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PS 1 - Introduction
Dr. Graham Williams, my former piano teacher and co-author of our Scales &
Arpeggios Book, commenced his Classical piano studies at an early age.
After 22 years of study and performances (including recitals on Australian
National radio) he obtained his PhD with a thesis on the piano music of the
famous contemporary French composer and (the late) Head of the Paris
Conservatoire Olivier Messiaen.
This thesis earned him a 3-year scholarship in Paris to study under Messiaen
and his world renown piano teacher wife Yvonne Loriod. After greeting him on
his arrival at the airport they immediately took him to the studio, placed him
on the piano stool and explained (as Graham years later with a great smile
related to me) :
The results were nothing less than spectacular : the birth of a rich and beautiful
crystal clear tone, an effortless fluidity and a rhythmic capability with which
he could master even the most demanding and complex Messiaen
compositions.
Years later I myself had the great fortune to learn this wonderful technique
from Graham , be it at a much more modest level of expectation and
competence. As a relative beginner it took me about 3 years (instead of 1) to
develop the technique, with greatly pleasing results in terms of touch, fluency
and tone.
Being a creative, research oriented thinker, I could follow and acknowledge the
various stages of development I went through and recognise the results. But
the question for me always remained : I understand what to do and how to do
it, but why is this so ?
For a full year I kept searching for the answer, questioning professionals from
the medical and physiotherapy fields and roaming through various books and
articles. The answer which I finally arrived at is as simple as it is conclusive.
I have always believed that understanding is the greatest motivator. Once you
understand why you should practice this or do that, you become deeply
motivated to follow through. This is the basis for both my Piano Technique
Course and my Saxophone Course.
For the Piano the secret to a fluent technique and strong, crystal clear tone, lies
in the palm of your hand, as I will explain to you below.
(Down - Up - Top)
the Flexors Digitorium Profundus, which run from the elbow along
the lower arm, through the 'carpal canal' under the wrist, to
the 1st finger joint (nearest the finger tip) of each finger.
the Flexors Digitorium Superficialis, also run from the elbow, along
the forearm, under the wrist, to the 2nd finger joint of each finger.
(They split near the end to let the Flexor Profundus tendon pass
through to the 1st finger joint.)
Above muscles are used to curve (and close) the fingers of the hand.
To do this however another set of muscles (the Flexor & Extensor Carpi)
must hold the wrist firm (therefore stiffen the wrist), otherwise the Flexor
Digitorium muscles would roll up the fingers, hand and wrist like a bamboo
curtain.
(Down - Up - Top)
PS 3 - The Interossei
The second muscle system controlling finger movement is located
entirely within the hand.
It consists of the Palmar and Dorsal Interossei muscles. These are
grafted on either side of the metacarpal bone (palm bone) for each of
the four fingers and run to the finger bone (phalange) just past each
knuckle.
When used simultaneously the Palmar and Dorsal Interossei flex the
knuckle joint forward (or, when the hand is in a horizontal position,
downward).
Most importantly these muscles are located entirely within the hand
palm, and therefore can flex the knuckle joint (and achieve a proper
In this position the Interossei cannot start to flex the knuckle joint
forward (or downward).
The Lumbricals approach the finger bone at a larger angle than the
Interossei.
This means that they can flex the knuckle joint even when the knuckle
joint is fully extended.
The Lumbricals are therefore the starter muscles for the knuckle flex
action.
2. The Lumbricals, being an offshoots of the powerful Flexors
Digitorium Profundus are much stronger than the Interossei muscles.
Gradually the Interossei will become stronger. You will notice this by
a most peculiar feeling within the palms of your hands : the interossei,
as they become thicker, are pushing out the palm bones widening your
hands.
Once the interossei have become strong enough to support the hand
and arm it is time for the flexors and lumbricals to phase out their
action. This mental step of trusting your fingers was for me at the
time the most difficult process.
Sooner or later however the brain will get the message and gradually
diminish and relax the flexors and let the interossei do the work . This
PS 5 - Fundamental Guidelines
Good piano technique maximises the use of two sets of muscles.
1. The Interossei, to support the weight of the hand, arm or body and to
assist when required to the gravity keystroke.
2. the Extensors Digitorium, to lift the fingers off the keyboard after they
have played each note.
(Extensor Digitorium actions do not stiffen the wrist, as the natural
weight of the hand prevents any upwards flexing or instability of the
wrist.)
Never pull the hand backwards, for this either causes the
fingers to collapse, or, in an attempt to prevent this, will bring
the Flexor Digitorium muscles into action causing stiffening of
the wrist.
3. Use the knuckle joints for all finger action.
4. Use gravity, viz. the natural drop of the finger, hand or arm, as
the main source of energy.
http://www.jazclass.aust.com/piano/pianist.htm
The second principle is to avoid dropping the wrist. The wrist should be
roughly straight with the forearm, neither arching way up nor falling
appreciably below the level of the main knuckles. The reason is that any other
position puts stress on the tendons as they pass through the carpal tunnel.
Forcefully flexing the wrist (as in "wrist octaves") is an important cause of carpal
tunnel syndrome. The mid-range position of the wrist is the one in which the
fingers move most easily and have the greatest strength, with least stress on the
tendons.
The third principle is to avoid ulnar and radial deviation (which many
pianists call "twisting"). That is, the hand should not be turned to either side,
but should be straight with the forearm sideways as well as up and down. Again,
the reason is anatomical: sideways bending of the wrist inhibits free motions of
the fingers and puts extra stress on the tendons that pass from the arm to the
hand. Common situations in which people twist are in bringing the thumb to the
keyboard, or in playing black keys with the thumb. Twisting is one of the most
common causes of injuries in pianists. (In terms of the four causes of injury
given earlier, dropping the wrist and twisting both count as awkward positions.)
The three principles are not equally easily adopted. The first, correcting the
bench height, is easy. A person soon gets used to the new height, and most
people find that their playing improves immediately when the bench height is
corrected. The other two principles are harder to assimilate, since they may
involve changing long-established habits. If I habitually drop my wrist in
playing chords, or twist when passing the thumb in a scale, I will need to learn a
new way to accomplish those tasks.
Throughout this paper I have advocated movement retraining as the way to
avoid or cure injury. But there is another point that is equally compelling: we
play better if we move efficiently. Many pianists have retrained after injury
because it was the only way they could play at all, and then discovered that they
could play better than before. Others have retrained without being injured and
discovered the same thing: they could play better, with greater ease, play more
difficult pieces, and overcome problems that formerly seemed hopeless. These
facts are profoundly important, and every pianist or teacher should reflect on
them. What they imply, I believe, is that all of us, students, pianists and
especially teachers, should make the effort to learn the principles of efficient
movement at the piano and apply those principles first in our own playing (since
we can't teach what we can't do) and then in our teaching. An efficient technique
is not only the way to cure or avoid injury, it is the best way to further our
artistic goals.
http://www.pianomap.com/injuries/conclusion.html