurt. I wear harp shoes. 🙂

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

I just bought some black leather slippers that allow me to grip the pedals while still giving some protection to the feet. I may use them for a piece I am doing that has lots of pedal slides.

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

I had a message from Jerusha, asking if these slippers have any heels. They don’t have heels, but the leather gives a great grip on the floor and pedals.

[Author]

Posts