Technical Question: Seperation of Tension in the Forearm and Hand

[grazioso]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone could offer any help on a major technical issue I've been trying to deal with in my playing. Basically I'm finding that i can't get the seperation between energy, strength and controlled tension in the fingers and a tension in the forearms and upper back. I've done lots of work on posture, freeing up the shoulders, elbows and wrists but still feel alot of tension when my fingers have a lot of work to do. Currently this is having a big impact on stamina and quality of fingerwork.

Any exercise ideas or ways to free up the arm without losing finger control would be much appreciated.

Cheers

[faulty_damper]

From your description, you are making a severe mistake that prevents you from playing the piano fluently.

Take a different approach.  Exercises will not help.

[quantum]

Maybe with your efforts in trying to focus on a specific body movement, you have diverted your attention from another. 

This has happened to me before many times.  For example playing some thirds in Chopin piece.  I was concentrating hard on making correct movements but kept missing notes.  Turned out my hand position drifted too far to the edge of the keys.  Moving the hand slightly toward the piano solved much of the wrong note issue.

[grazioso]

perhaps i misphrased. I don't do alot of exercises or desire to. I mean are there any ways to approach the problem in a new way. I've discussed the issue alot with my teacher but it doesn't seem to be making much difference. I've reached a fairly competent level of playing with the problem not causing any physical problems but i do agree it is hampering the fluency of my playing.

[aragonaise]

perhaps i misphrased. I don't do alot of exercises or desire to. I mean are there any ways to approach the problem in a new way. I've discussed the issue alot with my teacher but it doesn't seem to be making much difference. I've reached a fairly competent level of playing with the problem not causing any physical problems but i do agree it is hampering the fluency of my playing.

Hi. I share the same problem as you. What piece are you specifically playing that causes forearm tension?

[grazioso]

I think it's an underlying problem in everything, so, at the moment Bach Prelude and Fugue in C Sharp Minor, Beethoven Op. 78 and Chopin F Sharp Minor Polonaise.

[faulty_damper]

perhaps i misphrased. I don't do alot of exercises or desire to. I mean are there any ways to approach the problem in a new way. I've discussed the issue alot with my teacher but it doesn't seem to be making much difference. I've reached a fairly competent level of playing with the problem not causing any physical problems but i do agree it is hampering the fluency of my playing.

When you walk, you walk using the most comfortable, efficient and effective methods.  In this way, you save energy to get from one point to another.  It's also ridiculously easy.

Now try walking with your knees always bent.  Go ahead and do it as it really demonstrates this principle.  What happens?  It will be noticeably uncomfortable and you walk slower and you might as well walk normally.  In piano playing, almost everyone who learns learns to play with their knees always bent.  They never learn how to walk properly, even some very famous pianists both dead and alive played with their knees always bent.

And yet everyone who walks walks with in the most comfortable manner.  But not so in piano playing!  Why is this so?  Then these pianists come to forums (like this one) and asks why they can't walk comfortably, efficiently and effectively.

[richy321]

The best thing I can suggest is to seek out a teacher trained in the Dorothy Taubman method or its spinoff, the Edna Golandsky Institute.  Use Google to find their Web sites.

Both schools (and the Barbara Lister-Sink as well, I believe) make freedom from tension central to their technique.  This cannot be learned by reading books.  It takes a lot of observation and direct contact reciprocally between teacher and student to get the hang of it.

[faulty_damper]

I caution against Taubman or Golandsky.  Both try to make broad use of a couple of overarching technical skills and apply them nonsensically to everything.  While this may be an improvement, it still doesn't cover what really is the point of piano technique.

Both approaches are the new"arm weight" approach from several decades ago.

[fermata_88]

My left arm really hurts whenever I play "Moments Musicaux' by schubert. I tried to relax my arm but it's hard for me to do. Sometimes I put a bit tension to my fingers also because I don't want to play the wrong notes.

[richy321]

I caution against Taubman or Golandsky.  Both try to make broad use of a couple of overarching technical skills and apply them nonsensically to everything.  While this may be an improvement, it still doesn't cover what really is the point of piano technique.

Both approaches are the new"arm weight" approach from several decades ago.

You obviously know nothing about Taubman or Golandsky methods.  What are the two "overarching technical skills" they are supposed to apply to everything?  And how did you come by such knowledge?  I never heard such ignorance.  Nor are they tied to the "arm weight" model.  It is used by some teachers when it is helpful, but it is not an intrinsic part of the method.  Better get informed. Ignorance is not a good thing.

[faulty_damper]

You obviously know nothing about Taubman or Golandsky methods.  What are the two "overarching technical skills" they are supposed to apply to everything?  And how did you come by such knowledge?  I never heard such ignorance.  Nor are they tied to the "arm weight" model.  It is used by some teachers when it is helpful, but it is not an intrinsic part of the method.  Better get informed. Ignorance is not a good thing.

Their approaches require no defense and my statements were ignorant unless you read and realize your response has nothing to do with my actually statements.