last joint of little finger

[cas70]

It seems impossible to keep the last join to the little finger stiff when playing the black keys.  Is this of major importance?

[j_menz]

You can find a very full discussion of this in another thread:
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=45408.0

Whether you find that useful or not is another matter.

[werq34ac]

That thread actually just consists of nyghirazi and keyboardclass bashing each other (although I feel nyghirazi has more to contribute than keyboardclass)


Anyway, yeah it's a bad habit. A particularly difficult passage made me collapse the last joint on my pinkie, and it ended up making my pinkie sore. Collapsing the joint places incredible stress on it while not collapsing it supports the finger tip from the finger.

The reason you are probably doing this however, is because black keys are smaller than white keys. I noticed when I was playing Chopin's Black key etude that my fingers were pretty much almost flat. How I managed to play all the notes I'll never know. Anyway, black keys require a bit more accuracy with your fingers and flattening them out increases the chance of hitting the right note (although this doesn't work for white keys because there is no empty space between the white keys.

But you will be much better off if you fix this. Take things slowly and make sure your pinkie is working properly.

[cas70]

Thanks.  You're right about the other thread I was referred to.  It mostly consists of one-upping and insults.  In difficult fast passages sometimes it is so hard to keep the last joint of the finger from collapsing, which makes playing feel like churning through mud.

[keyboardclass]

I actual do something more dynamic - I flex the joint to make the key go down.  I call it scratching the key though the actually name for it is carezzando touch.

[werq34ac]

I actual do something more dynamic - I flex the joint to make the key go down.  I call it scratching the key though the actually name for it is carezzando touch.

That's different from "breaking in the last joint." You flex ONLY the last joint? Or the entire finger. Most people can't even flex that last joint alone. It takes the entire finger to pivot that particular joint. As for "scratching the key" the point is that curling the fingers inward is a much more natural movement than pushing the key vertically down. At higher speeds, your fingers have enough energy to play the note with this movement that normally isn't very efficient because most of the force goes horizontally rather than vertically. It does allow for more ease in playing faster passages.

At slower speeds, all my teachers have described it as caressing the key. It creates a more intimate sound. Though it might be all psychological.

You should clarify your opinions. "Breaking in the joint" makes it sound like you are collapsing the last joint (which places tremendous stress on that joint).

[keyboardclass]

You should clarify your opinions. "Breaking in the joint" makes it sound like you are collapsing the last joint (which places tremendous stress on that joint).

Well, thank you - you seem to have done that for me.  Also, I find playing from the nail joint more sensitive than playing from the knuckle (as most do).  Nature seems to have intended it that way.