Minimizing finger movement

[heha]

Hi all,

I have played the piano for more than a decade and have always moved my other fingers when I play with 3, 4 and 5 to help generate a satisfactory sound. However, I realised that many advanced pieces require 3, 4 and 5 to move independently and wish to change my approach.

Does anyone practise very slowly and make sure you lift only the required finger (cut down movement as much as possible) for every note in every single piece you play? Or do you do that only in the sections which require that? Has anyone made this switch to completely minimizing movement and how did you go about it? Thanks.

[cmg]

Hi all,

I have played the piano for more than a decade and have always moved my other fingers when I play with 3, 4 and 5 to help generate a satisfactory sound. However, I realised that many advanced pieces require 3, 4 and 5 to move independently and wish to change my approach.

Does anyone practise very slowly and make sure you lift only the required finger (cut down movement as much as possible) for every note in every single piece you play? Or do you do that only in the sections which require that? Has anyone made this switch to completely minimizing movement and how did you go about it? Thanks.

I'm not quite sure what you mean here by "moving my other fingers when I play with 3,4,5."  Do you mean 1 and 2 wiggle around or stick up tensely when you use the remaining fingers?  You will get some residual movement from other fingers from the fact that finger movement, in itself, should be combined with a subtle rotational technique.  The weaker fingers rely on a good rotation technique to compensate for their anatomical "deficiency," so to speak.  Fingers are not little jack-hammers:  they're wrapped up in a complex interdependent sheath of tendons and other whatevers.


Watch for stiffness (tension) in the "movements" of the idle fingers and eliminate that at all costs.  Tension is the greatest enemy to performance.  When practicing slowly, you want to eliminate all extraneous movement.  Economy of movement assures accuracy, among other things.

Hope I answered this.  If not, my apologies!

[mike_lang]

Tension is the greatest enemy to performance.  When practicing slowly, you want to eliminate all extraneous movement.  Economy of movement assures accuracy, among other things.

Amen!  It reminds me of the story of Rachmaninoff being heard to play Chopin 25/6 so slowly that it was unrecognizable to the auditors.  Surely, it not only increased his accuracy by eliminating tension in the hand, but also enabled him to hear things he would not otherwise.

ML

[kard]

In my limited experience, extraneous movements are the results of overcompensation. The movement you make when you pull your fingers together to make a fist is all the compensation you should need.