Pain in index finger joint while playing Chopin op 10 1. Help!!!

[rovis77]

Hi, Im a bit worried because yesterday in the night I was practicing intensely the Chopin etude op 10 no 1 and my index finger started to hurt, the part below where the finger bends. Some sort of tendinitis my finger has. Any tips to relieve this?. Someone also experienced this?. thanks!!

[coda_colossale]

This etude draws you to intense practice to the point of obsession, doesn't it

How long have you been working on this piece?

You may have small hands.
You may be playing with the wrong motion.
Your may be holding your wrist too low or high.
Your muscles may be too tense.

I wouldn't worry about it if the pain stops after some time.

Wide ascending arpeggios should be more difficult than the others for you, right?

Someone also experienced this?. thanks!!

Yes. Then I switched my motion to displacing my hand, rather than stretching it, and started practicing in 15-20 minute sections with another 15-20 minutes of practicing Revolutionary Etude inbetween.

[dima_76557]

Hi, Im a bit worried because yesterday in the night I was practicing intensely the Chopin etude op 10 no 1 and my index finger started to hurt, the part below where the finger bends. Some sort of tendinitis my finger has.

Judging from the kind of questions you've been asking lately, I can't say I'm surprised.
My advice:
1) go see a doctor and
2) while resting for a while, rethink your ideas about how to play the instrument. "Finger strength" is NOT the key to mastering this wonderful etude.
P.S.: It would also be nice if you actually participated in the topics you create. Thanks.

[rovis77]

what tips can you give me to tackle this etude?, in what motion should I move my hand to avoid injury

[dima_76557]

what tips can you give me to tackle this etude?, in what motion should I move my hand to avoid injury

In your "strength myth" thread, I already did that actually. The only thing I didn't mention there is that you need to keep the right hand as light as possible. Don't practise this forte, even if your ideal of the end result is Pollini's martellato (hammered out) approach.

[perfect_playing]

I've played this piece before and it's nothing to do with finger strength at all. Ok, occasionally you may want to have more finger articulation in a certain arpeggio to change colour or have variety, but in general you need to play with a lot of arm weight to create a strong tone. If you play like this without any tension there is no way at all you will get injured. You may get tired but it should only be in your arm, not your fingers. Then you need to improve your stamina by practising in short bursts etc.