Technique query Options

[amybalcomb]

I have a mature student in his 60s who initially tried to teach himself the piano.
His thumbs have got into the habit of hanging off the keys in 1-5 position. He doesn't even keep his 5th fingers over the right notes. The upshot is that he's constantly moving out of position, which is really frustrating considering I have only just got him reading the music without looking down so much!

I've given him the normal walking exercise of playing 12345 up and down whilst trying to keep 1 & 5 engaged with their notes but he's still dropping the thumb off the keyboard and lifting his little finger off.

Any thoughts?

[Splog]

I used to do something similar - my fingers would be on the keys but my thumbs hanging off the edge of the piano. My teacher couldn't figure out why. I eventually realised it when I looked at my hands on the computer keyboard. My fingers were on the home keys and my thumbs were on the space bar. I think I was the only student my teacher had who could touch type. Pinkies were ok though, so probably not the same issue.

Interesting if it is the same.... but how many 60 year old men can touch type?

[Scooby Doo]

Spot on re the typing - I taught a secretary who had exactly the same problem - thumbs never ever anywhere near the keys. However once we realised that this was the problem, and I kept reminding her to rotate her hands sideways a little so that she had a straight line from forearm through middle finger, things improved. It's a hard habit to break, though.

Perhaps you could give him some exercises involving chords, so that he gets a nice satisfying musical sound and has to use his thumbs a lot in the process? (Dozen a day should yield something suitable).

[sbhoa]

I'm inclined to towards spikes on the front edge of the piano to discourage trailing thumbs. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

[BabyGrand]

The upshot is that he's constantly moving out of position, which is really frustrating considering I have only just got him reading the music without looking down so much!

I've given him the normal walking exercise of playing 12345 up and down whilst trying to keep 1 & 5 engaged with their notes but he's still dropping the thumb off the keyboard and lifting his little finger off.

I personally make a deliberate separation between technique practice and pieces, in that in the former I encourage pupils to memorise them as soon as possible and always watch their hands, and in the latter I ask them to follow the music, and look down as little as possible. With issues such such as trailing thumbs, I find people often don't know or can't tell they're doing it unless they can see it. So with their ADAD/other technique exercises (like the one you've mentioned), they watch their hands throughout, which means they can immediately spot when something starts to go wrong, and put it right straight away. As they're doing it, I get them to consciously focus on remembering how it feels when their hands look right, what muscles they're using etc. They can 'test' themselves by shutting their eyes and trying to do the same exercise, then opening them midway to see if their thumbs/fingers are still in the same position. Eventually the correct technique/positioning etc is learned by their muscles/mind, and becomes habit, and they're able replicate it in their pieces, without looking.

I know some people have an issue with doing things like this by sight, but I find it pays off - it guarantees repetition of the right way, rather than the wrong way until they happen to notice (or teacher notices at the next lesson! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) ), so the fingers learn what they should be doing much quicker, at least in my experience.

I hadn't thought of the touch typing connection before...very interesting! I did find one pupil had unusually good finger control and strength from her first lesson, and we thought it may be because she types so much in her job. Hmmm.

[Splog]

I'm inclined to towards spikes on the front edge of the piano to discourage trailing thumbs. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

I will come to you for lessons! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[LizzieT]

I'm inclined to towards spikes on the front edge of the piano to discourage trailing thumbs. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

Can you recommend a manufacturer?

[sbhoa]

I'm inclined to towards spikes on the front edge of the piano to discourage trailing thumbs. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

Can you recommend a manufacturer?

Patent Pending... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[BabyGrand]

I'm inclined to towards spikes on the front edge of the piano to discourage trailing thumbs. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

Can you recommend a manufacturer?

Patent Pending... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

One of my pupils once said that what he needs is a sensor on his piano at home, where everytime his thumbs move out of position it triggers a recording of my voice suddenly to call out "Thumbs!"

[sbhoa]

I also point out how much more effort they are having to use to get the thumb back into position when it's needed.

[morceau]

I'm inclined to towards spikes on the front edge of the piano to discourage trailing thumbs. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

Can you recommend a manufacturer?

Patent Pending... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

I agree with BabyGrand. Technical stuff should be memorised and then the hands watched closely to make sure the hand shape and wrist position is correct. Eventually the technical things filter into general playing (at least that's what we're aiming for!)

Dangling thumbs are the bane of my life too. The computer keyboard connection is very interesting. .