help me my fingers hurting so much

[cucudas]

i was practicing this fortissimo piece for few hours and my nail tips getting fall apart from the finger..almost half of my 2nd finger's nail is getting separated from finger
i tried bandages but they won't help at all..
what should i do?
is there any good medicine for that?

[netzow]

I'm afraid I can't help you with what to do about your nail's............but. The cause of the problem is probably rooted in an how you are playing. In order to the volume you want are  you plaing hard pressing on your fingers or are you using arm weight? I have played pieces that are louder than this most of the way through and have found a arm weight necessary to play without brusing my finger tips. Also is it necessary to play the full volume of the piece every single time you play it? Hope this is helpful. Good luck.

[ako]

Sorry for your finger. Unfortunately, you'll have to stop practicing for a few days until your fingernail grows back. You do not want to hurt yourself anymore seriously. I can only suggest anti-bacterial ointments for fear your finger might become infected. Ask your parents/doctor also for any pain medication.

[the_duck]

i'd also agree that your fingernails separating from your fingers is a sign that the technique you're using is not ideal. try relaxing your whole hand and arms (from the shoulders downwards, not just at the wrist). but if you want a quick fix solution as well (and this may sound crazy, but it actually works), try applying a LITTLE bit of super glue to the fingertip. it solidifies it, and because it has alcohol in it, there's no risk of infection. so give it a go. (i was given this advice by a famous pianist by the way!)

[yooniefied]

Sorry to hear about your fingertips; I hope you are feeling better by now.

Besides everyone's suggestions about watching your finger/arm-weight technique, I'd also make sure to inspect your instrument carefully. I once had to play an old, craptacular upright which had some weird scratchy enamel finish on the keys... let's just say my fingers looked like you had thrown them through the food processor after a few uses.

[ramseytheii]

A lot of pianists have this problem, most prominently Alfred Brendel!  I wonder if it has anything to do with playing too much with curved fingers.  Try playing on the fleshier part of the finger, and with flatter fingers.  Especially when playing on black keys, it is advantageous to use flat fingers.  Perhaps you are also monotous in your choice of touch.  Experiment with a greater variety of touches, such as the "cat-stroke," where your fingers stroke the keys downward as you would a cat.

Walter Ramsey