Technique practising for finger 4

[carbe]

Hi!
My finger number 4 (and also 5 a bit) are stiff in the joints. I guess this is very common, but it disturbs me in my playing. When I play scales with fingers 1-2-3 it flows really good, but when the fourth and fifth fingers are included, it becomes more stiff and unflowing. I have problems to get up to the real speed because of this problem.
Anyone who know how to make it better? Some technique practising or something?

Best regards
David

[nyiregyhazi]

Hi!
My finger number 4 (and also 5 a bit) are stiff in the joints. I guess this is very common, but it disturbs me in my playing. When I play scales with fingers 1-2-3 it flows really good, but when the fourth and fifth fingers are included, it becomes more stiff and unflowing. I have problems to get up to the real speed because of this problem.
Anyone who know how to make it better? Some technique practising or something?

Best regards
David

A lot of people talk about how weak fingers don't matter, because it's supposedly the arm that does it all anyway. Sadly, this is utter bull. I had sluggish weak fingers for ages, precisely because I was pressing the arm through them instead of learning to move them.  You need to practise moving the fourth finger freely- rather than bracing it.

Try this approach:

While I disagree with more of what he says than I'd care to list, the basic exercise is very useful. It's a great way to get fingers able to move freely without a hard landing against the keybed. It'll loosen things up in no time.

[keyboardclass]

Brahms 51 no. 15: