I think that's a good point. It's more forwards and out into length. If you try to raise the tip too high before lengthening out, it may compress the knuckles further. If there's pain then you need to stop going with an attitude of stretching limits and remember that the primary issue to notice what is causing unnecessary work. It's not a stretching exercise but one for coordination.
Hey thanks again for making that point. It's really helped to trigger a number of clarifications in the exercises I'm finishing off writing. In fact, I realise now that the age old debate on whether finger lifting is dangerous hinges entirely on this. When some people specifically aim to lift their fingertip, they often do so in a way that actively collapses the knuckles. This pushes the extensors to their absolute limit of motion and does nothing but cause strain. It's the type of movement Alan speaks of that merely resists collapse, in a hand that isn't proactive. However, if you extend the fingers first, it's possible to lift the tip rather high, without collapsing the knuckles one bit- if anything it actively affirms the open position.
Noticing this has helped me with a further exercise where non playing fingers assist in playing fuller chords. I was a little concerned by trying to apply it to a situation where only the fourth doesn't play. Trying to lift it would be strenuous and inappropriate. However, by lengthening it out forwards, it has all the same benefits of helping of helping the hand open out, with no sense of effort. It helps the arm lighten up, with no sense of any fight. I've managed to extend the principle of using non playing fingers to assist with all situations now. The sole exception would be if every finger has to play at the same time. In everything else, any spare finger can help coax the hand into a more open arch, while reminding the arm not to dig in.
There's a great film of dacic playing the Horowitz piano, where you can see this lengthening of non playing fingers in a very clear fashion. Aside from being an exercise that helps to me to realise where I'm digging in slightly, it's also a completely literal aspect of real world playing technique. It's actually less physical effort than when non playing fingers try to do nothing. It seems to me that if they're trying to do nothing, all they can end up doing is resisting in the more strenuous way- while also leaving behind more work for the playing fingers. It's a whole extra dimension when you always reference every finger, rather than those that are actually playing at that moment.
