Practicing Effectively: Don't Hurt Those Hands!

 I'll admit: I spent a good chunk of my music studying time practicing ineffectively.

   That's how I injured my wrists. At least twice. 

   (To be fair, it was a combination of improper hand position while practicing for hours every day and improper use of garden tools that did it. Still, we all use our hands frequently. If I had been paying better attention to my hands during practice, I might not have overstrained myself while digging. Either way, it was painful. Not something I want my students to repeat.)

   So, the things I am about to share are not conclusions I came to on my own. They are things my music teacher shared with me, which he had read. I'm going to try to share some tips with you in a way that is original, but I apologize if I am plagiarizing someone else. (I hope not!)

   As you probably guessed from my opening, the first thing I'm going to bring up is how to practice so as to hopefully avoid injury. 

   The easiest way to not hurt yourself at the piano is simple: Pay attention to how you feel.

   At first, you need to make a point of doing so. Stop in the middle of your piece. Think about how your back feels. Is it sore? Get up and stretch. Then think about your shoulders. Are they tense? Roll them, first to the front, then to the back. Next is your arms and hands. If your wrists or hands are sore, you need to stop practicing. If they're just tense, wiggle them a bit to get the tension out. Then, make sure you relax.

   Practice playing in a relaxed way. Of course, you can't completely relax, or you'll just slump over onto the keys. :) But, with each finger, play one whole note. Hold the note, and while you're holding it, see how much you can relax yourself. And since you're holding the note, take time to listen to it, too. It'll change sound. 

   Your goal is to be able to play, any tempo, any dynamic, without getting tense. This is better for you. Here's a secret: It also makes your music sound better! If you are tense when you're playing, your music will also sound tense. If you're relaxed, your music will be way more pleasant to listen to. 

   Interested in piano lessons? Good news: you don't have to live close to me to get me as a teacher. If you live anywhere in Canada -- Mine Centre, Lunenburg, Cavendish, Hope -- you can sign up for online lessons! Click here to get in touch!