Slight pain in pinky and occasionally in wrist

[cabbynum]

Just in the past week or two I have experience slight pian in the muscle connected to my pinky on my hand as well as very very very mild discomfort in my wrist slightly below my pinky
On my right hand
I'm not playing anything new or anything with technique that is different than how I have been playing
Any tips?
This has happened once before and it just kinda went away, could I have hurt it and not realized it at the time and now it's in pain during piano?

[indianajo]

Life causes pain. To avoid pain, die young.
Muscle pain is good, a sign you are increasing it. Do some stretching after exercise to relieve muscle pain.  See an ergonomics text for instructions for beneficial stretches.   Tendon pain is not good , time to back off and rest the tendon.  
One way to cover up minor pains is to enter an aerobic exercise program.  Read one of Dr. Cooper's books.  The physical conditioning promotes the production of endomorphine, which masks pain.  At the end of the summer riding a bicycle 70 miles a week my knees hardly bother me at all.  X-rays reveal the cartledge was badly worn by running in combat boots 18 years when I was in the reserves.  After a rest caused by a cold in the winter, the knee pain is back.  
Wrist damage can be caused by the oddest things.  I started having pains in my right wrist age 11 when pushing the lawnmower incorrectly.  I didn't know, nobody knew anything about ergonomics in 1961. Carrying a 20 lb bassoon home from school daily may have been a bit extreme for an 80 pound kid, also. The pain went away age 12 as testosterone production ramped up.  In my mid fifties wrist pain came back, as testosterone production sank down.  Playing piano is pleasurable enough, I just ignore it.  
You may study an ergonomics text to see if you are doing anything not recommended by experts.  My piano teacher got one thing right, posture of the arms drooping down slightly with the wrists held straight, but studies of industry have refined the ideas of correct and incorrect motion. And see a physician for a sports physical before starting an aerobics program, you don't want to blow an aneurism open if you were cursed with one.  

[passioatephotographer7]

For me, if I change my hand position and play in a more flat position, my wrist and pinky hurt. Lately I've been playing a lot of chromatic scales and it's been very tense in my thumb and first finger; which makes logical sense- that's what you're mainly playing with.
So most of the time it's from exertion and it's just sore and gaining strength. I would though, check how I'm playing scales and exercises- pain is often caused by playing with a flat or high position.

[cabbynum]

I recently changed the height of my bench, I raised it quite a bit because i was seeing if it made a difference. I was playing a bit faster with it raised.
Could this be the issue?

[dima_76557]

@ cabbynum

It is quite possible that you overexerted your hand elswhere. I would be careful, though, because even in that case, playing the piano may worsen the condition. I'd suggest rest.

P.S.: In piano playing, an underdeveloped or wrongly used thumb can also easily cause pinky problems, especially in the wrist, but it would be speculation to assume that here to be the reason. If you suspect it really has to do with piano playing, then maybe you could post a video, so we can see what's happening?

[cabbynum]

I think I figured it out, I exaggerated my movements until I figured out what caused the pain, when I was playing deep on the piano with my right hand my wrist was turned quite a bit and I wasn't leaning towards the deep register.
I didn't realize that till today. So I am fixing that.
It's also very possible I injured it elsewhere and the piano playing is just magnifying it.
I have played very sparingly the past 2 days, that's really hard!

[cometear]

I'm not even going to elaborate. The Taubman Approach is the answer. Look it up on Google, and YouTube.

[faulty_damper]

I'm not even going to elaborate. The Taubman Approach is the answer. Look it up on Google, and YouTube.

I'll challenge this.  The Taubman method is decent, but not great.  You won't be able to play extremely difficult repertoire using it.  There are many flaws in the methodology which is based on certain faulty assumptions about the mechanics of the body as it relates to the transfer of energy to the keys.  Some of the other ideas are also only partly efficient while ignoring other mechanics that would make it significantly easier to play.  In other words, over-relying on certain movements to achieve a certain end.  I know this because I've looked at Taubman several years ago and tried it out myself only to figure out more efficient movements.  I would never consider Taubman in any way a method of my technical success.  It's a really outdated methodology.

[cometear]

It has a sure success rate for the curing of injury. The post is about pain in the pinky and I suggested a way to fix their pain. I can say there is no better foundation or method than the Taubman Approach.

[chopin2015]

I recently changed the height of my bench, I raised it quite a bit because i was seeing if it made a difference. I was playing a bit faster with it raised.
Could this be the issue?

When you check your funny bone/tunnel...touch the end of the funny bone, press firmly. move ring and pinkie fingers. see if this sends shocks. tap it with a pencil, see if this sends shocks to the 2 last fingers.  I would say, take ibuprofen for a WHILE. I took 300 mg (over the counter) x2, every 3 to 4 hours for about 5 days. Then spread it out. I recommend taking 2 pills every 4 to 5 hours or so, if it doesn't feel any different, take more as soon as you feel pain coming up again.

Definitely stretch your hands, but not right away. do it carefully. Find more ways to warm up. do the same warm up but a little differently, every day. Let me know if you have any questions. I am still taking ibuprofen right now, but I feel better.

[faulty_damper]

It has a sure success rate for the curing of injury. The post is about pain in the pinky and I suggested a way to fix their pain. I can say there is no better foundation or method than the Taubman Approach.

Taubman approach isn't about curing injury.  It may have that effect if the person has poor technique and stops using the self-inflicting movements.  In which case, any other movements would be good.

[cometear]

Injury is caused by bad technique. You can't just throw "any other movements" in there or you'd either make things worse or fix parts of the problem while irritating other parts of it.

[faulty_damper]

Any other movement that doesn't cause injury is what I meant.  Hence the suggestion to use any other movement would be good.

[cometear]

That is too ambiguous for many people to understand. The Taubman Approach is direct, and accurate.

[faulty_damper]

I think it's pretty clear: if you do something that causes pain, don't do it.  Find another way.  That's not ambiguous, that's just obvious and maybe even common sense.  Taubman, btw, isn't 100% clear of strain.  I can think of her way of doing repeated octaves that isn't very efficient since it still over-relies on the wrist movement and completely ignores the use of the fingers to achieve rapid octaves.

[cometear]

Explain your methods.

[faulty_damper]

I can't.  It's not based on any methodology.  It is, however, based on a goal: playing as easy as possible.  Once that becomes the goal, you look for solutions and improvements.  If a solution can't be found that makes it easier, you abandon it for something else.

There are some general principles, however.
1. Never press down because once you kit the key bed, you press against yourself which wastes energy and stops momentum.  This applies to octaves, chords, and the like.  Another way to say it is no "Gravity Drops", which is something that a lot of technique books describe.
2. The piano isn't the instrument - You are.  This directly relates to making it as easy as possible since you free yourself from enslavement of the piano's mechanics, which you cannot control.  The only thing you can control is the mechanics of your own body.

It took me years to figure out, but I can teach it to someone quite quickly.  Again, it's not based on any method, just being attuned to the feedback that your body is always providing.  If it's easier, it's not good enough.  You must find the easiest way.

[cometear]

I believe the Taubman Approach is for anyone. Maybe your way of teaching may work... for some people... while others will be clueless. When you get into the larger scale of technique, the minute movements the Taubman Approach deals with matter and these may not be understood or controllable with your concept.

[faulty_damper]

I used to follow Taubman and I struggled on some things even though I was doing it exactly as prescribed.  Then I found better ways and I've never gone back.  You're already part of the choir so it's hard to believe there are better alternatives.  I guarantee you that there are and I guarantee that once you find them, you'll never go back.  In fact, you may go back to relearn old repertoire using the better technique.  The kind of repertoire you play will be the testing ground for Taubman and other methodologies.  Taubman works for many standard repertoire (notice that she never ventures out of the standards), but go beyond it and you'll struggle, just like I did.  If you ever reach this point, and find ways around it, you'll understand what I mean.

[apollon1717]

Just in the past week or two I have experience slight pian in the muscle connected to my pinky on my hand as well as very very very mild discomfort in my wrist slightly below my pinky
On my right hand
I'm not playing anything new or anything with technique that is different than how I have been playing
Any tips?
This has happened once before and it just kinda went away, could I have hurt it and not realized it at the time and now it's in pain during piano?

Hi..its me..

Any kind of discomfort  in muscles or tendons are a warning that something isn't right.
To find out more about your pain you have to observe carefully when it happens.
Play a scale a few times up and down..see how it feels...take note
Do the same with arpeggios.see how it feels..take note
Do the same with thirds....see hoe it feels...take note
Do al of this with different dynamics  and tempi...from pp to ff's...see what happens..take note...
Check your shoulders..are you lifting them ?...take note...
Any advice given to "strenghten" your muscles should be ignored...
Pianoplaying is already very movement intensive and does not need "extra did or that"..
Resting might help but is not really a cure...
Check your movement and motion "repertoire..."
Are you moving in a correct way ...yes or no?

Hope it helps.

[cabbynum]

Hi..its me..

Any kind of discomfort  in muscles or tendons are a warning that something isn't right.
To find out more about your pain you have to observe carefully when it happens.
Play a scale a few times up and down..see how it feels...take note
Do the same with arpeggios.see how it feels..take note
Do the same with thirds....see hoe it feels...take note
Do al of this with different dynamics  and tempi...from pp to ff's...see what happens..take note...
Check your shoulders..are you lifting them ?...take note...
Any advice given to "strenghten" your muscles should be ignored...
Pianoplaying is already very movement intensive and does not need "extra did or that"..
Resting might help but is not really a cure...
Check your movement and motion "repertoire..."
Are you moving in a correct way ...yes or no?

Hope it helps.

My bench was way to high and when I lowered it the pain stopped.
The only time I get pain is if I play for more than 6 hours. I wouldn't even call it pain at that point it's more just slight discomfort

Thanks!

[apollon1717]

I'll challenge this.  The Taubman method is decent, but not great.  You won't be able to play extremely difficult repertoire using it.  There are many flaws in the methodology which is based on certain faulty assumptions about the mechanics of the body as it relates to the transfer of energy to the keys.  Some of the other ideas are also only partly efficient while ignoring other mechanics that would make it significantly easier to play.  In other words, over-relying on certain movements to achieve a certain end.  I know this because I've looked at Taubman several years ago and tried it out myself only to figure out more efficient movements.  I would never consider Taubman in any way a method of my technical success.  It's a really outdated methodology.

I agree with you.
But could you elaborate on the "more efficient movements " you discovered.

Sincerely