Is it normal for hands (primarily left) to hurt while doing technique exercises?

[arvhaax93]

Such as Hanon? Does the pain mean that I'm gaining strength?  And the pain isn't bad at all, it just feels like a small burn usually in the 3-4-5th fingers.  Should I be changing the way I do these excersices?

[thalbergmad]

Does the pain mean that I'm gaining strength? 

No, piano playing is not like going to the gym.

Generally speaking, if it hurts then stop. Rest and find something that does not hurt or consult a teacher, as the way exercises are played can cause pain.

Hanon is not for everyone.

Thal

[keyboardclass]

If it's causing discomfort you're OK.  Any pain and you're doing something wrong.

[stevebob]

If it's causing discomfort you're OK.  Any pain and you're doing something wrong.

Agreed, but it's a fine line between discomfort and pain.

I don't do technical exercises, but I would be wary of anything that seems even to induce discomfort.  Err on the side of caution.

[go12_3]

Never should the hands hurt AT ALL while playing piano.... The hands should be relaxed and not be tense anywhere ....if the pain persists, then see a doctor for an evaluation of the problem.

[pianist1976]

I think that Hanon is stressful and useless (just for my needs and in my opinion). I think there are much more useful technical exercises.

Anyway, I second the opinions here: avoid pain while practicing.

[ted]

I would unconditionally reject pain, discomfort, and perhaps more importantly, any habitual or repeated playing motion which doesn't feel comfortably within control, even if pain is absent. Beware especially any cramping, weakness or involuntary movements and find different ways of getting the right results. Physical fluency is precious and you don't want to have to spend months relearning and getting over injuries.

[go12_3]

I think that Hanon is stressful and useless (just for my needs and in my opinion). I think there are much more useful technical exercises.

Anyway, I second the opinions here: avoid pain while practicing.

Or avoid practicing when there is pain  

[mudbucket]

There is a difference.

And it kind of is like going to the gym.
Of course, it's not supposed to be excruciating pain, but you are trying to make your finger/hands stronger so doing hanon exercises, particularly in Staccato should, I reckon cause some pain. Particularly on the underside of your arm... anywhere else is not good.
And then you'll notice after a while, it won't hurt... but hey you'll have strrooooooooong fingers.

When I'm doing exercises in front of my teacher, he likes it when I'm wriggling in pain.

And it is normally your left hand because it doesn't get as much exercise as the right hand.  

Obviously you have to notice the different types of 'pain' it really should just feel like working out in a gym. Everything else would refer to whatever everyone else is saying.

[slow_concert_pianist]

Playing Hanon with pain means either

1) you are not playing it right

2) you have a physical dissorder

Remedy -

1) if pain persists after reengineering attempts, seek professional advice - i.e. a teacher

2) see a doctor, which might put an end to Hanon

Practical advice from bitter experience:

Usually pain in performance of Hanon is the student trying to play the exercises faster than capable. You should set the metronome at a level one notch up from comfortable (comfortable = pain free). Once comfortable again - move another notch up.

[april]

You should never experience pain or discomfort when practicing or playing. And you should only practice in short (ie 20 min) time increments.
Trust me when I say this - as I have had to have my tendons in my right wrist stripped, and the carpal tunnel released. I also have chronic tendonitis in my shoulder due to poor technique - because I never had a teacher who taught me the physical side of playing.
I had to learn this all the hard way and not until I was older - when most the damage had already been done.
There are other ways to learn technique, to warm up, whatever. If a teacher insists on Hanon and doesn't offer good physical posture/playing advice - get a new teacher!

[rachfan]

There should be no pain in playing the piano.  If you feel pain, never ever "play through it".  Stop immediately, give the piano (and yourself) a rest, and do something else.

"Exercise books" like Hanon, Czerny, Pishna, Cramer, Philipp, Schmidt, etc. have little or no value, and are generally a waste of valuable time during practicing.  We don't play piano just with the fingers, as the hands, wrists, forearms, upper arms, and torso--indeed the whole body--are needed in playing the piano.  The major exceptions in the area of technique are scales and arpeggios, which pianists need to be able to to play in all keys, major and minor modes.  The reason is that scalar and arpeggiated figurations frequently appear in compositions.  Knowing proper fingerings and execution becomes an actual musical application that contributes to successful preparation and performance of a work.  

The better way to develop technique is NOT through exercise books.  It is far more useful to learn technique from the composers by preparing and playing repertoire.  Whenever you encounter a difficulty in a piece, make an "exercise" out of it with a reasonable number of careful and error-free repetitions. That learning experience will then transfer readily to similar situations found in other repertoire pieces. This approach also avoids some of the dangers lurking in exercise books that can lead to injury.  

[pianoladywong]

Pain does not necessarily mean that your fingers are gaining strength. You may be applying too much pressure or being too tense when you are practicing. The pain may also be caused by improper technique or sitting posture, you should consider having a piano teacher to guide you.

It’s important to warm up before you start practicing or playing, just like an athletic has to warm up before his/ her training. We tend to overlook the fact that our body has to be in tiptop condition before we can perform to our potential. I recommend that you make stretching as part of your warm up routine. Here are some of the stretching ideas; neck rotations, shoulder rotations, bending your hand back, touching your toes, etc. Stretching reduces muscle tension and helps avoid injuries.
You should always stop and take a break when you start experiencing pain or discomfort. If pain persists, you should go see a specialist.

[pwla]

if your hands hurt while practicing it means something is not right in your playing or you are practicing too fast for the moment i suggest you practice slow very slow and the speed will come with time

[gyzzzmo]

Fingers dont have muscles, so theyre not supposed to hurt like muscles. If they do start hurting you are either forcing things, wich is a very bad idea, or you have some medical issue wich requires a visit to your doctor. But definitely dont ignore the pain.

[s055623]

  Hanon is quite useless and a waste of time to practise ( from my personal experience and opinion) and I think practising Czerny is much more useful instead.
  As for your problem, if you feel pain while practising then the way you play the piece or you gesture might be wrong, well, because you can NEVER feel pain by practising Hanon since Hanon's piece were originally made for beginners or improving your playing skills and if it hurts, it won't do any good for the things I just mentioned

[asianpianoer]

shouldn't really be painful
- do it slowly or softer, or less and build up your practice

[pollydendy]

Regardless of what your teacher is saying, you should not be feeling pain.  Hanon can be done without pain.  Either you are not ready for it or  your hand position needs to be rehabilitated.
Most people I have worked with experience pain because they sit too close to the piano,causing them to hold their hands at quirky angles to their arms and their arms at wierd angles to their body.And not supporting their hands by letting their wrists drop, (usually because when they were little it helped them to play faster)  Start by sitting up; support your shoulders by sitting up,(let them drop and relax) leaning slightly forward, and sitting on the front part of the bench, use your good stomach muscles to keep your back straight, and don't slouch.  Allow your elbows to relax away from your body, and  keep your hands at least level supported by your wrists as your base position.  Everything should be flexible. Fatigue is different, and happens with repetitive motion.  you can have repetitive motion injuries as well, and this is made worse with poor positioning.  So use slow practice to analyze your position in relation to your playing and pain vs. fatigue.  Then pay attention, and start to make changes to  your method.  Hanon is good to rehabilitate your entire body in playing, if you choose to use it. Hanon is not the only way, but it really is easy to work on specific things once you have it memorized. You may not  either need or be able to do hours of practice, and try starting your practice and ending with the exercise in a short session.

[thinkgreenlovepiano]

I agree with everyone here... Your hands might get tired (especially from playing Hanon), but they shouldn't hurt. It's not normal, but I bet you aren't the only one who's experienced this- I have, actually.
 "No pain no gain" doesn't really apply to playing piano, you could damage your hands you know... Talk to your teacher about the pain.... your teacher may be able to figure out what you're doing wrong. (For me, it was because I was too tense. Also, my hands get cold really easily and was practicing without warming up my hands first, first thing on  winter mornings!)
 
 

[pkpianist]

No, Never, NOT AT ALL....

If you are practicing and it hurts, you are doing something severely wrong. If your teacher can't help you stop hurting, you need a new teacher.

You should be able to play for 5+ hours a day and only feel your arm muscles tire...that's the big one on your arm. Your wrist and your finger shouldn't really feel anything. Yes, when I play for 5+ hours a day, I sometimes feel my fingers a little tire, but that's rare and barely noticeable and only after weeks of doing that. It's all in the arm, that's the piano muscle, not your wrist or your fingers.

I studied with a teacher in college who was a prodigy who has never had any issues with his hands ever. Neither do I.