weakness of 5th finger

[imbetter]

even though this finger is naturaly weak, im tired of it always lacking behind. Can anybody suggest some exercises to strengthen this finger? if i can get some then ill definatly try it.


thanks

[rc]

Most music actually, because the pinky often winds up getting the outer voices, it tends to have to emphasise them over the rest, to give a clear melody and bass for the music...  A good exercise would be to learn a Bach chorale, with 4 voices going the pinky often winds up playing a large role, then practice emphasising the soprano and bass.  In the musical context, it feels natural to want to give them emphasis.

Another pinky exercise would be playing a waltz-type figuration, where the LH jumps up and down, the pinky winds up being the one to hit the bass notes forcefully.  That's just the LH though, but it doubles as jumping exercise, learning how to hit a note accurately by feel.

If the pinky is lagging behind, not hitting the note when it should, I suspect this would be due to the pinky not being where it should be ahead of time.  Maybe it's up in the air or curled away?

[b0mbtrack]

my pinkies are always curled up in the air while i play for some reason, but when i need them i don't usually have a problem.  i have been trying to fix this though just incase.

[opus10no2]

Chromatic 6ths in both hands are the common figuration that's of most use to developing dex..

Other than that, just raw trills.

Improvise while trilling 4-5.

[opus10no2]

Oh, and the best Chopin etude for this finger may actually be 10/1.

Apart from the other obvious ones of course.

[henrah]

25/12 would fit the bill too with the jumps landing on the fifth. Accuracy and strength is needed to pull it off well.

[danny elfboy]

Your 5th finger ISN'T literally weak
In our body weakness means either muscular deconditioning or exhaustion and there are no muscles in the section of the 3 phalanges that you call 5th finger

I think this is important to understand because it's the only way you can understand what the problem with your 5th finger is since it can't possible be weakness and there's no exercise that will make it strong (like it is for bobybuilding and weight-lifting)

Playing is a matter of weight trasmittion. That's why your finger should never curled or away from the keyboard. Non playing fingers should just rest on the keys and not be kept up or outside the keyboard. That's because the weight you transmit from your body to the upper arm and forearm and finally the hand/fingers can be individually directed to each finger or more fingers

You should practice just keeping your hand on the keyboard in play position and then just raise your whole arm and hand aligned for less than a centimeter letting the hand fall on the keys BUT making sure only the finger you're transmitting the weight to will depress the key, the other fingers just being weightless and resting on the key surface

If you do this for days and in a proper manner you will master the kinestetic sensation of just transmitting the weight through the arms to individual fingers.
Clearly this will solve any mental/physical barrier of the 5th finger because:

Since it's a matter of weight and gravity it doesnt' matter if the 5th finger is smaller and thinner

The problem everyone has with 5th finger is not being able to individually transmit to weight to it while not trasmitting it to the middle finger and fourth finger

When you master the weight trasmitting to allow each individual fingers to play the keys in a fraction of a second the 5th finger just can rest on the key surface and it's ready to play just by having the weight trasmitted to it

For this to work naturally you have to find the correct distance and sitting height at the keyboard so that you hand, wrist and arm are in a straight line and hence perfectly aligned for maximum effortless weight trasmittiong

Proper Sitting at the Piano

[overscore]

Continuously play the first five notes of a scale with your little finger holding the first note throughout (for left hand - obviously for the other hand you do the opposite).

Do it every day for five minutes and it'll work in no time.

[ramibarniv]

Just today I wrote this on my own Egroup...:
Here are some exercises and they must be done gently and with extreme caution:
1) Put on a table surface 5 curved fingers like in a nice playing position and make like a spider push-ups.
2) Wrestling fingers: Curved RH 5 vs. LH 5, tip cushion to tip cushion.
3) Cherrios: Form the number zero with thumb and pinky (tip to tip) and press gently to the count of 8 and then rest for the count of 8. Hand separately!
4) At the keyboard, or on a table: hold down all 5 fingers, curved in a nice hand position and play the pinky slowly moving it up as high as you can and down with a slight tap onto the key.
hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Rami (Who's giving a concert and a master class in the DC area Feb 24-25)
rrpcrrpc@yahoo.com
https://www.youtube.com/user/barniv
https://ramisrhapsody.tripod.com/