finger locking

[amberleigh]

I just started playing the piano a few weeks ago. I am on a keyboard right now but working towards buying an up right piano later. When I play the chords with my left hand my fingers lock, I think I might have the wrong hand position, any suggestions or techniques to help with this problem?

[trandoanhung1991]

I would say go slower first. You can't really control your fingers that well until a few months after starting to practice piano, so take it slow 

Also, get a piano ASAP. I'd advise against getting an upright and get an electronic piano instead. Easier maintenance, more portable, and generally more helpful to a new piano student than an upright. Not to mention they usually cost less than uprights, too.

[cjterry]

I suggest doing finger exercises such as the hannon, this will help evening and  maintaining mobility with your fingers; also help relieve some tension and stress in the fingers as well.  Also concentrate on playing from the bridge of the hand and not with the wrist and arm. And as far as your piano situation practice on whatever your going to be performing on the most for best results in your playing. Ive found the electric pianos(not keyboards) full size are better as far as lil to no maintenance and mobilty but ive found myself wishing to gravitating more towards practicing as school on the wood than wanted to practice on the electric, but hey, the electric does help..

[hfmadopter]

Slow practice I agree with for the beginner, you need to build up finger control and mobility. it will take a little time.

Most digital pianos are keyboards built into a case, the question is what class of keyboard is built into the case of a given model that is affordable to you and what class do you own now. Most inexpensive keyboards don't have piano like action but remind one more of an action similar to what an accordion would have, which is equal weight throughout and light tension to press the keys. Better keyboards and better digital pianos use similar key technology, with similar velocity sensors etc., just the keyboard is portable and may have features making it more stage ready than a full wood cased digital piano. Though many of these types of features are crossing platforms these days. I'm saying that to clear any mis- information you have been given along the way.

Used uprights are available generally pretty inexpensively right out off a graigslist page, probably not too far from home. You have to know what to look for in a used piano and there is annual maintenance cost, as well as moving costs associated with an upright. If I had to compare ownership of the average used upright to a decent digital and spread that out over ten years, I probably wouldn't buy the upright personally. As it stands I own a digital stage piano and a grand piano though. I practice more on the digital ( Kawai MP6) than on my grand piano FWIW. And causes me very little adjustment to switch between the two pianos because the Kawai can be set up , and is set up, to respond very similarly to my grand.

[enochy]

I would say go slower first. You can't really control your fingers that well until a few months after starting to practice piano, so take it slow 

Also, get a piano ASAP. I'd advise against getting an upright and get an electronic piano instead. Easier maintenance, more portable, and generally more helpful to a new piano student than an upright. Not to mention they usually cost less than uprights, too.

Honestly, I HATE the idea of an electric piano. Once you start going to the heavier pieces, like the polonaise military, you're electric piano shakes like crazy. The leg almost snapped once. (Or it felt like it)