How the Alexander Technique helps us play with fluidity, presence, and freedom

When we talk about instrumental technique, we often think of fast fingers, precise articulation, and sound control. But there's a fundamental aspect that many musicians overlook: the body itself as an active part of the performance. The way we breathe, support the instrument, and move can make the difference between fluid technique and one full of tension.

The body is often ignored or seen as a passive tool, rather than a vital ally in performance. In this article, I’ll take you on a journey through the relationship between body and music, to discover how the Alexander Technique can become a practical resource for playing with greater ease, well-being, and expressive freedom.

The Body Is Our First Instrument

In my experience as a flutist and teacher, I often meet musicians who are very attentive to the quality of their instrument: they maintain it carefully and choose the model, materials, and headjoint with great precision. Yet, these same musicians often completely neglect the quality of their movements, as if playing had nothing to do with the body performing it.

This mindset is deeply limiting, because every sound we produce, every musical phrase we interpret, is born of a physical action. What we call “instrumental technique” is nothing more than the expression of our psycho-sensory-motor coordination.

Music lives in the body, and through the body it takes form. If the body is tense, rigid, or uncoordinated, the music suffers too: it loses fluidity, intensity, presence. The musical gesture becomes stiff and unnatural.

“The act of making music engages the whole human being. The instrumentalist must possess the balance of a dancer, the precision of a painter’s gesture, the rigor of an architect, the presence of an actor, and the inner vision of a poet.”— Dominique Hoppenot, The Inner Violin

Musical action involves the whole being: physical, mental, emotional. You can’t make music while ignoring or mistreating the body. No one would mistreat their flute daily and expect it to continue working perfectly — or believe they could perform well with a low-quality, unbalanced instrument.

And yet, many people play every day with a tense, tired, blocked, poorly coordinated body, thinking that just studying more will lead to a better performance.

Does Studying More Really Mean Playing Better?

How many times have we heard or thought:

“If only I practiced more, I could finally play this difficult passage well…”

Of course, practice is essential — but it’s not enough. If the root of the problem lies in poor coordination or excessive tension, increasing your practice time might actually make things worse. The more we repeat incorrect movements, the more we reinforce dysfunctional patterns. And when that gets mixed with the frustration of not improving, we risk falling into a vicious cycle: more tension, more fatigue, more difficulty.

Chronic tension can also lead to pain, injuries, emotional blocks, and a drop in performance. The body is not an indestructible tool; used poorly, over time it can lead to chronic issues.

That’s why we need to learn to “tune” our body, finding a balance between relaxation and control, between attention and freedom

A musician’s balance is not just about “how to sit or stand,” but also how to breathe, how to move while playing, and how to respond to musical stimuli.

Finding this balance is key to:

✅ Improving sound quality

✅ Preventing tension, pain, inflammation

✅ Recognizing and changing inefficient body habits

✅ Increasing focus and stage presence

Before adding more hours of practice, it’s worth asking yourself: Am I using my body as efficiently as possible?Am I playing in a relaxed way, or am I accumulating tension?

The Alexander Technique: A Valuable Resource for Musicians

My flute teacher, Conrad Klemm, was deeply convinced that every musician needs the right conditions to fully express their individuality. The Alexander Technique is a powerful tool for creating those conditions. It helps free the body from unnecessary tension and supports greater musical expression.

Its benefits are concrete and significant: it reduces muscle tension, improves coordination, increases body awareness, prevents injuries, and supports more natural, confident stage presence.

It’s an educational process that teaches us to observe ourselves, to slow down automatic reactions, and to consciously choose how to move, breathe, and play.

A Recognized (But Still Underused) Technique in Italy

In many prestigious institutions in the UK, US, and Europe — such as the Royal Academy of Music (London), Juilliard School (New York), and CNSM (Paris) — the Alexander Technique is an integral part of the curriculum for instrumentalists. In Italy, however, it’s still not widespread. Some see it as superfluous or only for those with physical problems.

But you don’t need to have a problem to benefit from it. Anyone can learn to use their body with more intelligence and freedom — and not only improve their instrumental technique but also their stage presence and confidence during competitions.

The Alexander Technique allows you to:

• Reduce unnecessary tension

• Improve neuromuscular coordination

• Increase body awareness

• Prevent overuse injuries

• Encourage freer, more natural stage presence.

In short, it helps you play better with your whole being.

F. M. Alexander (1869-1955)

The Story of Frederick Matthias Alexander

It’s helpful to know the story of the creator of this technique, Frederick Matthias Alexander, to better understand it.

Born in 1869 in Australia, he was a stage actor.

During performances, Alexander would lose his voice and become hoarse. No one could explain why or offer a solution, except to suggest rest. Determined not to give up his career, he began closely observing how he used his body. He discovered that while reciting, he unconsciously shortened the muscles in his neck, creating tension that impaired his breathing and overall functioning.

This was the first insight: The coordination between the head, neck, and back is essential to our balance and functioning.

Alexander also realized that even when he tried to change his habits, his old patterns were stronger than his will. Even watching himself in the mirror, he still moved in habitual ways.

This led to his second key discovery: inhibition — the conscious act of pausing before reacting, interrupting automatic, dysfunctional patterns to make space for more conscious choices.

Through this process, Alexander improved his coordination, breathing, and voice — and returned successfully to the stage.

Conclusion

I hope this journey has helped you reflect on the importance of the body in musical practice and discover a valuable discipline like the Alexander Technique.

Playing well means playing with your whole body, with awareness, balance, and harmony.

💬 Do you relate to these reflections? Have you ever felt pain or tension while playing? Have you ever tried or heard about the Alexander Technique?

Feel free to share your experience or questions in the comments or contact me directly!

Sharing your thoughts or stories is always valuable for growing together.

If you'd like to explore or integrate the Alexander Technique into your journey, don’t hesitate to reach out.

🎶 Wishing you joyful music-making… with your whole being!