agh sore arms

[Tash]

ok in the few months i've been here i can't remember encountering any threads like this so anway...
when i'm playing fast pieces my lower arms get sore and tired and i find it really frustrating cos it's preventing me from playing at the speeds i'd like to. so i really want to get over this but not sure what the best thing to do would be. i'm gonna assume that one thing i should probably try doing is relaxing my lower arm muscles but i have issues with that. any recomendations?

[xvimbi]

If what you experience is tension, then there are lots of threads on this topic... However, you need to define much more clearly what your problem is. Where in your forearm do you have problems? Since it happens in faster passages, I guess you need to work on your co-ordination. Tension is mainly created by co-contraction, static muscular activity, akward position and unnecessary force. In faster passages, it is very likely that you haven't released a set of muscles when the antagonistic set has to come in (e.g. moving fingers up and down). At the same time, you may fix and cramp muscles that are supposed to be relaxed, e.g playing fast octave passages with fingers 1 and 5 while holding the middle fingers in a cramped position.

[Bernardswatch]

Ive been having this problem to.  I get it when playing the fast passage towards the end of chopin ballade no.1.

I find it hard to relax the hand because its a loud passage.


I go to the jim quite regulally and think this has an effect.


I also remember in the past I had this problem with the pathetique second movement(left hand), but i just grew out of it.

[Max]

Firstly - I agree with xvimbi.

Secondly - if your arms feel sore or tired, STOP PRACTISING! It can cause repetive stress injuries, which aren't fun!

[nick]

Here is something heard before: Try playing much smaller passages very fast. Repeat these a number of times, then increase the length a few notes at a time. This will ensure you are relaxed since the passage is not as long. You can break up the long passage into many smaller parts, and just repeat the heck out of each one. You will get very proficient at playing them very fast. After some time you can string a couple together etc. Runners do this to increase their speed for a certain distance. Hope it helps.
Nick

[Bonobo]

This happens to me too, when i try to play something super fast that i think: "I will never make it". Maybe i should change attitude there.
I think you get relaxed when you know the notes very good.

[Tash]

it's the muscles that sort of start at the sort of inside of the elbow?i dunno what they're called.also it's worse when i'm practicing at home rather than at lessons. i know the notes really well and it's all fine playing at a slower speed. i don't know my arms are stupid! will try splitting it up in sections, see if that works. i wish i could just get some doctor or person to go right this is your problem and this is how you fix it how convenient would that be

[xvimbi]

i wish i could just get some doctor or person to go right this is your problem and this is how you fix it how convenient would that be

Piano teachers who know a lot about the relationship between piano playing and human anatomy/physiology (such as piano teachers who are also trained in the Alexander or Taubman Techniques) can do that. Doctors are often helpless, unless they play piano themselves and have studied these relationships.