Feldenkrais For The Hands

Just did the 2 and 3rd part of Falk Feddersen's exercises on "opening the shoulders" The first is useful in a more broad abstract sense, but the 2nd and 3rd are EXTREMELY useful for pianists. I came up with the chain concept some time ago, but it's never altogether stopped being a problem to create length in my right arm- especially down the 5th finger side of my right hand. I found these very useful for that sense of lengthening everything out in a long line behind the fingers. Beyond that, they are also extremely direct at giving a sensation for the rather abstract sensation of connecting finger and arm, while only performing real movement in the hand itself. The second exercise especially is a great way to differentiate between the abstract sensation of a relationship, without that turning into the classic misunderstanding through which everyone "connects" hand and arm by starting to use the arm to press through the fingers. Also, although these are about lengthening actions, rather than the pianistic closing action of the knuckle, it's done a great to improve my bad 5th knuckle. By getting the extensors active, the knuckle has since ended up in a much easier position from which to close effectively, without that being part of any sense of getting bunched up in the chain. I've done a lot of diverse general Feldenkrais exercises to great use, but I haven't found all that many others that apply in such a direct way to pianism (although the one for the dominant hand is also great) so I strongly recommend these to anyone. I've been thinking of adding a section on my website which links and included a few observations on some of the Feldenkrais exercises that I've found most useful.

Interesting - I downloaded those a while back but haven't done them yet. I'll certainly give them a go to see how they help me. With regards to the fifth knuckle being prepared, I noticed something interesting today. I was messing around with playing two notes legato, but focusing on the release of the first note because I'd noticed that even with an overlap of sound I wasn't maintaining a connection to the keyboard - the first key was being released slightly ahead of time. However, this seemed particularly bad moving from fourth to fifth finger if the fifth knuckle drooped in any way. When the droop is bad, my fourth finger is almost guaranteed to release way before the fifth finger gets anyway near the bottom of the key, but if the knuckle is well prepared then the problem is reduced to manageable proportions. I was just wondering if you've had similar experiences?

Interesting - I downloaded those a while back but haven't done them yet. I'll certainly give them a go to see how they help me. With regards to the fifth knuckle being prepared, I noticed something interesting today. I was messing around with playing two notes legato, but focusing on the release of the first note because I'd noticed that even with an overlap of sound I wasn't maintaining a connection to the keyboard - the first key was being released slightly ahead of time. However, this seemed particularly bad moving from fourth to fifth finger if the fifth knuckle drooped in any way. When the droop is bad, my fourth finger is almost guaranteed to release way before the fifth finger gets anyway near the bottom of the key, but if the knuckle is well prepared then the problem is reduced to manageable proportions. I was just wondering if you've had similar experiences? Yeah, I was thinking about literally the exact same thing a lot lately! I found this is a real problem in the 1454 stuff in la campanella. I've found many useful exercises that are helping this issue. the tap through 5 mentioned in another thread greatly helps, with no release of 4 at all. Also taubmans double rotation, if you finish in in an upright rather than slanted position. basically slant away to prepare and rock back to a position right on top of 5 rather than rock past and onto your side . I often overhold 4 to avoid premature release and drooping. also every time you play 5,move the thumb around it in a big semi circle and tap the wood below the keys. this is also great for the big jumps in campanella. it gets 5 grasping, but everything else is OPENING rather than closing. literally the only closure is refined down to that in the 5th knuckle, which avoids wasted tightening. also, here's an interesting one. play 4 and 5 flat down on adjacent keys keep them depressed and rotate- allowing the fingers to roll on their sides and weighing mildly down against them . rocking towards 5 almost certainly inverts the knuckle (unless 5 greatly engages the knuckle grasp) . rocking towards 4 almost unfailingly pushes it out into the strong position, as long as you rest slightly down on both keys. it shows that you can rock onto a slanted 5th, BUT there's a very specific sideways action needed (like when opening 5 away from 4) to keep good form and avoid inversion. however, rocking slightly the other way is the easiest way to keep the form of the hand.

I often overhold 4 to avoid premature release and drooping. also every time you play 5,move the thumb around it in a big semi circle and tap the wood below the keys. this is also great for the big jumps in campanella. I plan on trying all of that out, but I couldn't quite figure out the movement you described here. Could you elaborate a little?

I often overhold 4 to avoid premature release and drooping. also every time you play 5,move the thumb around it in a big semi circle and tap the wood below the keys. this is also great for the big jumps in campanella. I plan on trying all of that out, but I couldn't quite figure out the movement you described here. Could you elaborate a little? excuse my slowness. imagine if the 5th stays in one place and the thumb moves around it in a big arc (but always points down a little and stay long). it's like the thumb starting at 9 o'clock (with the 5th fingertip being the middle of the clockl and moving towards 6. after a point. the thumb goes in towards the 5th though and touches below it under the kehs. rather than staying at length from it for the whole thing. is that any clearer?

excuse my slowness. imagine if the 5th stays in one place and the thumb moves around it in a big arc (but always points down a little and stay long). it's like the thumb starting at 9 o'clock (with the 5th fingertip being the middle of the clockl and moving towards 6. after a point. the thumb goes in towards the 5th though and touches below it under the kehs. rather than staying at length from it for the whole thing. is that any clearer? Yes, that's much clearer. I like the use of a clock to describe the movement - I've found myself making more and more use of the clock image for Feldenkrais stuff recently. You might have seen it already, but if not, here's Lynette Reid's post on .

I would like to try. But it seems all the files in the link are audio only. How could I learn something involve so much motions by voice only????

That's the whole point - because we all start at different places we have to work with what we can already do. So being guided by voice allows us to figure out our own interpretation of the movements described and to make adjustments that are personal to us. Visuals just confuse the matter and make us think that there is an ideal movement we should be aiming for, where we should in fact be allowing sensation to inform us about how to fill in the missing pieces of the movement. If you don't do the movement the teacher intended, so what? If you learn from it then you've done the lesson well.