Muscle Strain

[tickingcounterparts]

I have played piano for fourteen years now (I am nineteen, so that puts me at starting at age 5). I had to break from piano lessons for five years due to my father's death but was offered free lessons by a local woman who didn't help me much. Being over eager  I practiced way too much at one sitting (6 hours practicing Beethoven's "Sonata La'Pathetique") I damaged the muscles in my arm or something. The doctor said it was merely tendonitis.. wear a brace... take some medicine and I'd be ok.

I eventually had to stop playing Sonata La'Pathetique, and after three years, I can only play for maybe thirty minutes at a time before my hands ache horribly. I gave up on my dream of music college (I had the forms but never filled them out)... and now stare at my piano with bitterness.

Does anyone have any idea of what I could do to maybe do something about my hands so I could start playing again? Piano has always been part of my soul and is something i love and miss dearly. I'm not trying to be a sob story and gain pity but I've never found such an active piano community, and also, I figure someone who understands playing piano can be more understanding than a doctor.

Anyways, anyone who reads this and replies is truly appreciated.

P.S. So far this is an AWESOME community!!!

[rc]

Welcome to the forum.

I don't really know anything about injuries, so far I haven't had any...  as a rule never practicing through any pain, so far so good.  I'm sure there's a way for you to play without any pain, if you work at it you should be able to overcome it.  You like it and want to play so there is no choice.

Here's a good book, What Every Pianist needs to Know About the Body.  Alexander technique as it applies to piano:

https://www.amazon.com/What-Every-Pianist-Needs-About/dp/1579992064/sr=1-8/qid=1161303692/ref=sr_1_8/102-1017306-5845737?ie=UTF8&s=books

[ramseytheii]

I think as far as those 14 years are concerned, you should forget them, except in cases where you wer emost moved by music.  You have to start over, if you want to play piano without pain, you have to start over from scratch.  This is not recommended work to do alone, but if you have to do it alone it is not impossible.  But if you are really serious, it means forgoing some musical pleasure from the instrument in order to realign your technique, with the desired sound.

For a while it will be all searching and experimentation, and frustration, as the sound you have inside is not coming out.  But the important thing is to keep seeking, to read all the materials that you can, to watch pianists on videotape or DVD and try and imitate them, to consult as many people as you can even if they are not a private teacher, and to take all this information with a grain of salt.  I am proposing a vast synthesis that will allow you to break through terribly learned habits and find enjoyment on the piano.

I had a student that played piano stiffly, so stiffly it was painful to look at.  Once in a while he achieved more or less his musical goals, but more often not.  I showed him a few things which practiced correctly would loosen him up, allow him to differentiate in sound, allow him to have ideas really be executed.  What happened?  He quit.  He couldn't deal with the transition period in between the new way of practicing and making music, although he was hardly making any beforehand.

This transition period is the most crucial period.  everyone, I do mean everyone experiences it at some time.  Glenn Gould went probably 45 blissful years of playing the piano before it happened also to him.  According to Kevin Bazzana's "Wondrous Strange," in 1977 Gould started a diary kept for ten months detailing his increasing disintegration at the piano, from pains and stiffness, to loss of coordination, uneven sound, inability to articulate chords together, etc. 

He apparently recorded meticulously all the different combinations of moving his body parts around in order to fix these problems.  Some of these are listed in the book, and if you have it, start reading on page 420.  In the end, the diary comes to no solution, although along the way he claims to have found the one solution.  But he made fantastic recordings after this time, he overcame this struggle, and came out probably stronger than before.

I recommend starting from the premise that knowing what is wrong, always entails knowing in some form what is right.  You have some things which are tremendously wrong, because you experience pain after 30 minutes.  You have to start working from the most minute level, always searching for what is right.  There must be some passages in some piece that you can play comfortably and beautifully - this is your starting point.  Everything else will stem from your approach to these passages.

Of course you really should get a teacher, because that can speed this process up tremendously, if you are able to sit down and get to work.  Let us know what happens!

Walter Ramsey

[debussy symbolism]

Greetings.

I have not read the replies to your inquiry, but will try to offer advice best fit for my knowledge on this subject so far.

My guess is that whilst playing, you are tensing up, and that tension has been accumulating there for 14 years. Do not throw all that time away, rather, fix your bad habits. Of course for that to happen you must be under constant watch by a teacher. My guess is that whilst playing your hands and arms tensen up. Shun away from tension at all costs. When approaching the piano, start to notice just what exactly is tense, and immediately release the tension. Definately aquire a good teacher and really watch at your position and tension whilst playing.

I hope all the best.

[susank]

Well, first go to your local yellow pages and look under chiropractors..(No moaning) and look for  a doctor who is a Palmer University graduate.  Got that? Good.  Call the doctor and make an appointment.  Dr. Todd Staker in Cary, NC cured my tendonitis/carpel issues in two visits. I  know you do not know me and have no reason to believe me...but run to your nearest chiropractor.  I occasionally go in for a tune up but as a whole, I am in good shape.
suz

[pianistimo]

perhaps all of the above?  relaxation is key.  once you learn how to do it - it's like riding a bicycle.