Is it my technique or the piano?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

There's this piano at school and whenever I play on it, my fingertips hurt.  Especially pieces that require a lot of percision like La Campanella; for example, the whole piece up to the part where you have to trill with your 4th and 5th finger.  It also hurts when I play some scales.  I don't remember them off the top of my head sorry.  I've noticed that it's only that piano in the school that gives me pain.  The pain is mainly on my index and middle fingertips.  I've also noticed that my 2nd and 3rd fingers have Hard fingertips compared to the others.

Is the piano the problem?  Or is the piano trying to tell me that there's something wrong with my technique that all the other ones can't? 

[quantum]

What are you doing differently to play on this piano than all other pianos?  Make observations the next time you play the piano in question. 

Can you give more details on the piano itself?

I've played pianos where the ivories have been worn so thin the edges become nearly razor sharp.  You could cut yourself if you brushed against the key a certain way.  I've only seen this on real ivories, not plastic or synthetic keytops.  So there are certain situations where a piano could hurt you. 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

What are you doing differently to play on this piano than all other pianos?  Make observations the next time you play the piano in question. 

Can you give more details on the piano itself?

I've played pianos where the ivories have been worn so thin the edges become nearly razor sharp.  You could cut yourself if you brushed against the key a certain way.  I've only seen this on real ivories, not plastic or synthetic keytops.  So there are certain situations where a piano could hurt you. 

Okay, so it's a Steinway baby grand, and it looks pretty old.  Umm, some of the edges of the keys are broken apart, but I don't think my fingers are brushing against them.  The black keys are really rounded

[pianoplunker]

There's this piano at school and whenever I play on it, my fingertips hurt.  Especially pieces that require a lot of percision like La Campanella; for example, the whole piece up to the part where you have to trill with your 4th and 5th finger.  It also hurts when I play some scales.  I don't remember them off the top of my head sorry.  I've noticed that it's only that piano in the school that gives me pain.  The pain is mainly on my index and middle fingertips.  I've also noticed that my 2nd and 3rd fingers have Hard fingertips compared to the others.

Is the piano the problem?  Or is the piano trying to tell me that there's something wrong with my technique that all the other ones can't? 

Maybe the keys are shedding tiny splinters. Could be someone has cleaned the keys with some type of cleanser or something that causes tiny flakes or splinters.  I know that sounds like one of those crime/DNA dramas but since it is just the fingertips that hurt.....? 

[floydgaddpianos]

There are various factors that could contribute to your discomfort.  Perhaps the felt under the front of the key that cushions the blow is of a higher density than in the other pianos.  Perhaps the key dip is different.  Perhaps the regulation of the piano is off, making you work harder to get the sound you need.  I notice some pianos keyboards give me discomfort when I am tuning--often uprights where the keys have settled, reducing the key dip and minimizing the degree to which the back-check wire flexes as a spring, which would otherwise help to cushion the blow.