Range of motion issues in right hand

Technique and methods 4 posts Started 14 Apr 2018

Gordon

8 years ago

Original post

I've been gradually retraining myself after years (like 40) of wrong approaches starting with being taught to "strike" the keys at an early age. One thing that I notice is that I have much better elasticity and range of motion (with my fingers) in my left hand whereas my right hand I have trouble playing thirds (for example) because my I can't get enough height from my fourth finger to clear the key. I can't tell if its neurological or that the hand structure is really less flexible. I'm leaning strongly toward the latter case now but wonder what is a safe approach at imrpoving this.

Markeog

8 years ago

I have found that the closer the heel of the hand is to the finger tip, the more clearance you have when releasing a key, even for the 4th finger. Also, the finger itself is not solely responsible for clearing the key. You could experiment with moving your wrist up and down when playing 3rds, and/or using some rotation. Hope this helps a bit.

Jovan

8 years ago

Is your hand generally very low at the keyboard? Standing up and pivoting on any finger really could make a difference. Let us know how it develops.

Alanfraserpiano

8 years ago

The perception may well be that the right hand is less flexible, but there is probably some way of developing its functionality that would resolve the perception. Don't just think about the arch shape; think about growing the hand into that shape.

AFF

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