Warming up away from the piano

[amyesler]

I have a 12 hour drive getting to an exam. We'll drive the day before and I'll be able to practice an hour that night. The next day I hope to be able to practice a bit before the exam (LTCL).

Does anyone have some tips how I can work my fingers profitably during the 12 hour drive? I don't want my muscles tight and sore the next day from neglect if at all possible!

Thanks

[shasta]

??  What are you worried about?  Your fingers will be OK - - - they're not going to atrophy or claw-up or anything....      Best of luck in your exam!

[xvimbi]

I would suggest mental practice. I have never really paid too much attention to mental practice, but now that I have tried it, I am hooked. Check out these posts and links therein:

https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,8491.0.html
https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4954.0.html
https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,1825.msg13858.html#msg13858

Good luck.

PS: You can't be driving while you are doing this

[dlu]

Do some Hanon on the dashboard

[thalbergmad]

should be Pischna on the dashboard

[nick]

Don't need to do anything during the 12 hr. drive in my opinion without which your playing will suffer. If you really can play it the way you want to in your practice you should be ok. Good luck!

Nick

[musicsdarkangel]

I would suggest mental practice. I have never really paid too much attention to mental practice, but now that I have tried it, I am hooked. Check out these posts and links therein:

https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,8491.0.html
https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4954.0.html
https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,1825.msg13858.html#msg13858

Good luck.

PS: You can't be driving while you are doing this

How did you get into this?

I want to learn to mentally practice better.

How do you go about doing it?

[xvimbi]

How did you get into this?

I want to learn to mentally practice better.

How do you go about doing it?

Bernhard presented a strategy in one of the links. I wrote up my (initial) thoughts in
https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,8491.0.html (the first link in the list above)

Have fun!

[ehpianist]

If you have done your practicing properly then not practicing for one day is not going to affect the outcome.

Over the years I have found that "warming up" is purely a psychological need, your fingers don't need it (unless they are physically cold, in which case you can warm them up in gloves or a heater in winter).  I used to "need to warm up" before a performance as well, used it as a crutch when I did not feel completely prepared (mentally) for a performance.  Reality was that warming up beforehand never helped a performance but gave me a good excuse (and a good reason to stress) if I was not able to and I did not play well. This "addiction" was eliminated when I began doing mental practice.  You can read the recent posts on the subject listed on this thread

https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,8491.0.html

Elena
www.pianofourhands.com