right hand woes

[lefty]

Hi everyone.  I'm new here and wanted to introduce myself and ask a question about a technical problem.  I'm 58 and started playing piano in my twenties, played for about 7 years, didn't play at all for 25years, and started up again last year.  Here's my problem:  Left hand very relaxed, loose wrist can play for a while without fatigue.  But right wrist is tight, index finger sticks out straight when playing scales fast.  I see what the problem is but can't seem to transfer what the left hand knows to the right.   Any ideas?  

[xvimbi]

This seems to be a general problem. Over time, one accumulates certain habits in hands and arms that will result in the corresponding muscles to adapt accordingly. Hands and arms will develop differently in terms of dexterity and general capabilities. After a while, these differences become locked into the physiology. Also, if you do most of your daily routine (writing, picking up things, holding things, etc.) primarily with your right hand, the muscles in your right hand and arm will be tighter than those in your left hand/arm.

It will take some time to get this corrected again. I had a similar experience after recovering from an injury. Whenever I observe my hand doing something "bad", I slow down and "tell" it to do the right thing. I repeat that a few times, always making sure that I do it slowly and that I am fully conscientious about it. So tell your index finger not to stick out; play your scales slowly; gradually increase the speed. It's almost like psychokinesis!

It's often hilarious! If I, for example, have a finger curled more than I want it to, I tell it to uncurl. The finger reacts very reluctantly at first, like a little dog that doesn't want to sit down. It's like a little fight of mind over flesh. Eventually, it will obey.

It will all come back slowly with time. Good luck!

[in_love_with_liszt]

Giving the hands a good shake and letting them flop loosly is always a good way to loosen up, and perhaps massaging your wrist would help to free it. Although if you continue to experience problems and even pain you might want to get checked for athritis or carpal tunnel, as those can affect the tendons of the hand and the wrist. If you're finger sticks out, it could just be that over the years it's lost some independance or it could be related to, but not limited to the physical problems mentioned above.