Lightning Hands!!!

[Antnee]

Does anyone else experience this?

When practicing, after about maybe an hour and a half at the piano, you play much faster than you did after the first half hour? For example a fast pasage was much faster and smoother after the hour and a half at the piano than the first half hour. Does anyone know why this is? Is it that your hands are stretched and flexible, or is it a mental thing?

-Tony-

[Clare]

Yeah, me too.
I know, for one thing, my hands have finally warmed up, but more importantly, for some reason, every day when I start at the piano, it feels like an alien instrument which I've never played ever before. It takes about an hour for me to remember exactly how much and how little force I need to get what I want out of the keys. It starts to feel like a natural thing after a while but I have to go through that hour of feeling clumsy first.

[Allan]

It is the craziest thing.  I am sure that it is "90% mental and the other half is pyhsical."

[donjuan]

This happens to me- mostly on an unpredictable basis.  Usually it will happen when the adrenaline gets pumping- like when it's time to perform in front of an audience.  On my own, though, some days I'll be slow and stiff no matter how long I practice, but on other days, the music seems so easy....maybe it has something to to with sleep, food.,,i dont know.
donjuan

[Antnee]

Exactly!!!

When you first sit down, the keys feel like they weigh a hundred pounds, but after a while they feel light as a feather!!!!

  Very wierd....  :-/

-Tony-

[rlefebvr]

I used to be that way and it still happens now once in a while, but usually only when I am tired.
I think it's a question of confidence. The more I practice  on a regular basis, the more the piano becomes a friend and not an adversary.

When I first started, I could not even find the notes when playing on a different piano. It was like they had moved to a different location or something.

[faulty_damper]

Motor unit recruitment.

That's why.

Try it:  Pick up 1 pound weight and lift a couple of times.  Then pick up 5 pound weight and lift a couple of times.  Then pick the 1 pound weight and lift.  Notice how much easier it is?

Same principle with playing: you are activating more muscle tissue after a while playing than when you started.