My ring finger and baby finger on the righthand are weak

[infectedmushroom]

Like the topic title says.


These two fingers are really weak, unfortunately. I was wondering if there are some good practise methods to get them stronger? Are there any good recommendations for training them?

Thanks in advance!

[counterpoint]

What piece do you want to play?
Everyone's 4th and 5th fingers are weak. That should not be a problem.

[ilikepie]

op10 no.2 randomly..

[dnephi]

FF, Op. 10 No.2, Rachmaninoff Prelude in e-flat minor, Etude Tableau Op. 39 No. 3, Mendelssohn-Rachmaninoff Scherzo from a Midsummer Night's Dream.

That should keep you occupied for a year.

[imbetter]

FF, Op. 10 No.2, Rachmaninoff Prelude in e-flat minor, Etude Tableau Op. 39 No. 3, Mendelssohn-Rachmaninoff Scherzo from a Midsummer Night's Dream.

That should keep you occupied for a year.

lol

[rc]

What helped me was playing pieces with chords in the RH, where the melody is on the top (4th and 5th fingers) and you don't want it overpowered by the harmony (the strong fingers).

It feels like I'm shifting the balance in my hand towards the weaker fingers.  They get more force and can handle it just fine.

You could invent your own exercises playing chords emphasizing the outer fingers.

If speed an coordination is the issue, ornamentation in Bach could help.  Often a trill or mordent happens to be best reached with the weak fingers, which is good exercise.

[thalberg]

www.fingerweights.com

JUST KIDDING!

[ilikepie]

www.fingerweights.com

JUST KIDDING!

They seem interesting enough; you think they'd work?? hahahaha

[jinfiesto]

The Mendelssohn songs without words will fix your problem. Don't do the weights. That's how schumann busted his hand.

[m]

FF, Op. 10 No.2, Rachmaninoff Prelude in e-flat minor, Etude Tableau Op. 39 No. 3, Mendelssohn-Rachmaninoff Scherzo from a Midsummer Night's Dream.

That should keep you occupied for a year.

 
Mendelssohn-Rachmaninov alone is a life time project. I believe it is a harder piece than either FF or Op.10/2. In any case, I have been working on all of those for about 20+ years and still did not dare to play in public... well maybe Scherzo this season... as an encore.

[dnephi]

Mendelssohn-Rachmaninov alone is a life time project. I believe it is a harder piece than either FF or Op.10/2. In any case, I have been working on all of those for about 20+ years and still did not dare to play in public... well maybe Scherzo this season... as an encore.

I'll trust you on that.  It's enormously difficult for an encore, though.

[cmg]

What helped me was playing pieces with chords in the RH, where the melody is on the top (4th and 5th fingers) and you don't want it overpowered by the harmony (the strong fingers).

It feels like I'm shifting the balance in my hand towards the weaker fingers.  They get more force and can handle it just fine.

You could invent your own exercises playing chords emphasizing the outer fingers.

If speed an coordination is the issue, ornamentation in Bach could help.  Often a trill or mordent happens to be best reached with the weak fingers, which is good exercise.

Great advice.  Chordal work where you need to bring out soprano voice should do the trick.  Also, if you're up to it, Chopin Op. 25/12 and op. 10/1.  You want to strenghten the "arch" in your hand. 

Avoid, for now, the Mendelssohn-Rachmaninov.  That's Marik territory.  Big boy stuff.   

[ramseytheii]

If thy ring finger and pinkie finger offend thee, cut them off.

Walter Ramsey

[cmg]

If thy ring finger and pinkie finger offend thee, cut them off.

Walter Ramsey

A digit for a digit

[ramseytheii]

A digit for a digit

Well, why not?  Tere's too many piano players in the world to begin with 

Walter Ramsey

[rc]

NO! Then they might start singing!

Maybe an enforced piano-license?

"excuse me, that sounded horrible just now.  Let's see your license and registration"

[pianochick93]

Ah, but then what would happen to young, beginning pianists who are just learning to play? They would be aksed for a liscence but they aren't good enough to get one!

Mind you, I think my younger sister should have a liscence, she is just learning to play, and she's horrible!

and I have to teach her how to play as well.

[nyonyo]

op10 no.2 randomly..

I assume that the question must have come from a person who just learn how to play piano. Therefore, Hanon is a more appropriate suggestion. Op10#2 is a good one, but not for a beginner.

As you know, you can measure an area by using calculus but using a formula is more practical approach for those who just learn geometry.

RS

[ilikepie]

I assume that the question must have come from a person who just learn how to play piano. Therefore, Hanon is a more appropriate suggestion. Op10#2 is a good one, but not for a beginner.

As you know, you can measure an area by using calculus but using a formula is more practical approach for those who just learn geometry.

RS

That's true I guess, but where in the post does the OP point out that he/she's just learning how to play? I didn't bother making any assumptions because I was probably half drunk at that time.

[dnephi]

Best way is to skip 1-variable calculus and do 3-d vector calculus to solve it.

[dnephi]

How about the Schumann Toccata, Op. 7?

[iumonito]

Wow, you got some mixed approaches here.

Here is my humble 2-cent concept: don't ask your fingers to do a job that your arm should be doing.  If you play with your 4th or 5th finger directly with the support of the arm behind them, of course they are not weak on the slightest.  All they have to do is be a conduit to the arm.  Either be a minimal fore-arm rotation or some other movement from the arm, the finger is doing minimal movement itself, and at that range of motion speed is the name of the game.  If you need power, it has to come with the arm.

Don't make the fingers equal, but do give them equal support.

[ramseytheii]

Wow, you got some mixed approaches here.

Here is my humble 2-cent concept: don't ask your fingers to do a job that your arm should be doing.  If you play with your 4th or 5th finger directly with the support of the arm behind them, of course they are not weak on the slightest.  All they have to do is be a conduit to the arm.  Either be a minimal fore-arm rotation or some other movement from the arm, the finger is doing minimal movement itself, and at that range of motion speed is the name of the game.  If you need power, it has to come with the arm.

Don't make the fingers equal, but do give them equal support.

Bravo!  Much better than my answer.

Walter Ramsey

[981005]

 

Like the topic title says.


These two fingers are really weak, unfortunately. I was wondering if there are some good practise methods to get them stronger? Are there any good recommendations for training them?

Thanks in advance!

[patrickd]

The first few technical exercises by Liszt.

[dima_76557]

The first few technical exercises by Liszt.

That is: if you focus on nerve command over the fingers, not on muscle training. Generally, "weighing" the key (= feeling its resistance and gently pressing through it, diagonally forward) and thus producing a well-controlled pianissimo sound with the fingers will make them much "stronger" than striking the key hard with brute strength.
This should be done very, very slowly. It's very taxing for the nervous system by the way.

[okanaganmusician]

Make sure not to use Robert Schumann's contraption!   

Simple finger exercises can be quite effective.  Assume a normal piano position sitting at a table.  practicing lifting each finger up as high as possible without lifting up any others and tap them on the table a few times each.

While this doesn't immediately improve the strength of the fingers, it will improve the flexibility of them, especially the 3rd 4th and 5th fingers, within a few weeks.

Strength takes time to build up.  It's an interesting debate though - do you really NEED your fingers to be strong?  Chopin seemed to do ok!  If you're utilizing gravity and relaxing your fingers/wrists/arm you should find it easy to play loud - becuase you're working less hard and letting gravity do it's thing!

That said though, it will limit the kind of pieces that you can play - especially if it involves flexibility and dexterity as well as raw strength (ie Rachmaninov)