firmness in my hands

[drazh]

Hi
I feel some firmness in my hands .it is not painful.is it good a kind of hand strength or is bad a sign of tension.
Than you

[drazh]

Hi
Any help ?

[nyiregyhazi]

Hi
Any help ?

I'm afraid that there's nothing that anyone could possibly say from the information provided. You'd be far better off posting a video of your playing.

[danny_i]

Hey Drazh, your post is rather vague but I might have some info that could help. Most tension issues arise in the wrist.

I was watching an interview with Ivo Pogorelich's teacher. She said that even when playing fast sections or octaves, etc, there should always be a wrinkle on the back of the player's wrist.

For those of us with skinny wrists (like me) there is no wrinkle, but the point is, your wrist should be loose and flexible, not rigid. If you have a teacher, ask him/her to push or slap your wrist while you are playing a fast section, to check the tension.

Of course there are a lot of subtleties here and a lot more can be said. Maybe this helped a little though

[drazh]

Hi
It is not only with playing.
It is a subjective feeling even  when I'm not playing all day.
something like casting my hand from the wrist down to fingers .
Thanks for help

[johnmar78]

humm, let me guess, eating too much red meat could have that symptom, meat produce toxics and cause "swallen" in muscles. Or pehaps you did too much dumb bell work outs, too much palm grapping strains as a result. , or you are doing some brick works building your house???

[drazh]

Hi
The only recent change I had was teacher change .
He insists on relaxation

Thank you

[robson]

apply self trigger point massage with one hand to the other.
Check you posture and hand technique if it's proper.

[drazh]

Hi
So it isn't natural.this feeling is unusual and not a sign of hand strength?
Thank you

[teosoleil]

Most likely tension. No need for massage, it just seems like your practicing might be too tense. Try warming up before and after practicing, with focus on wrist rotation and flexibility (appregios, LOOSE chromatic octaves, scales, etc.) When you get the slightest bit of tension learn to stop yourself, relax your muscles completely, and continue playing.

[keyboardclass]

Hi
So it isn't natural.this feeling is unusual and not a sign of hand strength?
Thank you

If you've been 'upping your game' you will feel changes in your hands.

[robson]

Hi
So it isn't natural.this feeling is unusual and not a sign of hand strength?
Thank you

Actually it is natural or normal when over practicing especially with bad technique but
not exclusively. It's like sportmens, after intensive training they need massage, normal thing.

[nyiregyhazi]

Hi
So it isn't natural.this feeling is unusual and not a sign of hand strength?
Thank you

You're simply not going to get any useful answers either way. It might be fine or it might not be. We have nothing to judge. Upload a film showing yourself playing.

[drazh]

You're simply not going to get any useful answers either way. It might be fine or it might not be. We have nothing to judge. Upload a film showing yourself playing.

how can I upload a video ?

[pianoman53]

you record, and post it as an attachment. (additional Options- Attach- Post)

[nyiregyhazi]

how can I upload a video ?

Have you not come across youtube? It really doesn't take much in the way of expertise, these days.

[drazh]

Hi
I think attachment will be better.I try recording a video
Thank you

[drazh]

hi
this is my video
https://drazh.vidmeup.com/view?q=4fb13807990a6.flv
thank you

[keyboardclass]

Rather stiff wrists I'm afraid.

[drazh]

Rather stiff wrists I'm afraid.

Really ? What should I do?

[keyboardclass]

Allow your hands to hang lifeless from your wrists - hang them over the keyboard - stiffen (so the wrists don't change shape) through key depression (1/30 of a second?) - then allow the wrists to flop till they are level with the keys.  Simple?  My teacher used to charge £45 an hour 20 years ago to just teach that!

[drazh]

Allow your hands to hang lifeless from your wrists - hang them over the keyboard - stiffen (so the wrists don't change shape) through key depression (1/30 of a second?) - then allow the wrists to flop till they are level with the keys.  Simple?  My teacher used to charge £45 an hour 20 years ago to just teach that!

dear keyboardclass
Easier said than done  to me ofcours . My teacher say something like this and I'm doing exactly the same. But when I want to play a piece stiffness returns . 1/30 s stiffness means staccato for every notes?
Thank you

[nyiregyhazi]

dear keyboardclass
Easier said than done  to me ofcours . My teacher say something like this and I'm doing exactly the same. But when I want to play a piece stiffness returns . 1/30 s stiffness means staccato for every notes?
Thank you

Of course it returns. How could it not- when you are no longer in a position of being able to collapse your wrist, as in the exercise? You need to eliminate the moment of fixation at source- WHILE you move the key. What use is an extra movement after the event, that must be eliminated in regular playing? And why should the wrist be stiff when the finger moves? There is no reason for it. Practise one finger at a time, "listening" to the sensation in the forearm and wrist etc. Gradually increase all the way back to the shoulder.

A good trick is to try to literally perceive the vibrations that run through the key and up the arm- both during and AFTER you sound the key. Any fixations in the arm will prevent you perceiving them. Merely looking to perceive the vibrations in itself often releases many tensions, before you even start trying to get rid of them. When the finger is stable but the arm is loose, you may feel the vibrations travelling as far back as the elbow, or potentially even the shoulder. You are doing the classic mistake of fighting the responses during depression- in a bid to keep the arm in a fixed position. The irony is that the less you fight against the reaction, the more stable your arm will become. A stiffened arm is actually thrown around more than a free one (which absorbs the reaction with ease). Start looking to perceive the responses and accept them to do whatever they will to your arm (rather than struggle against them) and you will be well on course to loosen up.

[keyboardclass]

1/30 s stiffness means staccato for every notes?

No.  That's how long it takes to depress a key - how long you hold it down is another thing all together.