Hand Fatigue

[tcovenent]

Hi, this is my first post and also my first-ish time on the piano (Been at it for like two months so I'm still green, not counting all the times I just banged away at one as a kid).

I need some advise, basically. I've been practicing for give or take 1 hour a day (Sometimes 2 sometimes 3) for the past two months ever since I started taking lessons. Lately, past three weeks to be exact, my hands have really been acting up. At first I ignored it but now it's getting very frustrating. My hands feel weird in general, stiff to be exact, they seem to get stuck during playing every now and again, like my left hand would suddenly stop while my right hand keeps going, especially when I hit a note with my left pinky. My fingers also crack if I make a fist, especially after a long practice session.

It's getting to the point where I can't play one of the first practice songs without taking a break first, otherwise I just seem to make one mistake after another. I used to be able to go an hour without taking a break and never notice any reduction in my playing ability (As small as it is at my level).

Is this natural?

Does every piano player go through this phase? do I just have to keep going and just wait for my hands to get used to it?.

Is this a sign of poor posture? would an adjustable chair solve my problems?

Or is this a sign of developing carpel tunnel? maybe I should seek medical attention?

I should mention that I work as a programmer, so I spend 40 hours a week ramming away at a keyboard, not including any personal use at home.

And I'm currently practicing with a cheap soft touch keyboard, I don't have the funds to buy a weighted keyboard or an acoustic piano yet.

Anyway, that's pretty much it. Any advise on how I should go about this would be very helpful. Thanks!

[counterpoint]

Does every piano player go through this phase? do I just have to keep going and just wait for my hands to get used to it?.

Under no circumstances you should "get used to it"! That can become very dangerous!

Your  hands seem not to be relaxed, while you're playing. That's what your description sounds like. Play slower, be aware of every tension. If it occures, play even slower. It should be possible to play every piece with a minimal effort, if you play it slow enough.

Which pieces did you play in the last weeks?

[tcovenent]

I'm still studying off the preparatory textbooks the teacher chose for me "Beyer" and "The New Czerny", I'm still on the C & G position practice pieces with quavers, both hands but no bass clef yet. I'm also learning Ave Maria which has a lot of arpeggios in the left hand. Now that you mention it though, I do have a habit of trying to rush things.

[bench warmer]

When you are practicing at the piano keep your hands as relaxed and supple as they are when you' re cranking out code at the comp. keyboard. But....don't use the same technique. Comp. keboarding is All fingers; piano is fingers, hands, wrists, elbows. etc . Get your whole body involved, that should help.

[amelialw]

keep your hands relaxed!! that's really important. besides that should'nt you increase your practise time slowly and why are you practising 1 or 2 or 3 hrs, that's not a good plan, you should fix an amount of time that you will stay with. Do you intend to go into music? because I think you are pushing yourself too hard

[m1469]

Play scales slowly for an hour a day.

[pianistimo]

40 hours a week at a keyboard as a programmer?  yikes.  this could be the problem.  if i were you - i'd only practice seriously on the weekend.  just 10 minutes during the week.  i can feel strain in my hands and arms from 2 hours of gardening.  lifting something i shouldn't.  etc.  it's not good to have constant repetition or any kind of strain.

get a good night's sleep on friday night.  relax and play stuff you like on saturday - and then - maybe sat night and sunday put in some serious 3 hour work if you like.  those are my suggestions.  of course, you might not become a concert pianist this way - but you'll enjoy what you do longer!  fingers/arms/hands are actually quite delicate.  glad your keyboard is not weighted at this point.

[richy321]

Be sure you tell your teacher of this problem, especially when it happens during a lesson.  A really good teacher should be able to determine if it is due to excess tension by observation and by touching your arm and hand while you play.  It is difficult to do by yourself.  You are right to be concerned, as it may portend serious problems if not corrected.

Rich Y

[jlh]

It seems like it's a problem that you are unaware of, and so first you should ask your teacher to monitor your playing habits and take note of any tension whatsoever.  He/she should be able to help you become aware of exactly where the tension is coming from, and if not, you might think of switching to a new teacher.  Having a non-weighted keyboard might also be part of the problem. 

The other suggestions are good ones.  Play slowly.  Play softly.  Play one note at a time, taking care to observe exactly what muscles are being used at any given time.  Usually when hands lock up it's because both corresponding flexor and extensor muscles are in use at the same time.  This prevents fluidity of movement and you will be stiff as a result.

Play every finger of your hand, one finger at a time, on any 5 notes, thinking about which muscles are being used -- flexor or extensor -- and thinking about relaxing what muscles are not being used.  Do this a few minutes a day at least.  Think also about the energy for pushing the keys NOT coming from the fingers, but from the back, the upper arm, and GRAVITY.  Your keyboard doesn't have weighted keys, so you don't need to push the keys down hard at all, let gravity do it for you.  This is also a great time to practice "dropping" your arm into the keys (such as playing a triad or chord), as the same principle applies for that as well.  Just lift your arm as though someone has tied a string around your wrist (so that the arm is completely relaxed) and they are pulling your wrist up instead of you lifting your arm.  Then drop the wrist so that the fingers play the keys -- then COMPLETELY relax your muscles -- once you play the notes you cannot modify the sound, and your unweighted keys probably only need like a half-ounce pressure to remain down -- which is much less than your fingers weigh.

Josh

[tcovenent]

Thanks a lot for all the advice!.

To be honest I didn't think practicing for 1 - 3 hours a day was too much, I actually thought it was too little. I tried playing a bit slower and more relaxed today, I also started with the hardest practice song the teacher gave me, I was pleasantly surprised when I got it on the first try. Trying to move my arms and shoulders did make me feel less tense but it made accuracy a bit of a problem, I'll probably get used to it though.

I have another question though. The reason my practice sessions are so long is that I always start from the very first practice song and go through them all and then try to learn a new one (So about 28 10 - 20 bar songs a day now), mostly because my teacher makes me go through them all each week (Until I finish the whole book).

Is this productive at all? or is it just making me tired? would it be better to just practice, say, 6 or so practice songs a day and go through them all in the weekend? and devote the rest of the time to scales and Ave Maria? (It pains me that I can only do the first three lines of that piece without getting confused). Right now I'm just doing 3 minute warm ups with the C, G and D scales.

I guess what I'm really asking is would my muscle memory forget them if I didn't practice every single day Lol.

[miguelcatalao]

Hi!

I'm a programmer too, so i spend 40 hours a week in a Computer Keyboard...
One has to make a living right?

I think your problems is posture! Do you have a teacher? jlk said wisely, your teacher should be capable of helping you!

Good Luk!

MC

[amelialw]

you should spend about minimum 15 mins and 30 mins for technique depending on how much time you have. Pick out the important parts/tough parts of each piece and work them well and go through the whole pieces on weekends.

[guendola]

I agree with Miguelcatalao and I am in the same situation. I actually think you should work on your posture for both, piano playing and programming. Sitting on the computer keyboard so much forces the shoulders to lock into a closed forward position and that is exactly the opposite of what you are supposed to do at the piano. A good start is to move the mouse away from the keyboard. Considering how fast you can move your hands on the piano, it won't slow you down for long.

You should also get an adjustable chair for the piano.

Consult your teacher about posture.