The Importance of Arm Weight

Here are photos of some of my wonderful students! There will be more to follow ... so keep checking back :0) If you can show me the experiment below ... you can pick a prize!

I would like to pose a question ... When you are walking down the street - which muscles do you think do the majority of the work? The smaller muscles in your feet? or the larger muscles in your legs? Well? Yes - the larger muscles in your legs do the majority of the work when you are walking - and this is for a good reason - they are BIGGER and able to handle more strain than the smaller ones found in your feet. So, why am I talking about feet and legs when we are learning to play the piano?!?!

Try this little experiment ... play a simple C major TRIAD with your right hand while gently holding your wrist (fingers on the bottom side - thumb on top). For beginner students - just try pressing the Middle C key down with Finger '3' ... HOW MUCH TENSION DO YOU FEEL IN YOUR WRIST? If you can feel your muscles tightening up, then you are not using the full extent of ARM WEIGHT and the large muscles in your arm! :0) This is an ARM WEIGHT DROP.

You might be able to get away with playing with FLAT fingers and TENSE muscles in your wrist for a little while - but sooner or later, you can develop TENDONITIS and that is not fun! So, what should you do?

When you play your TRIAD (or your Middle C note) try relaxing your wrist and letting it drop ... don't let your wrist lay on the keys - but do let it drop enough that the muscles in your fore-arm take over where your hand/wrist muscles left off. Try to imagine someone giving you a karate chop on the top of your wrist - and watch it "collapse" while your play your notes :0)

As you move your hand to the next note (or set of notes), use your forearm muscles to lift your hand and let it dangle (like a puppy with a "sore paw") - or imagine that you have a helium balloon tied to your wrist and it's making your arm float up. Randall Faber talks about making "rainbows".