warming up survey

[chopin2015]

Howdy!
Please tell me, fellow piano forumers: how and how long do you warm up?

What excersizes do you use, discuss technique, concept and some feedback
Scales or sight-reading?
What is the most efficient way to warm up? Do you stretch? What warm-ups help you the most? What is one tip or something to look out for when warming up to play, you think?

Thanks!

Ps i used to work on bach inventions and then scales. Are there any books on arpeggios and fingerings?

[j_menz]

I think happy thoughts and then just plow straight in.

[birba]

At my age, i'm just happy if i can get through what i'm studying at the moment...

[ted]

No warming up. I do about ten minutes night and morning on my Virgil Practice Clavier, and that seems ample to keep my technique at the level I need. Once at the piano I just make music.

[hfmadopter]

I like to do scales and arpeggios in the key of the first piece I will work on, maybe 5-10 minutes of that. I might modulate through a few 4th and 5ths of the scale as well. It depends on what stage I'm at in the piece, sometimes I'm working on a certain passage of the piece and just use it as the warm up if you want to call it a warm up. I have sessions where I just work on a single page of music for a few days.

 My true warm up is a warm water soaking for my hands, I'm aging  and a warm soak helps very much in the winter weather to loosen the fingers up. I hit on this due to capilary damage where my fingers turn white and lose feeling. The doc says don't let my hands get cold, because that condition can bring on frost bite really easy when outdoors. With a warm soak I can watch the blood return to my fingers as they turn back to flesh color and pink. Obviously that is an extreme condition of warm up you weren't really looking for a tip on !

[kriatina]

Hello,

I also "warm up" my fingers in warm water (i.e. washing up, etc),
especially right now during the winter season.

I was reading in a book that washing the hands before playing the piano
is as necessary as washing the hands before eating and I thought it makes sense.

My exercises on the piano itself take about 10-15 minutes with Scales in Major Keys
and their relative Minors. (That also shows me how the piano sounds on the day
and whether the weather change makes a tuning necessary or not).

Good luck from Kristina.

[slobone]

I like to change it up and not do the same thing every day. Depends on my mood. When I'm feeling really clear headed and energetic I just start right in working on my pieces. When I'm energetic but murky I do technique exercises -- Hanon, Dohnanyi, Schmitt, Slonimsky, scales and arpeggios. When I'm clear headed but not energetic I do some sight reading. When I'm neither clearheaded nor energetic I come here and try not to annoy too many people. 

[iansinclair]

Just a few songs (and I do mean songs -- "Drink to me only" or "Careless Love" or "The Rose" -- things of that nature).  Then plunge in first to whatever really needs work on the day.  Then wrap up with a few things which need maintenance.  Then quit with a little improv. on whatever strikes the fancy.

I have neither the stamina nor the interest to do any kind of warmup involving scales or arpeggios or Hanon or Czerny or whatever.

Oh yes... and think happy thoughts first!

[chopin2015]

Thank you, yall were fantastic!
I am too lazy to do scales in major and their relative minor. I sometimes do a couple...but my favorite is to start a scale run, and improvise it into a different key. Doesnt have to be a super fancy embellishment, but a few creative notes will do the trick. Then take note of which key you end up in. Or i start with something easy or sight-read.

Everyone is welcome to discuss warm-up technique!

[gozo490]

I love my warm up! mainly because i have to be quite particular and it puts me in the mindset:

Start with Stretches, massageing my wrist to fingertips, and then stretch fingers, wrist shouldes using known practices.

Then its scales, arpegios,broken chords for 15-20 minutes or more.

then sight reading.

This lasts around 30 mins.

I tend to not go through excercises like hanon at the moment as i have injured my little finger and i dont want to overstrain, but they are good for technique but no more than 5 minutes to avoid bustin urself up if you tend to get to into it. (from my experience) i tend to use them as a means to play while working on technique and stopping tension.

[tomewer]

As a total newbie my warm up routine is pretty basic! It probably lasts 5 mins at most (a typical practice session is 20-30 mins) and involves the C Major scale (both hands and hands together) along some simple semi-quaver runs (again with both hands and hands together). Plus some simple runs that stretch the hands out a bit. Then I'll play a piece or two that I'm really comfortable with to get myself into the groove then dive into something new!

[hfmadopter]

Just a few songs (and I do mean songs -- "Drink to me only" or "Careless Love" or "The Rose" -- things of that nature).  Then plunge in first to whatever really needs work on the day.  Then wrap up with a few things which need maintenance.  Then quit with a little improv. on whatever strikes the fancy.

Ya know what ? I have never played The Rose, that might be worth a work over or at least a look see ! Add that to my popular music.

My probem with starting out a sesson with songs is I end up working on them .

[perprocrastinate]

I think happy thoughts and then just plow straight in.

I do the same, only that it doesn't always work so well for me.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I dive straight into what I wanna practice.

[larryt]

Here are a few suggestions for warming up and practicing the piano.

- Flex your fingers to make sure they are supple before beginning the practice routine.
- Every fifteen minutes or so stop and stretch your shoulders and arms. It is also a good idea to roll your neck to prevent stiffness. Check some good Yoga exercises on line for the back neck, and shoulders.
- Once in a while close your eyes when you practice. You want to learn to play without looking at the keys. This is one of best ways to sharpens playing skills.

Here are few more suggestions for a regular practice routine.

- scales for ten minutes
- arpeggios for ten minutes
- play scales in four different keys
- Play rhythms (jazz or blues) for 10 minutes

Practice, Practice, Practice!!

[ajspiano]

At the moment I play chopin 10/2..

slowly.

It counts as warming up with chords and chromatic scales, simultaneously.

But may also count as just something that I'm working on anyway.

[chopin2015]

Here are a few suggestions for warming up and practicing the piano.

- Flex your fingers to make sure they are supple before beginning the practice routine.
- Every fifteen minutes or so stop and stretch your shoulders and arms. It is also a good idea to roll your neck to prevent stiffness. Check some good Yoga exercises on line for the back neck, and shoulders.
- Once in a while close your eyes when you practice. You want to learn to play without looking at the keys. This is one of best ways to sharpens playing skills.

Here are few more suggestions for a regular practice routine.

- scales for ten minutes
- arpeggios for ten minutes
- play scales in four different keys
- Play rhythms (jazz or blues) for 10 minutes

Practice, Practice, Practice!!

Love it!
I like the closing eyes idea. I look up sometimes, but closing eyes makes sense as something to do more often.
Thanks!

@ajspiano
Thats a good idea as well. Lately i start with working through a bit of nocturne op 27.2 or Berceuse. I practice in the mornings usually, so it sets the mood and the steady left hand style is easy type of movement to start out with. Or read whatever else I'm working on, first(if it's not something insanely crazy and frustrating).

Thank you all for your input. Hope to hear from you again soon!

[the_fervid_pig]

I haven't been learning long, few months or so, and I don't really do happy thoughts, I start with scales and a few chords, then a piece I've learnt and can play from memory. At the moment it's Satie's Gnossienne No. 1. I love it, it's a piece I can feel rather than just play, iykwim. After that it's into whatever I'm trying to learn at the time and whatever I'm in the mood for.

[keyofc]

Very interesting question and answers,
I think I do it different all the time -sometimes like jmenz says - I think happy thoughts and just play - Other times it's sad thoughts and then I play.   What a source of expression the piano is!

Sometimes all I do -is spend times on scales and chord progressions.  Playing the major scale in RH - relative minor in LH. and other technical/theory things I want to work on.