How to Avoid Piano Injuries | Get Rid of Tension and Pain [Hand, Wrist, Elbow, Shoulder & Back]
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 มิ.ย. 2024
- www.pianocareeracademy.com/ Learn the secrets of the Russian Piano School at home with my step-by-step holistic courses and tutorials! Join my Piano Coaching Program at PianoCareerAcademy.com to get access to my FULL tutorial focused on injury prevention - and to hundreds of other exclusive piano playing lessons.
In this video I address a very serious problem that affects a lot of piano players: practice-related injuries (such as hand muscle pain, wrist tension, tendinitis, carpal syndrome, Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), and also soreness/fatigue in your forearms, elbows, shoulders, neck and back). I share the 4 mega-causes of piano injuries - with detailed solutions for each one.
This tutorial (along with a 'companion' article) is also available for free on my blog, PianoCareer.com:
www.pianocareer.com/piano-hea...
Video highlights:
00:00. Introduction.
00:46. Correct piano playing does not cause pain and injuries!
The 4 Mega-Causes of Piano Injuries:
01:37. Cause No. 1: Bad posture and incorrect arm alignment.
02:36. How to avoid injury.
03:38. A good piano posture is a fluid process, not a static 'hold'!
04:24. Cause No. 2: Incorrect technique.
05:11. A. Finger-only playing (and what to do instead to avoid injury).
09:09. B. 5-finger legato playing during the early beginner stage (and the healthy ergonomic alternative).
11:29. C. Tension, stiffness and static playing (and how to relax your muscles without falling off the bench).
14:28. D. Exaggerated finger stretching (and how to connect wide intervals without overstretching your hand).
16:10. E. Keybedding (and learning when to let go).
17:27. Is a bit of fatigue normal when we practice?
18:34. Cause No. 3: Incorrect practice.
19:03. Where to find the rest of this tutorial...
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This tutorial has proper English SUBTITLES (written by me, not TH-cam)! Just click the CC button to turn them on :). Also, here is the video breakdown (with clickable time stamps for each main idea):
00:02. Introduction.
00:46. Correct piano playing does not cause pain and injuries!
The 4 Mega-Causes of Piano Injuries:
01:37. Cause No. 1: Bad posture and incorrect arm alignment.
02:36. How to avoid injury.
03:38. A good piano posture is a fluid process, not a static 'hold'!
04:24. Cause No. 2: Incorrect technique.
05:11. A. Finger-only playing (and what to do instead to avoid injury).
09:09. B. 5-finger Legato playing during the early beginner stage (and the healthy ergonomic alternative).
11:29. C. Tension, stiffness and static playing (and how to relax your muscles without falling off the bench).
14:28. D. Exaggerated finger stretching (and how to connect wide intervals without overstretching your hand).
16:10. E. Keybedding (and learning when to let go).
17:27. Is a bit of fatigue normal when we practice?
18:34. Cause No. 3: Incorrect practice.
19:03. Where to find the rest of this tutorial...
Yes! I have noticed the precise subtitles :) Thanks for your effort and work!
What is the melody she's playing at 12:38 btw? Sounds like Waterloo Sunset by the Kinks! 😆
@@slzeman6079 Hi! At 12:38 I play the very beginning of a beautiful intermediate piece entitled 'Dreamy' op. 23, written by Henryk Pachulski (1859-1921). A full step-by-step tutorial is available on PianoCareerAcademy.com 😉.
I love this woman! She's brilliant brilliant brilliant. And her lessons are absolute gold.
Thank you so much, Colin! ;)
29 years old, finally starting my piano playing journey. I will save up to get the full lessons on the website. Wow.
Thank you, Lucky! We are looking forward to welcoming you to our community! ;)
Bought my first digital piano 2 weeks ago (FP30) and I've been practicing it daily. I teach myself by watching youtube videos and tutorials. I have practiced daily the 5 finger legato drills for beginners that you've mentioned and now I feel a slight strain on my right wrist :( Guess I was pressing the keys using my fingers and not using arm weight. I'm so thankful I found this video before I injure myself further! Please continue sharing your knowledge ❤ you have a gift for teaching piano and I only wish you could be my teacher!
Hi! Thank you! :) I'm happy that you found this video in time, before you did more damage to your wrist. Assigning 5-finger exercises to beginners should be illegal by now - I get so sad when I see that they are still being recommended :(. By the way, you CAN study with me, by joining my Piano Coaching Program at PianoCareerAcademy.com. As a member of PCA you will learn how to play correctly by following my Video Course for Beginners. This Course will help you to develop ALL your piano skills (healthy technique, expression, hearing, reading, theory & analysis, pedaling etc.) in a harmonious manner, according to the professional system used in the Russian piano school. You can learn more by reading my answer to question No. 17 from our FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/). Good luck! ;)
I am also a beginner and teaching myself from utube . Not easy.
THIS IS SO USEFUL. Clear explanations with great use of rhetorical reasoning. I’ve been playing wrong for years and definitely feel the pain and tension in my wrists and hands now.
I'm really happy that this video was helpful! 😊 I hope your wrists and hands feel better soon!
Some people might not have the circumstance to pay for pianos lessons because life is different for some but I really do enjoy that you are giving them small but important lessons for free on TH-cam this really shows that you really care about us and you respect us and we do respect you hello from Armenia.
I am studying this video religiously and taking notes! This is going to save my playing! Thank you so, so much. I truly appreciate the advice in this video.
You are very welcome, Nate! Thank you so much for your appreciation! :)))
Love her english, its very colorful, almost poetic lol.
Thank you! Yes, I think that ‘poetic’ is a good way to describe my teaching style. It’s not just about my English, it’s a deliberate (and very effective) professional teaching strategy :).
you analogies are so amazing
Oh my gosh! I’m coming from viola and have been getting left hand tension pain after just a few minutes. Your explanation of not just using the fingers alone is something I never thought of. I don’t have the problem with my right hand, but that’s my bow hand which is used to using the whole arm.
I'm happy this video was helpful! Regarding the 'finger myth', which is sadly still so common nowadays, you could also watch episode No. 2 from my new Myth series - where I talk about this topic in lots of detail. The first episode is available here on TH-cam [ th-cam.com/video/2vCiYULr2K4/w-d-xo.html ]. Episodes No. 2-7 are free as well, but only available to our email newsletter subscribers.
Thank you so much!!
I love the way you describe things
very helpful maam
thanks for this queen
You explained it so well! Thank you for this great video!
I am a beginner and I have watched many piano lessons online but you are by far the best piano teacher I have come across. You teach the piano technique in a very logical and professional sense which makes me believe what you are saying is right. I am slowly trying to learn the correct way to press the piano keys so that the sound is more melodious. Thank you for offering your expertise I appreciate it very much ma'am. :)
Thank you so much, Sayjen! I'm really happy that you enjoy my tutorials! :)
Gold! Thank you!
You are very welcome! I'm happy it was helpful! :)
Tysm!💜💛
Excellent
Fantastic advice. So glad I found you.
Thank you, Gregor! ;)
love your playing and you class !!!! thank you !!!
Thank you so much, Iván! ;)
I will join your online course once I get my new piano 🎹 . I feel like I can learn with you ! I like your way of approach to teaching the piano and mental preparation for the long term:)
Thank you, Adrian! We are looking forward to welcoming you to our community! :)
This is so helpful! Thank you 🙏
You're so welcome! 🥰
This was really good, thank you
You are very welcome, Paul! :)
This is so helpful! Thank you very much!
You're very welcome! :)
This video is amazing it helped a lot, thank you!
I'm so glad to hear that! :))
So helpful. Thank you!
You are very welcome - glad it was helpful! :)
So glad I have found you! I am a beginner adult student who felt into the trap that I could learn to play songs in a short few lessons. I do play songs, but I have terrible posture and there is no musicality. I look forward to learning full arm weight technique.
Thank you, Iris! Indeed, this is the No. 1 trap that beginners fall into these days. I will actually publish a TH-cam video on this topic very soon! :)
This was very helpful. Thank you.
You're very welcome! :)
Brava Maestra! Outstanding instruction!
Thank you very much! :)
This is an incredibly intelligent, gentle, and inspiring guide. Just amazing.
Thank you so much, it means a lot! 😊
Very informative, great content thank you
Thank you, John! Glad it was helpful! :)
Very useful information, up voting and subscribing, looking forward to seeing more
Thank you so much, Shaun! I hope you enjoy my other TH-cam videos as well! 😉
Thanks very much for this.
My pleasure! :)
I have been waiting for this for a long time and it’s finally here!!!😂😂😂 ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you, Rachel! :D
Thank you so much for your great wonderful instruction !
Very helpful !
Glad it was helpful! Thank you for your appreciation! :)))
A video I’ll watch over again I’m sure as a reminder, and to find something new each time. Thank you!
My pleasure! I'm happy to hear that this video was useful! ;)
Best technique video I’ve ever watched. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Simon! ;)
Great work. Tnx
You are very welcome! :)))
Parabéns pelo vídeo
this is probably the most helpful and educational video for learning pianists on youtube, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
You're very welcome! :)))
Excellent video and very informative. Thank you very much.
Glad it was helpful! :)
I am just discovering this channel now. I absolutely love it. This is a great video. An in-depth look at an important subject that isn't talked about enough. This is something I've been struggling with on and off for a while - piano, drums, guitar, bass all adding up. I've been scouring the internet looking for something just like this, and I have finally found this. You are the Holy Grail of teachers. I will certainly be sharing this with other! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Hi Jon! Welcome to my channel - and thank you SO MUCH for your appreciation! I'm really happy to hear that my tutorials are helpful! ;)
You are so informative!
Thank you, Mauritius! ;)
Very informative, thank you very much. You have a very relaxing voice. And is a great teacher.
Thank you! 😃
ty so much ma'am
Wow. I've been doing pretty much all of these. Thank you very much for sharing!
You're so welcome! :)
You are probably one of the best teacher on this internet. I learned more in one video clip than all my previous years. Thank you so much for sharing the Russian Piano School concepts, they are priceless. I will consider in a near future studying with you (even if piano is not my main instrument) Blessings to you!
Thank you so so much, Michel! Happy to hear you found this video useful! :)
all these bad habits are good habits for a guitarist. now it all makes sense! ive been treating the piano like an electric guitar. time to unlearn some bad habits. i suppose i shouldnt write for 4-6 hours at a time anymore
youre guidance is very much appreciated! very concise and clear. thank you
You're very welcome, Jason! :) Enjoy your practice!
I love it. "It's a movie not a picture". Great analogy to describe proper posture. Thank you as always for sharing your skills and knowledge. Been watching some of your older videos from 2013 and noticed how beautiful you still are. In fact you're like wine. The older you get the better you are. Have a lovely day my beautiful Russian pianist. I feel like I need to be bringing you an apple for being an awesome teacher. (and pretty too)
PS. I just went to the piano and was thinking more relaxing as I was playing and my playing was smoother. Yee haw.. That was awesome...
Thank you, Jesse! I'm happy this video was useful! By the way, personal comments are not appropriate on this channel. Thank you for your understanding.
@@pianocareer My apologies dear pianist.
These are very excellent advice---thank you!! ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜
You are so welcome! :)
You are so great
And amazing!!!
thank you very much, ur english is really good~
Love this video very much. You play elegantly, the melody is beautiful, and it looks relaxed. I hope to learn and to play piano like you 🙏
Thank you very much, Susan! ;)
Astonishingly detailed albeit precise. I love your analogies and comparisons too. Simply brilliant and much appreciated.
Thank you so much! 🥰
@@pianocareer Thank you! :-)
Thank you so much for this advice. As a beginner, I found this very helpful.
You are so welcome! :)
This was fantastic. I have started to play again after a break and have pain in my right wrist and hand. I will keep these advices in mind 🙂
Thank you, Pearl! Once you adopt a healthy and ergonomic technique, your pain will inevitably go away :).
wow "its a movie not a picture"! Thank you so much i saw your video played back by 15% and i can see how straight your wrist elbows and shoulders are. I was looking into this cause i have a pain on my inside elbow (im a self taught player [Bach, Yurima] that likes structure) but not sure now after watching your video if its because of me playing the piano or guitar.
A goldmine of good, common sense information has been presented here!🎹
Thank you! :)
I really struggle with carpal tunnel when practicing fast pieces like fantasie impromptu for example and I realised my posture was the problem so this is very helpful thank you 🙂
You are very welcome, John! When it comes to pain triggered by speed, it's usually a combination of incorrect posture, technique and practice habits :).
Your videos are absolutely wonderful, especially for serious students. Very high quality. When I browse piano tutorial videos on TH-cam and read some of the comments-----"I don't want to bother learning to read music"---"I don't want to learn music theory, it's too complicated"---I just cringe. I, too, would love to learn to play like Valentina Lisitsa or Yuja Wang in 2 months. But, obviously that's absurd. Your videos are the best on TH-cam for someone who is serious about learning to play the piano and accepts that it is a very long road. Your videos are great for helping serious students progress as rapidly as is humanly possible and, at the same time, not develop really bad habits because they have a "not especially knowledgeable" teacher. Thank you for your very high quality instruction.
Thank you so much, Kanti! Your comment is spot on - helping students make serious (and long-term) progress is my No. 1 intention! ;)
Excellent video tutorial👍👏. You do a great job explaining your topic in clear, relatively simple terms & using examples. Thank you very much!
Thank you, Jim - I'm so happy that you enjoyed this video! ;)
Your technique is beautiful in how you move your arms like wing on the piano. I’m 16 and just starting but I think I’m gonna sign up for your academy so I can play like you✊🏽
Thank you very much! We are looking forward to welcoming you to PianoCareerAcademy! :))
Thank you for this video. I started learning piano last week (self-taught for now due to COVID) and had to stop due to hand and wrist pains after practicing scales. I will incorporate these tips once the pain is gone so that I can continue learning to play for a long time :)
Hi Christine! Practicing scales after only one week of playing the piano is a very, very bad idea! :( No wonder you experience pain! In the Russian system, in the first week of practice our beginners only learn the fundamentals of whole-arm action - by playing one note at a time, with the entire relaxed arm and flexible wrist, non-legato (so without connecting the notes). They also learn the basics of correct posture and sound production. My Course for Beginners (which is available on PianoCareerAcademy) is based on this professional approach. In my program, scales & arpeggios are only introduced after completing Lesson No. 48 for Beginners - when our members can already play legato safely, with a healthy and relaxed whole-arm technique (and a beautiful sound). Lesson No. 1 from my Beginner Course is available for free (www.pianocareer.com/piano-practice/nikolaev-russian-piano-school-practice-guide/), along with a couple of other sample Lessons - and you can also learn more about this Course by reading my answer to question No. 17 from our FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/). Good luck! ;)
This video was the best sales tool I've ever seen. I have only begun to learn and I made every single mistake on here and you make it so easy to grasp why I should correct it. Thank you.
Thank you, Roland! :) This video synthesizes my experience on this topic acquired during more than 10 years of working with Western students (as part of PianoCareerAcademy). So of course, it highlights the most frequent mistakes :).
This video is what I need. I'm learning piano on my own.... Big thanks!! I hope you can make videos about piano techniques for handicapped amateurs like (I'm suffering from symbrodactyly). So far your short tutorials improved my scales and positioning on the piano.
Thank you, Jann! :) In all my videos (including the step-by-step courses and hundreds of stand-alone tutorials available on PianoCareerAcademy.com) I share the professional principles of the Russian piano school. This is a complex holistic system - and technique is only one of its 'pillars' (as I explain in this free video: th-cam.com/video/s0fFVGzBFqc/w-d-xo.html ). While I am not a doctor (and therefore cannot speak about specific conditions or disabilities) - still, the ergonomic technical foundation that I teach makes use of universally-applicable principles such as relaxation, flexibility, freedom of motion, weight transfer and weight channeling - and also gravity and leverage. The purpose of these ergonomic principles is to avoid tension and injury - and also offer great expressive and technical power. Just like the laws of physics apply to all of us - similarly, a healthy technique can be successfully used by all players, but it is important to learn it in a step-by-step manner :).
MUCH APPRECIATED IT FANTASTIC LESSON !!!! NEW SUB HERE !!!
Thank you very much, Rafael! :)
Thank you! I got shoulder pain from practicing piano and this vid really helps!!!
I'm sorry to hear about your pain, Andy - and I hope you feel better soon! I'm happy the video was helpful! 😊
Obrigado de Portugal pelos teus vídeos, são muito valiosos para mim.
Thank you very much, Antonio! ;)
It's important to note that if students keep their hands and fingers totally rigid, they end up using only their arms or wrists to depress the keys like a giant lever. The result typically is a lack of motor skills at the finger tips for independent control.
It's important to remain in contact with the keyboard and to depress the keys using the weight of the key, instead of lifting fingers up to then press back down. First instincts are almost always to press the keys like an elevator button lol.
I think that the Russian technique rubbed off onto me when I was studying, since my best teacher was indeed a Russian concert pianist and although he was super disciplined, he was always emphasising so many of the things you mentioned here.
Excellent video! Thank you so much!
Thank you for your appreciation, Eph-Jay! ;) Yes, piano playing is a fluid process - so any rigidity leads to technical and expressive limitations (not to mention the physical discomfort). Remaining in contact with the keys is useful in some cases - but it cannot be automatically applied to all types of layouts (or articulation effects) :).
@@pianocareer ❤️
Beautifully explained. I normally play wind instruments and only started to pick up the piano recently. I instinctively did exactly what you mentioned. The moment I felt stiff in my arms and wrists I stopped playing and started researching. There is so much to learn from your holistic full body approach that can in fact be transferred to other instruments and styles. Especially flute players struggle a lot with RSI. What a good reminder that ( physical ) tension makes no sense at all when playing an instrument. Thank you !
Thank you, Craig! I'm really happy that this video was helpful! 😊
This is the either the fourth or fifth video tutorial of yours, I've watched today. Although I took piano lessons at age 10 for a short time, over the years I didn't keep up with training or practicing except for occasionally. Recently, I purchased a better keyboard than the one I had been using since 2012 and later may get a piano. For now though, I'd just like to improve my musical theory knowledge and playing techniques and believe your online piano academy will help achieve this. Ilinca, I really like your tutorial videos because of the way that you fully explain each topic and how it relates to getting the most satisfaction out of playing without causing physical neck, shoulder, arm, wrist or finger muscle injuries. I am signing up to your piano academy today because from what I've seen in the 4 or 5 videos I've watched earlier today there is too much to gain and virtually nothing to loose. Thanks for sharing these introductory tutorial videos.
Hi James! Thank you so much for your appreciation, and for sharing your experience! We're looking forward to welcoming you to PianoCareerAcademy! ;)
10 thumbs up! you are an amazing teacher. !
Wow, thank you! :)
I am just starting to learn how to play and I just want to say thank you! I am software engineering so my hands are important to me. You are brilliant and I will continue watching your videos. If only I can find a local teacher that teaches your style.
I'm really happy to hear that my videos are helpful! :) By the way, if you don't find a local Russian-trained teacher, you can always join PianoCareerAcademy - where you get unlimited access to an enormous library of tutorials and step-by-step courses (plus feedback to your playing).
This video is extremely helpful for my understanding the big picture of how I began to develop bad habits in my piano learning journey which started 4 years ago. Now, I am unsure how to begin correcting my entrenched problems of finger-based playing, stiff hands and wrists, total lack of whole-arm playing and lack of hand-weight playing. These problems have not caused me injury yet (I'm playing only at the grade 4 level in the Royal Conservatory), but to use this instructor's words, they are "sabotaging" my playing for sure. So I will peruse the academy site and seriously consider subscribing. In the meantime I'm so grateful for the large number of helpful, clear, videos you have provided to all, including this one. Thank you!
You are very welcome, Lisa! :) Our Courses at PianoCareerAcademy.com have been specifically designed to help our members re-train their entire skillset, and get rid of bad habits such as the ones you described. We are looking forward to welcoming you to our community! ;)
Excellent explanation, bravo. Tried this approach and my playing became much more relaxed, less tension too. Should have watched much earlier.
I'm really happy to hear that this video was helpful, Sam! :)
Excellent instruction…totally changed my approach to keyboard. So important for beginners to professionals. Thank you ❤
You're very welcome! I'm really happy this video was helpful! 🥰
Beautiful woman and impressive teacher... Thanks
Great tuto, thanks ! It's true that many teachers still rely on a technique coming from the harpsichord..
Thank you, Philippe! :)
Thank you for the tips on avoiding hand injuries. Really helpful and thorough👍
Thank you very much!
I seem to have developed lump on top of my right hand wrist after a couple of weeks practicing Lacrimosa...
From what I read it is called "ganglion cyst". It's causing me slight pain...
Could this be related to practicing a hard piece like Lacrimosa?
I have been playing piano for a few months...
Would you suggest leaving this piece untill my hand is more trained?
@@siamaksamavat1851 Wrist cysts CAN appear as a result of trauma (such as the tension and pain associated with incorrect technique and practice). However, since I am not a doctor, I don't know if there are other possible causes (so my opinion cannot be considered medical advice). As a pianist, what I CAN tell you with 100% accuracy, is that beginners should NOT practice advanced pieces! If you do so, you're simply asking for trouble (including injuries), and sabotaging your progress. You can learn why by watching this detailed free video: th-cam.com/video/2vCiYULr2K4/w-d-xo.html . It is the first episode from my 'Piano Myths' series.
Hi, first of all thank you very much for your work. In the past have you made more detailed videos on the 5 fingers exercises or on the weight transfer in practising scales? They would be very useful for me. Again thank you from Italy
Hi Paolo! I have an entire Scale & Arpeggio Course (consisting of many detailed progressive lessons). You can find it in the Members Area of PianoCareerAcademy.com. This Course covers the entire scale system used in the Russian piano school - including weight transfer, developing velocity, dexterity, coordination, power etc. - and MANY many other important things. You can learn more about this Course by reading my answer to question No. 19 from our FAQs (www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs/).
Now I understand why some pianists play with those accentuated hand movements.
Tbf I thought it was mostly an affectation to show how “serious” they were about their playing but I’ll cut them some slack.
Good pointers - thanks for the video!
I'm happy to hear that you decided to cut all those great pianists 'some slack'! :))))) Jokes aside - I'm glad you found this tutorial helpful! ;)
Thanks for the help, I think I might take a break, every time I play the piano my left arm hurts and feels so stiff. I will try to follow your advice, thanks again!
You are very welcome! Yes, taking a break is the first step in recovering from an injury. When you feel better, you need to slowly and safely re-assess and rebuild your technique and practice habits :).
Thank you so much! I love love love every one of your videos. So well explained, answered a lot of my questions. My daughter is 9 years old, learning piano with a Russian teacher. Tone quality is one of the top priorities. Could you please give her some suggestion on how to play a piece with graceful fluid style and great tone quality? It is so difficult for her to do the both at the same time. We will keep watching your videos. thank you again.
Thank you! I'm happy to hear that your daughter is studying with a good Russian teacher! Great tone quality and fluid style are achieved through a lot of correct practice, combined with very good ear control. Coordinating both tasks is easier if the pieces are not too difficult, and every little motif is broken down into 'conquerable' chunks (hands separately first, non-legato). I call this practice method 'the magnifying glass', and I describe it in a lot of detail on PianoCareerAcademy.com :).
I found this to be quite useful. I am a beginner with no teacher yet and my posture was horrible and was causing some pain in my right forearm. This should help!!
Hi Markos! Being self-taught is indeed difficult - especially when you don't have access to high-quality learning resources. The things I mention in this video are a good place to start - but one tutorial will not instantly fix your posture and technique. You can learn more by watching some of my other free videos :).
@@pianocareer I subscribed and will be watching more videos. Thanks!!
This tutorial is informative, pointing out the mistakes normally committed by a beginner like me. I request for some more exclusive readings, videos on the subject as Learning to play Piano should get a pleasure and not lead to fatigue , as I intend to learn scientifically, as you well explained and taught. Your more suggestions on the subject will help me a lot as I have recently realised that I often misunderstand piano as computer, resulting in practising time lesser than required.
Thank you, Naresh! To learn more, you can watch my free tutorials about correct posture and key attack - and also Lesson No. 1 from my Course for Beginners. Here they are:
1. www.pianocareer.com/piano-posture/correct-piano-posture/
2. www.pianocareer.com/piano-sound/correct-piano-key-attack/
3. www.pianocareer.com/piano-practice/nikolaev-russian-piano-school-practice-guide/
I'm currently learning Rach's Etude Tableau Op. 39 No. 6. My fingers were on band-aids because of how difficult it is for 3 days, and how profound of a technique you'd need for the A section of the piece. After watching this, I quickly saw that I was so unnatural in my play, my posture wasn't there and my hands were a little below the keys. I've now done proper posture, and learned to be fluid in executing technique, and I can say I improved in just 15 minutes after watching the whole video. I'm now happily over the A section and now moving on to the menacing chords. Thanks alot!
You're very welcome! I'm so happy to hear that this video was helpful! :) Little tip: besides practicing this Etude, don't forget that re-training your technique (and learning whole-arm action) is much more efficient when we work on easier repertoire. If the foundation is solid, we can build anything on top of it. I have detailed tutorials on this topic in the Members Area of PianoCareerAcademy :).
Thanks so much for this video! Right now I have a wrist and thumb brace on my left hand caused by passing under and stretching in scales, Hannon, and pieces. I’ve reluctantly concluded that I need to stop playing with that hand for several days and concentrate on mastering the treble cleft in my pieces. Another contributing factor is that my joints are very flexible allowing them to move past the point that the muscles can safely move.
Hi Susanne! It sounds to me that your technique is not entirely ergonomic when you work on your scales (the terms 'passing under' and 'stretching' are relics from the past, and they are rarely used in healthy piano playing). Please pay special attention to the part of the video where I talk about technical mistakes - I hope it is helpful! ;)
Thank you soo much madam
Because of you I reduced and recoverd my terrible injuries
I'm very happy and learned a lot from your lesson😇
You're very welcome, Aadhi! Always practice safely and correctly! :)
Thank you so much for such an informative video. I have been getting quite a bit of pain in my arms and it is attributed to pretty much everything that you have mentioned. To be honest this was never covered by my piano teacher despite reaching grade 8 over 3 decades ago. I guess this also explains why I can not even get through 2 pages of Beethoven's Pathetique when my arms start ro give up. Time to really strip back before venturing anything advanced!
I'm happy this video was helpful - and I am so sorry to hear about your pain! 😥 The scenario you described is sadly very common. Many of our members at PianoCareerAcademy are intermediate or advanced players with bad habits and an unhealthy technique - and I have build an entire 're-training experience' for them in the Members Area. Absolutely - you need to correct your technique before trying to learn advanced works - otherwise the pain will keep coming back. Good luck, and I hope you heal soon and make good progress after that! 🥰
And articulate
I am learning guitar and stretch my fingers regularly. I will be very careful. Thanks for this helpful video!
Really helpful
I'm happy to hear that! :)
Thank you you are amazing...i am recoverinf fro. Injury
Thank you, Hien! I hope you get better soon! :)
Wow. I wondering for years and why my right hand wrist would tense up after a couple of pieces, and you’ve shown me exactly why. For so long, I believed that the right way to play, especially if you are playing very fast, is to use only your fingers, and keep your wrist basically static. I attribute my technical ignorance to being entirely self-taught, however, you have shown me the truth in just one video. I’m extremely thankful, and I feel blessed that I stumbled upon this video. Thank you so much!
Hi Ernest! I'm so happy to hear that this video was helpful! :) Thank you very much for your comment and appreciation!
I love this tutorial. I have a little pain when playing 7-chords.
Thank you, Damaris! Wide chords can cause pain because of the stretch. On top of the foundational solutions I mention in this video, the 'breathing hands' technique (which I cover in many of my PCA tutorials) is also very useful for relieving stretch-related tension.
Thank you an excellent tutorial on relaxing at the keyboard! Do you or tutorials include different genres of music, or is it only for classical music? Best wishes
Laurie
Thank you, Laurie! 🥰 Most of my tutorials are focused on classical music - but I also cover occasional pieces 'for dessert' (jazz, pop & rock music, piano transcriptions of famous orchestral works etc.). You can learn more by reading the answer No. D10 from our detailed FAQ page [ www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs ].
Thank you, this video helped me a lot. When I was practicing Chopin Etude 12, my left hand would tire out after a while
My pleasure, Leo! Hand/arm fatigue can also be a result of incorrect practice (not just incorrect technique). I talk about this in the 2nd half of this video (which is available on ianoCareerAcademy.com). You can also watch my tutorials on correct practice, for example this one: th-cam.com/video/__SiXXnaYOY/w-d-xo.html
Thanks. You're a great teacher. Your tips really help me eliminate all the tensions on my fingers/wrist and I've made progress. Is it normal for a beginner like me to feel a bit tired on the shoulder by applying this technique? I felt no stress at all on the fingers/wrist part.
Hi William! A healthy piano technique is not about eliminating tension from the fingers: in fact, the fingers are the only parts of our pianistic 'apparatus' that need to be strong and focused - otherwise they will not be able to support the entire weight and power coming from the back. Our focus is to achieve freedom of movement and eliminate tension from our ARM joints (wrist, elbow and shoulder) and muscles. Sure, the hand needs to relax as often as possible as well - but not WHILE pressing a key (otherwise the fingers will 'collapse' and the sound will lack depth and quality). Another important thing is to understand that piano playing is not a 'finger activity' - but a whole-body activity. These are obviously just a couple of shallow remarks - and cannot cover all the aspects of a correct piano technique.
Shoulder fatigue is not normal: yes, whole-arm action DOES activate the shoulders, and if your deltoid muscles are not used much in your day-to-day life (so if you don't train or practice sports), you might feel a bit of fatigue when you start involving your entire arm in the playing process. However, most often than not, such fatigue is a sign that the whole-arm technique is either not used properly, or not learned progressively. You can find detailed video answers to this question (and also learn whole-arm action from scratch, in a step-by-step manner) in the Members Area of PianoCareerAcademy.com :).
I have injury due to repetition of finger exercise, perhaps using finger only method. I have watched your video long ago but forgot and did intense repeated exercise suddenly. This video is great. I will try to use the proper wrist movement. You should make more videos like this, or include the 7 ways of incorrect practice. God bless u. Repetition should not be used in practice, this is why so many people say that Hanon exercises produces injury.
Hi! I'm really sorry to hear about your injury - and I hope you feel better after applying the recommendations I share in the video above. Please don't forget that a healthy technique is not just about proper wrist movement. Our entire body participates in piano playing - especially our back and the bigger muscles of the shoulders and upper arms. If whole-arm action and weighted playing are internalized correctly, the wrist/hand/fingers are much easier to control. I have detailed tutorials on these topics on PianoCareerAcademy.com - including step-by-step Courses. By the way, repetition itself is not the problem - INCORRECT repetition is ☺️. Even Hanon can be useful if practiced correctly - but, of course, I do not recommend these outdated exercises (as I explain in my detailed article on this topic - which you can find in our FAQs, answer No. F6 [ www.pianocareeracademy.com/faqs ].