Hello all,
I made this account today to tell of an experience I had yesterday. For context, I am a student who has been studying primarily classical double bass for the past six years. the first four years I played almost all standing up and when I graduated High school I began sitting as I moved on to more difficult solo repertoire. Invalid Link Removed is the stool I use for most of my performances with my schools orchestra and solo recitals.
I was scheduled to play in a show yesterday the 29th at 7pm and there was a rehearsal that afternoon at 3pm. at around 5/530 I fell out of consciousness and woke up on the floor with some concerned friends around me. I experienced some unsettling tunnel vision just before and right as I thought "I need to set down my bass and go to the back" I found my self coming out of syncope. I had eaten plenty and it had not been very long since I drank water (though dehydration was most likely a factor).
I did not play in the show and was fortunate enough to have my father pick up me and my instrument and take me to the ER to make sure I was okay. Everything checked out fine on the EKG and after an extended conversation with the doctor it became increasingly apparent that the cause of this was in fact my stool, how I was sitting on it, and how long I remained seated.
I sit on the forward edge of my stool, with only a small part of my butt on the lip of the seat with my back upright. Essentially the bottom part of my ass and top part of my thigh are pressed against the top edge of the seat. The seat is rather thin and has no real padding, it is really just a wooden seat. What we determined was that the pressure on the back of my thighs actually blocked the major veins that carry blood into the upper body. This combined with the fact that my legs were immobile made it so not enough blood came to my upper body and brain, leading me to pass out on the floor.
Despite how scary the whole experience was I feel so happy and grateful for a few different reasons. Most importantly, I am okay. The other bassists who saw me fall said I did so rather slowly and when I came to I had no pain from the impact of the fall, I could have quite easily hit my head and done permanent damage. Additionally in an incredible sequence of events my bass was not hurt in the slightest. The bassist playing principle to my left managed to toss his bow from his right hand to his left while instantaneously grabbing the neck of my falling instrument in his right hand. Chances are if he was unable to do this my instrument would be damaged severely and it could have easily harmed his own bass as well (an incredible $50,000 Italian bass). I am also just so relieved that this wasn't the result of something much more serious like a heart condition or the like.
So for me, the big moral of this story is to listen to what your body is telling you. My legs and butt region where the seat hits was feeling quite uncomfortable about 45 minutes before but for whatever reason I did not stand and stretch. At the very beginning of the onset of lightheartedness I told myself to take some deep breaths, when I should have immediately set down my instrument and told someone what was happening. I now have a high quality cushion made of dozens of latex air bladders that fits quite well on the seat and cushions the hard edge. Even with the extra padding I must be very careful to stand and stretch my legs if I plan on sitting for an extended period. I can easily see this scenario the other way around, making sure to sit periodically if I plan on playing standing for an extended period.
I hope this is the right section of the forums to post this in, I figured it had enough to do with seated technique to make it relevant. I am also interested in seeing if any other bassists have had a similar experience. I hope this can serve as a sort of PSA about listening to your body when performing or practicing.
I'm happy to answer any questions about the whole fiasco if I was unclear, my mind has been reeling through the events non-stop since.
I made this account today to tell of an experience I had yesterday. For context, I am a student who has been studying primarily classical double bass for the past six years. the first four years I played almost all standing up and when I graduated High school I began sitting as I moved on to more difficult solo repertoire. Invalid Link Removed is the stool I use for most of my performances with my schools orchestra and solo recitals.
I was scheduled to play in a show yesterday the 29th at 7pm and there was a rehearsal that afternoon at 3pm. at around 5/530 I fell out of consciousness and woke up on the floor with some concerned friends around me. I experienced some unsettling tunnel vision just before and right as I thought "I need to set down my bass and go to the back" I found my self coming out of syncope. I had eaten plenty and it had not been very long since I drank water (though dehydration was most likely a factor).
I did not play in the show and was fortunate enough to have my father pick up me and my instrument and take me to the ER to make sure I was okay. Everything checked out fine on the EKG and after an extended conversation with the doctor it became increasingly apparent that the cause of this was in fact my stool, how I was sitting on it, and how long I remained seated.
I sit on the forward edge of my stool, with only a small part of my butt on the lip of the seat with my back upright. Essentially the bottom part of my ass and top part of my thigh are pressed against the top edge of the seat. The seat is rather thin and has no real padding, it is really just a wooden seat. What we determined was that the pressure on the back of my thighs actually blocked the major veins that carry blood into the upper body. This combined with the fact that my legs were immobile made it so not enough blood came to my upper body and brain, leading me to pass out on the floor.
Despite how scary the whole experience was I feel so happy and grateful for a few different reasons. Most importantly, I am okay. The other bassists who saw me fall said I did so rather slowly and when I came to I had no pain from the impact of the fall, I could have quite easily hit my head and done permanent damage. Additionally in an incredible sequence of events my bass was not hurt in the slightest. The bassist playing principle to my left managed to toss his bow from his right hand to his left while instantaneously grabbing the neck of my falling instrument in his right hand. Chances are if he was unable to do this my instrument would be damaged severely and it could have easily harmed his own bass as well (an incredible $50,000 Italian bass). I am also just so relieved that this wasn't the result of something much more serious like a heart condition or the like.
So for me, the big moral of this story is to listen to what your body is telling you. My legs and butt region where the seat hits was feeling quite uncomfortable about 45 minutes before but for whatever reason I did not stand and stretch. At the very beginning of the onset of lightheartedness I told myself to take some deep breaths, when I should have immediately set down my instrument and told someone what was happening. I now have a high quality cushion made of dozens of latex air bladders that fits quite well on the seat and cushions the hard edge. Even with the extra padding I must be very careful to stand and stretch my legs if I plan on sitting for an extended period. I can easily see this scenario the other way around, making sure to sit periodically if I plan on playing standing for an extended period.
I hope this is the right section of the forums to post this in, I figured it had enough to do with seated technique to make it relevant. I am also interested in seeing if any other bassists have had a similar experience. I hope this can serve as a sort of PSA about listening to your body when performing or practicing.
I'm happy to answer any questions about the whole fiasco if I was unclear, my mind has been reeling through the events non-stop since.
