Is it too late to fix this? If not, how do I manage? I can't believe a teacher never called me out on this as a beginning student...
It's not too late to fix this, but the problem is - can you combine this with your Grade-10 project?
The best course of action would be (in this order):
* Get help from your teacher (may have noticed it, but as long as you don't complain, may have chosen to leave it alone)
* Get help from a physiotherapist (if it's a good one, he will certainly give you something to work with and solve this)
If these options are out, then this advice won't hurt you:
https://www.key-notes.com/collapsing-5th-finger-joint.htmlAn Internet forum with mostly anonymous users who haven't proven their status of expertise is usually NOT the right place to solve this kind of problems quickly and above all safely. It would be irresponsible on my part to give you any specific advice without having seen how you actually move at the piano. It sounds like you're generally pushing too hard into the keybed, but there is no way for me to know for sure. Do not despair, though: this CAN be solved, but it's better to work on a table desk first, not at the piano.
1) This is NOT solved with Czerny, Hanon, etc.
2) This is NOT solved by compensating with stronger muscles from higher up.
The solution consists of
1) finding a path of movement for the finger in which it does not collapse.
2) systematically applying just a
slight pressure on the joint, but so that the finger does not collapse.
It may take much, much longer than you expected though. That's as far as I can go. Sorry.
Paul