pain in the fingertips

[rachmaninoff_forever]

My right middle finger, and both index fingers.  

It only hurts on heavy action pianos and when I'm playing anything technically taxing.  So I have reason to believe that it's technique related.  On my digital at home, it's only slightly weighted so it doesn't hurt.  But when I get on like a grand with heavy action, they begin to hurt.  And that's a problem...

So what's up with this?

[scherzo123]

cut your nails? 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

cut your nails? 

They're already cut.

[j_menz]

Whereabouts does it hurt? The pads?

Also, can you describe the pain a bit?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Whereabouts does it hurt? The pads?

Also, can you describe the pain a bit?

It hurts on the pads.

Ummm, those are the flattest of all my 10 fingers.  Ermmm, they only hurt when it depresses the key really fast...  Uuuuh...  Oh!  The pain is like a sting sort of.  It doesn't hurt on the inside or anything, just on the surface.

[j_menz]

Could you be slipping on the keys? Sort of like a mini chinese burn?

[outin]

Could you be slipping on the keys? Sort of like a mini chinese burn?

Never heard of chinese burn, but I get this sometimes when I play for a long time. It's like a friction pain. I assume it's a bad habit that I should stop...

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Could you be slipping on the keys? Sort of like a mini chinese burn?

I don't know?  Could I?  You tell me!

[j_menz]

I don't know?  Could I?  You tell me!

Hard to tell without actually seeing you in person. Try a little hand cream on those fingers before you play. It will make the slippage more noticable and eliminate the pain (at least for bit, until it wears off).  That should tell whether this is the cause or not.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Hard to tell without actually seeing you in person. Try a little hand cream on those fingers before you play. It will make the slippage more noticable and eliminate the pain (at least for bit, until it wears off).  That should tell whether this is the cause or not.

Alright thanks dude.

[hmpiano]

When it comes to friction pain plastic keys can be bad.  Try and find an ivory heavy action and see if there's a difference.

[davidjosepha]

Maybe you've got Marfan syndrome, like Rachmaninoff might have had...

Tell me, are you abnormally tall, thin, have long limbs, narrow head, prominent ears, and a thin nose?

Marfan syndrome would account for bruising of the fingertips, if that's what it is, and not a friction burn.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Maybe you've got Marfan syndrome, like Rachmaninoff might have had...

Tell me, are you abnormally tall, thin, have long limbs, narrow head, prominent ears, and a thin nose?

Marfan syndrome would account for bruising of the fingertips, if that's what it is, and not a friction burn.

If I had Marfan syndrome, I would play basketball much more often and actually have the potential of going to the NBA or something.

[nyiregyhazi]

My right middle finger, and both index fingers.  

It only hurts on heavy action pianos and when I'm playing anything technically taxing.  So I have reason to believe that it's technique related.  On my digital at home, it's only slightly weighted so it doesn't hurt.  But when I get on like a grand with heavy action, they begin to hurt.  And that's a problem...

So what's up with this?

I used to have the same problem in the past. It's a sure sign of energy wastage and abrupt impacts. If the fingers are giving way, you lose acceleration between fingertip and key. The arm throws in way more energy to compensate for all the wastage- but the energy that fails to go into the hammer crashes into the keybed with major impact. This can cause a lot of stress on the pads of the fingers (I used to even get painful bruising under the nails). Quite simply, you've got to learn to move the keys with greater efficiency from within the hand itself- and stop banging the arm down heavily to compensate for their lack of movement. Ironically, it works the hand even harder than when the hand creates key-movement.

[asuhayda]

What's that??  awww.. well now you're back's gonna hurt. 'Cause you just pulled landscapin' duty.  Anybody else's fingers hurt? ... I didn't think so...

[nikkoo_87]

Maybe you've got Marfan syndrome, like Rachmaninoff might have ha
https://www.centplay.com/affiliate/id_139/

[asuhayda]

.... :/

NEW GUY! you ruined a perfectly good joke!

[keyboardkat]

Paganini is supposed to have had Marfan's syndrome.

[indianajo]

When I tried to up my practice from 1 hour/day to 2.5 hours when I retired, a whole lot of things hurt below my elbows. A thumb tendon was the worst pain of all but there was some joint pain. I had to lay off a month and skip the piano competition I was practicing for.  
An organ student told me she practiced 8 hours per day. I don't think that would even be possible for me. But the tips of my fingers are not what hurts.  I don't crash down with my arms, all the velocity comes from my forearm muscles.  My pianos, a Sohmer 39" console, and a Steinway 40" 1941 console, have very light touch.  I tried a Baldwin grand at a church fellowship hall last fall, the first grand I played in 45 years. It was very tiring, but didn't hurt my fingertips.  I do have very oily skin.  I have a finger with the pad cut off by a folding chair in 1953, that is why Mother started me on piano, so I would use that finger again. As a result, I hit the nail a lot on that one, which fractures occasionally if I don't keep if very short, but there is no particular pain there.  
Aerobic exercise 30 minutes 3 times or more a week is supposed to up endomorphin levels.  Endomorphin is a bodily made painkiller.   You have to get your heart rate up to 200-(your age) according to Dr Cooper "Aerobics".  I do that on an exercycle.  When I am in shape and can pull good numbers on the tension meter at about 150 bpm, I notice a lot fewer parts hurt then the times when I miss a couple of weeks due to bad colds or something.  I had bad arthritis in my knees when I quit working 4 years ago, but it has healed itself and I've gotten off the NAISD's most days.