Muscles And Pain Question

Hi, Some teachers say that pain in the muscles of the forearm is normal because it builts the muscles ability to withstand the length of some long pieces, especially fast tempo pieces, where more muscle action is required. Some of it make sense to me and some doesn't-in piano playing there is training of the muscles for more and more speed,but the playing does involve some muscle action,meaning contraction of the muscle,meaning effort of the muscle.I find it is also impossible to seperate the forearm muscles from the work of the lumbricals (using the lumbricals i still feel the flexors in the forearm working).On the other hand some believe that there should be no pain involved in the forearm muscle what so ever because it leads straight to tendon injury. So which one is it? I ,myself suffered from tendon injury,thinking that while practicing i was building the muscle's endurance ,playing long pieces. Thanks

IN general: Pain in the hand, anywhere below the wrist: likely due to muscles waking up and beginningt to work as they should - to be accepted and even cultivated to a reasonable degree. Pain in the wrist, forearm, elbow: caused by compensating contractions evoked by weakness in the hand and fingers - to be avoided. Pain in the upper arm: muscles beginning to work properly - to be cultivated. Pain in the back and neck: musclese overworking due to compensation - to be avoided. AFF

Hi Thomas Mark (author of "What Every Pianist Needs to Know about the Body") says that piano isn't form of sports and therefore those sport analogies ("no pain no game") can be harmful. I agree that relaxation and controlled movement exercises are much more useful than raw power and endurance exercises which come from misthinking that piano is like sports. I think Alan's view is quite close but he sees some benefit of some special muscular exercises. This part is the most interesting to me (I've personal experiences about that problematic): Pain in the wrist, forearm, elbow: caused by compensating contractions evoked by weakness in the hand and fingers - to be avoided. Let's assume that I have developed compensating contractions in forearm area. Or maybe they are more like "parasitic contractions" meaning that I have nowadays more active, standing and walking fingers but still there's some unnecessary activity in my forearm (I feel some tightness and sometimes pain in my forearm, palm side). Are there some special exercises that them? I believe that "Remedial Pianism ATM 1 (4.1)" in Honing the Pianist Self-image p.29 is one,right? Maybe those exercises with hand resting palm on the keys are good too? thx, P

I think you will love my third book, ALL THUMBS. It is full of the type of exercise you are looking for. My fourth book, PLAY THE PIANO WITH YOUR WHOLE SELF, will be even more helpful - but you'll have to wait till Christmastime for that one... AFF

Ok, Thanks! I have all those first three books, but stuff is so "heavy" that I am going VERY slowly. At the moment I am still Honing P

Can't wait to push up the new PianoTechnique.org. Far better in every possible way, especially searching and content interaction.

Thanks for the answer-my problem is that i have not been playing for quite some time. Maybe that is the reason why i do feel pain in the forearm?

@WER123 Is the pain in the forearm located in flexor side (palm side) or in extensor side? This might give us more clue what's possibly wrong?

usually the pain is on the extensors side of the forearm,in motion like tremolo for intance i feel it in both the flexors and the extensors,octaves more on the extensors side. Dont the extensors do work though, lifting the fingers up all the time,isnt it logicall that they are weak and they are getting stronger? Thank you

I think this is getting to the point where you would need a lesson for me to see what is going on. AFF