Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Help with technique (tension issues)?

I have been learning to play piano for a while now but I've been having a lot of problems lately continuing to make progress. I can't afford a teacher right now so it is hard for me to get good consistent feedback on my playing.

I've noticed when I'm playing faster songs, or songs with a lot of big chords and octaves, my arms start to feel tired and a little sore afterwords. They don't hurt per se, but it feels kind of like the same feeling after you lifted weights at the gym (maybe it is lactic acid buildup?). I feel tired after playing for about 20 minutes but I can keep playing for over an hour if I take breaks. Any advice you have on reducing tension or improving my technique would be great.


Chopin's Nocturne in C# Minor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g906FpcKkTU
Handel's Passacaglia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0oFtRUY7L8

Thank you for any tips you have! I always tell myself to relax and go slowly, but I'm still experiencing so much fatigue.

Check out the Taubman Approach, advocated by the Golandsky Institute.

Oddly, I was watching some piano videos and had this one on before seeing this thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDdvcDlTz0k


Maybe you'll find it useful

Very expressive playing btw. I enjoy the gentleness and sensitivity in the nocturne.

Two observations.

One is just that you're on a digital, and some people on digitals develop a habit of pressing way too hard only because they're trying to get a lot of sound or a rich and beautiful tone, and digitals won't really give you more than a certain amount. You can train yourself out of this habit by setting the volume higher but you'll learn more about your habits if you have any way to get some regular practice in on a good grand piano.

Second observation is you lift your nonplaying fingers a lot, particularly in the LH. Try this: put your hand on a table in piano playing position, lift fingers 234 up about an inch, hold for 60-90 seconds, and see if that gives you the same uncomfortable feeling you associate with piano playing. If so, you need to retrain yourself to avoid lifting the nonplaying fingers, just let them relax down on the keys. In general the large knuckles where your fingers attach to your hand should be the "top of the bridge," highest point of the hand at all times. In octaves the curve is very shallow, but you still don't want any of the parts of your fingers to be higher than those large knuckles, or else tension results.

You might also try sitting a little lower. If the forearm can be parallel to the floor, the wrist either straight or bent backward slightly as if in a splint, that will help with keeping the bridge of the hand higher than the fingers.

You seem fairly young to have this problem being caused by poor technique, particularly on this level of music where you don't seem to be struggling. I would check with a doctor. You may just have poor circulation or low blood oxygen levels.

You play quite nicely.

You shouldn't be feeling tiredness in your arms. What I do, I pay attention to my arm muscles, and as soon as I notice tension in my arms, I stop, relax, and try again using a different muscle set (or more 'relaxed' muscles).

Also, getting your fingers more 'proper' (as mentioned by Heather) will help with that too.

What I see is someone who can relax beautifully but doesn't know when to. Don't start relaxing at some random moment after the sound but immediately after the sound. That's a very strict rule. Also, I never stick my elbows out (but plenty do).