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hip and back pain when playing vibraphone? Changing pedal technique

Hello all –

I was born with bad hips and as age I've had to become a bit more creative :-)

I was wondering if any vibe players ever have had hip and back pain while playing? I have found pedaling with my left foot and alternating with my right foot seems to help… Yes, unorthodox but I can make music.

Does anyone else have any tricks?

For My Nephews - a soulful tune by James williams

James Williams, who passed way too soon, was a wonderful pianist who left us some great recordings and compositions. He taught at Berklee during the years I was there, and I used to see him often performing in school concerts, clinics, and local gigs.

I especially like this song, For My Nephews, for its simplicity, bluesy quality, and beautiful melody. it's a keeper.

If you're interested in getting a lead sheet let me know, I'll make one up and post it here or email it to you.

Moment's Notice (John Coltrane) - Practicing Lines

Got in early today at Berklee and found an open practice room for some shedding before teaching. Decided to work on playing lines over Coltrane's classic "Moment's Notice". In this clip I'm focusing on using the inside two mallets with the open spread fulcrum (Fulcrum Grip). An article on the grip which includes photos can be downloaded from my website.