But sometimes my upper arms still get stiff and refuse to release and just let go...and I have to consciously think to myself to 'drop, drop, drop' on every single note.
Can you specify with what sorts of passages you experience upper arm tension? I used to have serious issues of arm tension till 10 months ago, as results of mostly self learning. My sounds used to be very harsh. I realized I don't experience the tension anymore now. My new teacher put me to a strict discipline of slow and soft practice. I used to sight read a bunch of big stuff at tempo. Now I have to learn a new piece at very slow slow tempo very soft first, until I can play the piece through without having any tension. Then, gradually add dynamics and gradually speed up. Paying attention to every note and every finger, hand and arm movement. Then, add pedals at the end. To be honest, it is awful to practice this way. It takes forever to master one piece. But the tension is gone, because I am not allowed to bring up tempo, unless I can comfortably play it. By sticking to this, I learned a lot about my issues when I get tensions. I have odd hand shape with short tiny pinkies (only reach 9th) and long 4th fingers (can reach 10th). So trying to help pinkies, I used odd hand positions with arm tensions. Slow practice helped me to keep hands straight and drop my tiny pinkies straight down which help to keep upper arms dropped. As my pinkies are weak, it's been months to build proper muscle to move them correctly without developing issues. So you may be also using your upper arms to compensate something else.
But when I tried fast passages of Mendelssohn Variations Seriuses, my sound becomes harsh again... When I used arm weight, it sounded better but I gotta practice it veryyy...very slowly....but I'm afraid I still won't get anywhere in the end I can't drop weight in fast passages. What do I do? :/
I never studied Mendelssohn Variations Seriuses (or I have to confess I never studied Mendelssohn!), so I decided to look up the score. I see what you mean. This is exactly the kind of piece I would get a looot of tensions in my arms and hands and end up having pains in shoulders and upper arms. Fast jumping big chords in forte. Fast expansion and contraction of hands. Strong staccato with big chords. When I see those pieces I normally look up on YouTube and see if I can find a female pianist with small hands playing them so I can learn from their movements. So I did that and found Annie Zhou playing it (and she looked slightly tense). Only the slow slow practice is the way I think. I'd find a metronome tempo with which I can play it comfortably. And then start bringing the tempo up by 1 notch. For example, if 60 is comfortable, then, bring it to 61, 62, 63, etc. Only by a few every day, and don't go any further unless I am comfortable - and pay attention to all muscle including back, stomach and legs if I am supporting to let arms drop. I'd not want to commit to learn a piece like this with a timeline - a path to injury.
Since I am just an old amateur with no music degree, I can't comment on what makes a good audition piece. I heard you are supposed to play contrasted repertoires and all the good requirements. So you need to consult with your teacher in your next visit. But the more I search female pianists with small hands, I came to think we have to find and show our niche. I really look up to pianists like Mitsuko Uchida and Angela Hewitt. Those really made it despite their small hands. While Angela Hewitt does perform Liszt, she gets criticized for lack of power and sizzle, and she is really acknowledged for her Bach. When Mitsuko Uchida won 2nd place in Chopin Competition, I read that she was a complete contrast with the winner Garrick Ohlsson by playing everything extremely soft, sensitive and pianissimo. So definitely, you'd at least want to include a composition that displays your strengths the most in your audition or interpret a piece uniquely to make it work with your hands.
I have to say, and I don't mean it badly, but I think you chose the wrong instrument. It sounds like you both don't have a nack for the technique, nor the physical build to ever achieve what you want. It really something to consider, because if you are indeed very musically gifted, and you feel like you were meant to do it, that will come through on whatever instrument you're playing, maybe you would be the best violinist ever? I have met many many frustrated students (not mine!) who find themselves running inti a wall of where nature will allow them to go, and it never works out, but it does usually end in debilitating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.But aside from that, don't focus so much of your wrist and elbows. Elbows should just hang, only to mive out sideways as you go up the keyboard, like wings. They should just hang loosely from your shoulder. If you just focus on always keeping your shoulders relaxed and your arms hanging, stiffness will be impossible. the problem with having very small hands though, is that once you try to play quick octaves or chords, it will actually be impossible without a degree of stiffness because the stretching itself causes stiffness! I would never try to play a fast run of tenths, for instance, because I know how I would have to strain to do so.
the problem with having very small hands though, is that once you try to play quick octaves or chords, it will actually be impossible without a degree of stiffness because the stretching itself causes stiffness!
Topic: THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! (Struggling with letting upper arms 'drop') 