Volume 14, January 2022
Musculoskeletal symptoms of double bassists: a literature synthesis

by Frances Levenderis and Bridget Rennie-Salonen

7. Conclusion

Musicians' health research with a focus on the double bass is scarce. Double bassists experience MSS in the back, neck, and upper extremities, including shoulders, arms, wrists, hands, and fingers. Possible risk factors for MSS include biological sex, physical attributes, sitting or standing, chair ergonomics, French or German bow hold, angle of the instrument to the player, muscle tension, and muscle use. The exact prevalence and risk factors of double bassists MSS cannot yet be conclusively determined. There is, however, a promising amount of recent inquiry into the performance health of double bassists, including MSS, which provides a strong foundation for further research. Ascertaining the types, frequency and severity of double bassists' MSS, and the factors affecting their occurrence is crucial for the prevention and rehabilitation of double bassists' performance health problems, for enhancing performance, and for optimising pedagogy.