How To CORRECTLY Shift Your Arm In Piano Playing 

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I don't understand why your videos are so underrated. This knowledge is hard to find on RU-vid

I love your emphasis on smoothness and natural motion! Really makes technique feel less robotic and more holistic.

Very important topic. Rotation movements can prevent tensions and possible injuries.

I’ve been binging your videos and they help a ton! Thank you

I really like your explanations, most of the videos I found on youtube regarding the technique are either too beginner or so difficult that only really advanced learners can follow along. I feel I can learn a lot from your videos 😊😊

Your videos are really helpful! Thank you!

This was extremely helpful, thank you!

Thanks for applying these principles to the music.

Thank you! You explain and demonstrate this technique very well!

I so enjoyed your video as always Craig. You make piano practice easy and interesting by breaking down those technical aspects that aren't so obvious to pick just by watching a concert pianist on stage. THANK YOU for being the great teacher that you are and for this lesson that I learned so much from.

I have been struggling with this..tysm❤️

Great lesson! Its gonna change much for me!

Thank you for this video

Thanks!

useful video. I've got some tendinitis after 6 months of lessons. this helps to get a clear idea of what type of movement I should look for

Great video! Very detailed explanation, helpful for beginners!

Thanks . Started watching some of your videos and found them really useful!

Obvious but eye-opening at the same time! Well-demonstrated; thanks!!

Of all the topical video tutorials, this issue seems to me like the most seminal element of this approach. It sets up all the others; you can't rotate properly unless first you get into solid position, that is from place to place, navigation. The mode eliminates the need for wrist twisting, hand and finger stretching in anticipation of the next hand position or note, flying elbows and other energy wasting movements. The overall technique is the most adaptable to any score in any style of music at any level, from "Hot Crossed Buns" to Rachmaninoff, Gershwin, Ellington, Ravel and Cecil Taylor. It's necessary to consider rotation, and other smooth movements.... It is, at the same time in the early going, at least for me, the most challenging aspect as I now must learn to shift forearms laterally to every new position and even every note. To learn new interval distances by busier forearm shifting is to overwrite my previous navigation by stretching hands, fingers, wrist twisting and all, in anticipation of the next move to where I am going. This takes time and patience, methodical work, working spots, at slower tempi than one would prefer, or feel they deserve-an accomplished student starting again with something like "Three Blind Mice." That's somewhat humbling but one must accept it on a sure path to better playing. It is probably radical for many experienced players. The pace at which it is incorporating into muscle memory is exceeding my expectations. You have command of the technique AND the pleasant and fun loving personality to be able to teach any level. There are folks teaching good technique but they very seldom make it fun. That's a personality issue, not a technical one. I would encourage beginning students of any age to get grounded with this approach so they will not need remedial work later on. Anything undertaking that is worthwhile takes time. Piano study is a long game but players can experience the joys of artistic and technical accomplishment at any level on any day in each practice session. There is no arrival at perfection, just the joy of more accomplishment. There are arrangements out there now for just about any level that are viable music. There is more to piano than Mozart and Chopin. Thinking about "it." Kudos to all from Oregon. Dave M

Another great one! Thanks, Craig. You break it down well. I've been changing my form and following your tips and seen a reduction in pain/tension in my arms and wrists.

Nicely done video and very informative!

Reviewing all older vids. At least 2nd time through this one. C call it shifting; I have labeled it "lateral forearm motion." For what I needed, this tutorial was the most dramatically helpful. It seems like a no brainer but this aspect is hardly ever stressed in detail, never by any former teacher, maybe because it just seems like common sense. Absolutely seminal to keyboard navigation. It amounts to getting the hand in position by moving at the end of the forearm which in turn is controlled by the shoulders. This applies even in scalar movement, down to semi-tones. I would have to say this unlocked the key to my advanced playing and was stuck in late intermediate stages. This was the key which led to all the other techniques in coordination. Agree with the commenters; C does a really great job on this one. This aspect is often passed over. This cured the need for wrist twisting, causing elbows to fly out, hand and finger stretching, which was holding me back. This will also inform fingering choices in detail. I was trying to follow the edited fingerings from someone in the published scores. I assumed it was the composer/arranger, or at least some fingering choice expert-I assumed wrong! The edited fingerings often got me into trouble and left the only approach was to twist wrist, hands and fingers. Now, I have supreme confidence to work out my own fingerings. Once lateral forearm movement gets the hand over the keys, the minimal effort to the fingers becomes evident. The change in practice is mostly learning how to re-calibrate the distances between intervals by arm shifting and not stretching. It has been 4 months since my earlier comment. The progress has exceeded my rather lavish expectations. Really did a positive number on my overall playing. Very grateful. Thanks Craig and company.

Good lesson Sir

Your thumbnails are always really nice. As are your videos! 👍🏼👍🏼

I.need. ( needed) this advice to keep from bending my wrist from side to side , asking for trouble. Thank you.

***** FANTASTIC & WELL CLEARLY EXPLAINED CONTENT.....NEW SUB HERE !!!!!!

This is exactly what I needed - thanks. I just started playing and am taking an online course (free with the piano purchase). This was my inquiry after taking the first few lessons: During practice, I noticed my arms are angled in when the right hand is in the middle C position and the left the next lower C position. This feels awkward and I was wondering if that is normal. It I move both hands outward to the next higher C (right) and next lower C (left), the arms are straight (perpendicular to the keys). Is this discomfort normal when starting out? Maybe disorientation is a better description. I always feel like I should be re-positioning my body to be better aligned. When playing left or right of a straight arm position, should the body turn? I suppose that is not feasible if you play lower with the left hand and higher with the right. Should the wrists be angled so the fingers are parallel or closer to parallel to the keys?

at minute 10;13 can u play that note with ether hand or does it have to be the left hand?

SO - I am absolute beginner, evaluating approaches. TUABMAN approach sounds like the way to begin because their alarmist You’d better watch out BUT they compliment and/or are not clear, and appear ancient. I’ll try yours

Would have helped for the overhead camera to capture a view of your arms. For the keys directly in front of your body's vertical axis your fingers are parallel to the keys alright but your arm has to be at an angle for it to happen, it is impossible to have your arm and your hand aligned in a straight line for those keys.

to keep the arms in a straight position. say when you're doing a cmajor scale with your right arm in middle c position, to maintain the straight wrist position do you have to adjust with shoulders along with your elbow and body? I'd like to add that to keep my arm and wrist straight in middle c position (right arm) my elbow has to basically be tucked to my body, is this okay?

this is very similar to taubman technique which I looking for.

.F5

i blame chopin

I gave up watching it - too many adds ...