Wrist Flexibility Options

[moltopiano]

Does anyone have any good ideas about exercises or studies specifically to encourage wrist flexibility ?. Starting piano in my 40s it is a bit of an issue for me as I am grappling with pieces at Grade 5. I am left handed and it is much more of an issue for me in the right hand, and of course most of the fast runs at this level are in the right hand. I would be keen to hear your thoughts.

[AllZwell]

Does anyone have any good ideas about exercises or studies specifically to encourage wrist flexibility ?. Starting piano in my 40s it is a bit of an issue for me as I am grappling with pieces at Grade 5. I am left handed and it is much more of an issue for me in the right hand, and of course most of the fast runs at this level are in the right hand. I would be keen to hear your thoughts.

The 15 Minute finger Workout by Richard Meyrick are axcellent for finger independence, and octave work, and is the best £7.00 i've spent (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

look at some of his Videos too here http://www.thepianostudio.co.uk/finger-workouts.php


It takes me about 20 minutes thoug......


AllzWell

[piano*cello*sax*boy]

I would try lots of arp's but not to the point of it hurting though, don't over do it. As you do them move your wrist, i found this helped me alot when i done it, although i don't think that i've explained it too well.

Hope this helps.

[Solari]

I'll throw in a strange suggestion...

I have one of these and it's good for wrist strength, I'd guess flexibility too.... Have you thought about using a Powerball?

[Robodoc]

I'll throw in a strange suggestion...

I have one of these and it's good for wrist strength, I'd guess flexibility too.... Have you thought about using a Powerball?

Flexibility and strength are not at all the same: I would be VERY surprised if the powerball helped flexibility.

[moltopiano]

I would try lots of arp's but not to the point of it hurting though, don't over do it. As you do them move your wrist, i found this helped me alot when i done it, although i don't think that i've explained it too well.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for your interest piano*cello*sax*boy. I appreciate you taking time to reply. Sorry to be a bit slow but what exactly are arp's ? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

[piano*cello*sax*boy]

Hi,

Arpeggios, just a simple one such as c major 2 octaves, and moving ur wrist as you it, try and keep your thumb movement smooth as well.

[Cadence]

Try doing this:

- Place your fingers on E, F#, G#, A# & C. (or I guess F, F#, G# A#, B might be better if you have small hands)
- Press the notes down (gently - don't use much force, just enough to make them go down)
- Now rotate your wrists slowly a few times in 1 direction, aiming for full circles rather than side to side motion, which is what tends to happen when you have inflexible wrists.
- Then do the same with the other hand.
- Lastly, do both hands again, but in the opposite directions to the first time.

If you do this a couple of times each day (not too much and not strain yourself) you'll find that your wrist flexibility gets better. I tried this from a Piano-Yoga book and it was so good that I now use with a few of my students, especially a woman in her 60s who has arthiritis and I've really found that it helps. Interestingly, she said that she also experiences less pain during the day when she does the exercises often than she did before she started playing the piano, which I find intruiging ... having her as a student has really made me interested in reading more about how playing music and instruments can help with bodily ailments. anyway - off topic, sorry!

[moltopiano]

Try doing this:

- Place your fingers on E, F#, G#, A# & C. (or I guess F, F#, G# A#, B might be better if you have small hands)
- Press the notes down (gently - don't use much force, just enough to make them go down)
- Now rotate your wrists slowly a few times in 1 direction, aiming for full circles rather than side to side motion, which is what tends to happen when you have inflexible wrists.
- Then do the same with the other hand.
- Lastly, do both hands again, but in the opposite directions to the first time.

If you do this a couple of times each day (not too much and not strain yourself) you'll find that your wrist flexibility gets better. I tried this from a Piano-Yoga book and it was so good that I now use with a few of my students, especially a woman in her 60s who has arthiritis and I've really found that it helps. Interestingly, she said that she also experiences less pain during the day when she does the exercises often than she did before she started playing the piano, which I find intruiging ... having her as a student has really made me interested in reading more about how playing music and instruments can help with bodily ailments. anyway - off topic, sorry!

Thanks to everyone for your ideas. Have tried some of it out already and I am sure it will help. Cadence this suggestion of yours is just great and I can almost feel it working while doing the exercise. Much appreciated !

[Cadence]

Thanks to everyone for your ideas. Have tried some of it out already and I am sure it will help. Cadence this suggestion of yours is just great and I can almost feel it working while doing the exercise. Much appreciated !

Glad it helps - I hope your wrists feel more fleixble and comfortable soon!

[HelenVJ]

Do you have any further details of the Piano-Yoga book, cadence?

[Cadence]

Do you have any further details of the Piano-Yoga book, cadence?

Well I just stumbled across the project a few months back. It's at www.piano-yoga.com.

Basically, it uses the principles of movement and breathing that you find in yoga to apply them to musicians with tension, small hand spans and performance nerves. When I found it, I was looking for something to help me because at the time I suffered from really bad tension in my wrists - I couldn't even get through 1 single page of a Schumann piece I was playing because of pain and I thought it was because my technique was poor, as I had just returned from a break of about 2 years from not playing the piano.

I then happened by chance to meet the woman who created it at one of her concerts and over a few weeks she helped me to get rid of the tension in my wrists and back and helped me to realise that it wasn't my technique that was lacking, but my awareness of how I was using the muscles in my body. I was sold immediately and have been trying to follow the course she gave me, although I haven't been doing it very religiously recently (laziness!), but it has drastically changed the way I play and the way in which I think about how I am moving my fingers and what my body is doing to create the sound I'm making. I also use the ideas from it with a lot of my students.

They brought a book out of a 10 week course that you can download in PDF form, and then I think over the last few weeks they have published a printed copy, as I saw a notice somewhere on the website that said you can buy it online.

I would really highly recommend looking into the subject/website as the idea and principles behind it just make so much sense to me.

[PianoDoodler]

Try doing this:

- Place your fingers on E, F#, G#, A# & C. (or I guess F, F#, G# A#, B might be better if you have small hands)
- Press the notes down (gently - don't use much force, just enough to make them go down)
- Now rotate your wrists slowly a few times in 1 direction, aiming for full circles rather than side to side motion, which is what tends to happen when you have inflexible wrists.
- Then do the same with the other hand.
- Lastly, do both hands again, but in the opposite directions to the first time.

What a brilliant exercise, cadence. Perfect for teaching combining tension with relaxation.. I never thought of this, and will use it often. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/party1.gif)

[LizzieT]

Try doing this:

- Place your fingers on E, F#, G#, A# & C. (or I guess F, F#, G# A#, B might be better if you have small hands)
- Press the notes down (gently - don't use much force, just enough to make them go down)
- Now rotate your wrists slowly a few times in 1 direction, aiming for full circles rather than side to side motion, which is what tends to happen when you have inflexible wrists.
- Then do the same with the other hand.
- Lastly, do both hands again, but in the opposite directions to the first time.

What a brilliant exercise, cadence. Perfect for teaching combining tension with relaxation.. I never thought of this, and will use it often. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/party1.gif)

Yep - I too will certainly try this.