I love Bach

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Now that I've gotten your attention...

FIRST OF ALL...  I do not like Bach.  So don't get your hopes up J Menz.  In fact, my hatred for him is stronger than ever!

This morning, I was playing basketball in gym class, and I jammed my right thumb.  What the freakig heck that was the reason why I stopped playing competitively!

My recital is on Sunday.

What the heck do I do?!?!?!?!

I don't have full range of motion.  But I have most of my range of motion.  

Do I just not play certain pieces?  Like La Campanella is really thumb heavy and it's gonna suck if it doesn't heal by Sunday...

I don't wanna reschedule the recital.  

[thalbergmad]

You could try playing some Bach. Thumbs are not so important.

Bach himself used them sparingly.

Thal

[rachmaninoff_forever]

You could try playing some Bach. Thumbs are not so important.

Bach himself used them sparingly.

Thal

Ugh, Bach haunts me from the grave...

[patrickd]

Play some left handed pieces.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

No guys seriously, is there like a special technique to heal it faster?

[stiefel]

I'll preface my comment by saying that I am far from an expert.

I am a high school senior like you and I played basketball for four years, so I have total empathy for your jammed thumb.  I jammed my right thumb really bad during my junior year while I was learning Mozart k310 and it was miserable for a few days.

My anecdotal advice is to warm up the hurt finger by choosing a note and playing it with the thumb a few times.  Slow, easy, concentrate on no tension.  Figure out the smallest, most efficient, most pain free movement necessary to activate the note.  Remember to do good "first releases" as my teacher calls them.  (as in don't bar down on the key after you've played it.  This will add unnecessary pain.)  Also, keep the thumb nice and loose before you play so you don't launch into difficult rep with a stiff, pained digit.  Bend it a little but don't force it to bend more than it hurts.

I've heard icing and heating it off and on can help, but I have no way of knowing that as fact and am hesitant to suggest anything.

[worov]

FIRST OF ALL...  I do not like Bach.  So don't get your hopes up J Menz.  In fact, my hatred for him is stronger than ever!   

Listen to this piece and tell me if you still don't like it :

[chopin2015]

Don't play much for a day or two. Try to jyst do easy movements often and try to play through an entire piece here and there, but don't do back to back pieces until you feel better.

 

Hope you get better soon. Have some soup and take relaxing walks.

[dima_76557]

@ rachmaninoff_forever

The only right thing to do in this case is to either cancel or follow patrickd's suggestion and play pieces for the left hand only. A good, healthy thumb is vital to your technique. If it is sprained, for example, you should take that very, very seriously because neglecting the problem may mean the end of all your dreams.
P.S.: The whole hand needs a rest so forget about playing pieces for the right hand that don't require the thumb.

[johnnybarkshop]

Why are you sarting a topic named "I love Bach" if you don't love Bachody know?

If you cancel you will feel bad.  If you play, a feel insecure, you will feel worse.  Cancel and listen to Bach.  Millions of people are inspired by Bach.  Listen to his Cantata 140 (not just the famous part that everybody knows) but the whole thing.  I guarantee you will feel better.  (I shouldn't guarantee, 'cos everyone's different.  Good luck! 
'

[indianajo]

I think basketball should be banned for piano and organ players.  **** heavy toy, impacting on the hand all the time,  not to mention the chance of bashing your hand into people.  
Once you have an injury, not playing at all is the right treatment.  Whatever your academic schedule requires.
   

[oorakoora]

Hello worov,  thanks for the gorgeous music...I have never heard it, could you give the details please?

[j_menz]

FIRST OF ALL...  I do not like Bach.  So don't get your hopes up J Menz.  In fact, my hatred for him is stronger than ever!

And so the fates will continue to conspire against you.

What the heck do I do?!?!?!?!

Ice it, deep heat (or some other such gel), and anti-inflammatories. No painkillers.

[outin]

Now that I've gotten your attention...

FIRST OF ALL...  I do not like Bach.  So don't get your hopes up J Menz.  In fact, my hatred for him is stronger than ever!

This morning, I was playing basketball in gym class, and I jammed my right thumb.  What the freakig heck that was the reason why I stopped playing competitively!

My recital is on Sunday.

What the heck do I do?!?!?!?!

I don't have full range of motion.  But I have most of my range of motion.  

Do I just not play certain pieces?  Like La Campanella is really thumb heavy and it's gonna suck if it doesn't heal by Sunday...

I don't wanna reschedule the recital.  

I'm really sorry
Bad luck and being reckless is a bad combination.

Rest is the first step in healing an injury and then gradually start using the part again. So unless it was something minor, I hope you just made the right decision to reschedule. You do want to do your best and if that's a possibility, then take it.

Or replace playing with something else... Sing? Get someone else to play and do a comedy act?

[worov]

Hello worov,  thanks for the gorgeous music...I have never heard it, could you give the details please?

I'm glad you enjoy it. It's in Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier Book 1. It is the prelude and fugue no. 8 in Eb minor, BWV 853. The prelude isn't that difficult to play. The fugue on the other hand is one of the hardest in the whole set.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I'm really sorry
Bad luck and being reckless is a bad combination.

Rest is the first step in healing an injury and then gradually start using the part again. So unless it was something minor, I hope you just made the right decision to reschedule. You do want to do your best and if that's a possibility, then take it.

Or replace playing with something else... Sing? Get someone else to play and do a comedy act?

I'm just playing through it.

[starlady]

The header made me hope that you had seen the light at last......

But not even a Bach-hater deserves to jam a thumb the week of a recital  (I speak as someone who broke a toe the week of a half-marathon, it was fun).   ICE and IBUPROFEN are your friends!

And as much REST as you can manage.  If you need to play to stay sane, play some, but don't keep poking at it and trying to test the range of motion and seeing if it will hurt if you do such-and-such (which you have probably been doing, don't be embarrassed, it's human nature).  Good Luck! --s.

[tdawe]

Assuming this is an examination recital... surely the examiners are aware of problems of injury, and as such can you not apply for extenuating circumstances? There must be some procedure in place. Go and visit a doctor and get them to look at your hand. Why can you not reschedule?

[hfmadopter]

So did you play the recital ( it's Sunday) ? If so, how did it go ?

[chopin2015]

So did you play the recital ( it's Sunday) ? If so, how did it go ?

Likewise! How are you feeling?

[j_menz]

Patience people. He'll still be at the afterparty!! 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

So did you play the recital ( it's Sunday) ? If so, how did it go ?

It was fine. 

I like took a bunch of pills beforehand. 

It was fine up until like the Appassionata.  I was freaking dying out there.

Then I went to another party but I was feelin weird so I went home.

[hfmadopter]

It was fine. 
 I was freaking dying out there.

I see.

[ranniks]

In my opinion there is not a lot of composers that can stand toe to toe with Bach. There is just something with Bach that mesmerizes you. I mean, Bach has so many subgenres....The happy, the sad, the tranquil the other the other etc etc.

Honestly, with the mood I'm in lately maybe only Beethoven can rival Bach. But then again, Beethoven was a nutjob and so am I.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

In my opinion there is not a lot of composers that can stand toe to toe with Bach. There is just something with Bach that mesmerizes you. I mean, Bach has so many subgenres....The happy, the sad, the tranquil the other the other etc etc.

Honestly, with the mood I'm in lately maybe only Beethoven can rival Bach. But then again, Beethoven was a nutjob and so am I.

I did Bach as an encore.

Just...

This one time...

[chopin2015]

I did Bach as an encore.

Just...

This one time...

Keep performing the appassionata. It'll be fine.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Keep performing the appassionata. It'll be fine.

I should've done the ondine just to piss my teacher off.

How far are you?!

I restarted it again today.

I'm at 66. 

The freaking measures before with the little double note scaley things freaking sucks. 

[j_menz]

I did Bach as an encore.

Wheeeeeee!!  Encore, Encore!!

[j_menz]

the little double note scaley things

AP Music Theory is evidently not doing you as much good as one might have thought. 

[chopin2015]

I should've done the ondine just to piss my teacher off.

How far are you?!

I restarted it again today.

I'm at 66.  

The freaking measures before with the little double note scaley things freaking sucks.  

I finished it. I would love to answer any questions you may have. Seriously...it would be fun for me.

That piece is a biotdch though. I don't like having to work hard on such things because I want it to come easy...


Back to the ondine thread?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

AP Music Theory is evidently not doing you as much good as one might have thought. 

I would say like double thirds or something, but that's not what they are.

They're like a bunch of different intervals!

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Back to the ondine thread?

Yep!

[chopin2015]

Bar 67 and 68?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Bar 67 and 68?

I haven't even touched those yet.

I'll disect it tomorrow.

It's gonna be a long day...

[zezhyrule]

Yeah Bach is great 

...oh, what?

[chopin2015]

I haven't even touched those yet.

I'll disect it tomorrow.

It's gonna be a long day...

Ok. So it's bar 66? Bars 67 and 68 you just memorize all the notes, especially in the right hand. The melody notes should be on the beat which are in the right hsnd. Everything else just squeeeze in there. And make sure to yell AAAAHHH! when you're going for it.