Building Stamina

[h_chopin148]

What are good ways to build stamina? Many times when I practice for longer periods of time my forearms or hands will tire.  My forearms and hands also tire quickly when playing pieces like Chopin etudes.  Any tips, exercises or advice to build stamina?  Thanks in advance. 

[jugular]

The only way to build stamina is to keep pushing your body past its previous threshold. By progressively overloading the amount of time you spend playing you can, in theory, play for longer periods of time. It's the same way a long distance runner increases their VO2 max by continuosly running for longer periods each session, or a weightlifter increases their strength by attempting heavier weights each week. Keep in mind that the human body does have a limit; listen to your body, and don't push yourself past the point of exhaustion.

One thing you can do to help improve your stamina practice sessions is to do a proper warm-up. Get the blood flowing through your hands and do some wrist stretches to help relax your body. The last thing you want to do is go right into a Chopin etude cold...that's bad news bears.

[dima_76557]

The only way to build stamina is to keep pushing your body past its previous threshold. By progressively overloading the amount of time you spend playing you can, in theory, play for longer periods of time.

This is only true if certain principles of ergonomics for that particular task are followed, otherwise such an approach spells disaster. Playing Chopin etudes is more about finding the right quality movements to do the job. Move correctly and the "endurance" problem disappears as if by magic.

[awesom_o]

This is only true if certain principles of ergonomics for that particular task are followed, otherwise such an approach spells disaster. Playing Chopin etudes is more about finding the right quality movements to do the job. Move correctly and the "endurance" problem disappears as if by magic.

Yes and no.... All of the correct movement in the world won't make playing op. 10/1 and op. 10/2 together back-to-back into an easy task.

Being able to play them back-to-back ten times in a row means you have some stamina. Getting to that point for me required both careful study of the ergonomics of the etudes AND considerable 'progressive overload' type training.

There is no free lunch!

[dima_76557]

Getting to that point for me required both careful study of the ergonomics of the etudes AND considerable 'progressive overload' type training.

Agreed, but I wrote my post very carefully in the context of what the OP was saying about "forearms and hands that tire". This suggests that training for stamina alone without changing the initial approach won't do much good. When I feel I don't have stamina, it's more often than not a lack of attention span for a certain task and not a real physical shortcoming.

[evitaevita]

Playing Chopin etudes is more about finding the right quality movements to do the job.

Thank you for mentioning this! That's very true!
When I started playing Chopin etudes, my teacher devoted a lot of in helping me to learn my body (hands, arms, shoulders, torso, etc.) in order to find the right movement for each passage. And this is very important. In the past, I used to make movements without being very much aware of what I was really doing. Then, my teacher suggested that I should play again exercises and pieces that I had played when I was younger (exercises for the position of the hand which are very important both for beginners and advanced players, Bach's inventions, Sonatinas, etc.). These would help me realise how my body (hands, etc.) coordinate with my mind and how my hands coordinate each other, which are both very important. For the last 1-2 years, my playing has completely changed. I've built stamina (for the first time), my technique has been improved and the way I approach the piano is so different.

Yes and no.... All of the correct movement in the world won't make playing op. 10/1 and op. 10/2 together back-to-back into an easy task.

Being able to play them back-to-back ten times in a row means you have some stamina. Getting to that point for me required both careful study of the ergonomics of the etudes AND considerable 'progressive overload' type training.

There is no free lunch!

Of course you're right.
However very often it's not the lack of stamina that makes something exhausting for someone to play, but the wrong way he moves his hands, as well as the unnecessary moves he makes.

So, I would suggest:

- Exercises for the hand that you can also used to warm your hands up (for the reasons I mentioned above)
- Warm-up (someone else here recommends this too) & Scales (I know, I know,... they're boring and many think they're useless. But, they are really challenging.)
- Proper systematic practice of your pieces (and not only pieces, but also etudes,...)

Hope I've been of some help,
Evitaevita

[h_chopin148]

Playing Chopin etudes is more about finding the right quality movements to do the job. Move correctly and the "endurance" problem disappears as if by magic.

I will ask my teacher at my next lesson.  Thanks 

[karenvcruz]

One series of exercises I found helpful was playing at least three to five Hanon exercises (usually in the exercises 21-30). where I first start eith the usual typical eercise, and then, shift to finger staccato, wrist staccato, forearm staccato, and finally, play the exercises in octave but forearm staccato, straight without stopping.

My teacher suggested it because she noticed I tended to be tired when I played Beethoven pieces which involved forearm movements, etc.  Then I relax by doing the scales but slow followed with arpeggios but also moderately slow.  I read here that playing Bach's inventions were good since it "cleans" one's way of playing so I play at least two inventions after just to introduce melody before going to the actual pieces.  I have found this routine so far quite helpful. I also noticed the stamina of my arms improved.