DIGI-FLEX®

[Johnnylightning]

Has anybody tried using a hand held, excrcise device called the DIGI-FLEX® to strengthen and flex finger/hand muscles?  I've heard of gutarrists using it and was wondering if a pianist could benefit from its use.  It resembles a grip work-out apparatus, only each finger (thumb excluded) gets worked-out individually.  Only other thing that I know about this device, is that it is used primarily for theraputic purposes.

[dinosaurtales]

Don't know about the DigiFlex, but if you want to *work out* your fingers to get them in shape, I used the exercises from a book called Piano Power by Richard Prokop.  It's a fast, easy book to read, and doing these exercises for even just a few weeks made a humongous difference in my hand strength and flexibility and finger independence when I was trying to get *back into* the piano playing.  I got the book through Amazon - it wasn't expencsive either.

[jdskee]

As long as it doesnt have too much resistance (slightly less than what a grand's action would give) I would use it but sparingly and only when you can't practice on a piano for some reason. Just remember that generally its more difficult to have finer control over your finger movements when you have bigger muscles, and too much work even with a low resistance could cause tension in your hands that makes it even harder to play.

[Johnnylightning]

Just remember that generally its more difficult to have finer control over your finger movements when you have bigger muscles, and too much work even with a low resistance could cause tension in your hands that makes it even harder to play.

AHHHH! Did'nt know that! Thanks jdskee.  (Now I wonder how much I could get for this contraption on eBay)

I guess your right, DinosaurTales, I just gotta' play my butt off to get good!  I'll look up the book

[dinosaurtales]

Oh crap!  My brain just fell out!