Spatial Distribution of Surface EMG on trapezius and lumbar muscles of Violin and Cello Players in Single Note Playing

Musicians activate their muscles in different patterns, depending on their posture, the instrument being played, and their experience level. Bipolar surface electrodes have been used in the past to monitor such activity, but this method is highly sensitive to the location of the electrode pair. In this work, the spatial distribution of surface EMG (sEMG) of the right trapezius and right and left erector spinae muscles were studied in 16 violin players and 11 cello players. Musicians played their instrument one string at a time in sitting position with/without backrest support.

Source: Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology - October 30, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Babak Afsharipour, Francesco Petracca, Mauro Gasparini, Roberto Merletti Source Type: research