Piano Q&A: Injuries at the Piano and Avoiding Tendonitis 

WARM UP BEFORE THE ACTUAL PLAYING! This is veeeery efficient for wrist health:)

If I play a hard piece, I use a stress ball to make my forearms stronger. Dunno if it helps but it helps build up my wrist strength.

This is super important. I've had tendonitis for years and miss the piano SO much!!!!!!! In fact, I stated watching your channel today as a substitute for actual playing. I have a similar story to the drummer in your band. I wish I could go back and change things, although with my genetics it was basically inevitable.

Your absolutely correct about the breath. By breathing you reduce the lactic acid build up in muscles by sending oxygen to that area being affected by fatigue. I’ve learned that through yoga and incorporate that technique into my lifestyle and other practices as well..especially playing tabla it gets demanding on the wrists and playing piano on top of that. Great video too I’m going to check into getting a wrist compression sleeve.

Recently my wrist started hurting every time I practiced and it happens daily when I do. I’ve started playing pieces where there are a few big stretches and that’s when it’s starts hurting more. Some people say it’s to do with the joints but I’m still a younger student so I don’t thinks it’s the case...

Lang lang said to always warm up in order not to end up injured like he was

PIANOTV IS AWESOME!

I love your videos. I have returned to piano lessons after a 30 year gap, I'm attempting grade 3. Your enthusiasm is inspirational. Thank you for up loading.

oohmygod I had wrist pain from playing the piano and the violin for half a year so recently I have been googling and trying to find out what I can do about it and I've done a couple of different things like wrist exercises, more warm ups, wearing one these arm bands and I stopped eating salt and I eat berries every day and two days ago I woke up and the pain was completely gone! I thanks a million

Thank you for the video

You are very helpful thank u :)

Of course posture can play a big part. I was pretty new to piano and developed a persistent dull aching pain and numbness in the right hand. Had to quit for 6 months. It really stemmed from a shoulder problem (common for many musicians) - probably from impingement on a nerve. I'm back playing for 9 months without further issue but I now use a few different theraband exercises each day - especially the exercise behind the back which pulls the shoulders back.

ive been playing piano now for about 6 months,im 56 and have 40 years of heavy manual work behind me,ive fractured my left wrist 3 times now. dabbled in guitar but due to pain have given up.but piano seems ok for now touch wood,im not sure if I would know things like carpal tunnel from useual pain,i useally stop when my muscles tense up,i hope I'm doing the right thing,love the videos keep them coming,im not the best at the theory side but I'm getting there.

Ive had 7 surgeries from practicing . Do what you can it may help. I did everything I knew how to do and still injured my hands . Arthritis spread and now I use canes and wheelchairs .

Im so glad u mentioned it. Ive browsed 100 clips with pro pianists to see anyone talk about it without talking about it in black or white, the gray area exists too! (fatigue)

A couple of recommendations based on personal experience: First, never push through the pain. If you're creating the conditions for an injury your body is warning you something isn't right. I did this lifting hundreds of hay bales, which I had never done before, and the result was months of pain and two surgeries. Second, on a more positive note, when I took up the piano a little less than two years ago, (I'm in my fifties) I was experiencing a certain amount of aching and stiffness in my wrists, hands and fingers. My dad had quite bad arthritis in his hands, so I thought I was getting it too. But, I am very grateful, and delighted to say, that since I have been playing the piano, these problems have almost entirely disappeared.

All through the video I was thinking Schumann. R.Schumann... A classical example of hand injury.Such a great writer/critique...had he been a concert pianist, may be his manic depression wouldn't have troubled him as much (leading to an anti climactic end in life). I guess if we have played piano long enough we will clearly know when it's fatigue(i generally get it after a while when I play thick texture or new technique -aly demanding piece etc) and when it's pain (I get pain at the upper shoulder , sometimes at the back of the hand). Whatever it is, we have to be very very careful. Thanks for the video.

Thank you for your always helpful advice! I just begun learning to play the piano and you've been helping me a lot! Quick question, what do you think of yousician?

What about having a video on what is the correct technique. Because when I began playing piano I did all the wrong things, and my teacher really couldn't help me to get a proper technique. Injury is of course about not letting your hands and arms rest, but even more on using wrong technique. I used too much finger force. My fingers did the work that my arms and wrists were supposed to do.

2074! Wow!

Rejoxygeneraite muscles, CHECK! :)... what also could help is spending a session or two relaxing on the sofa and visualizing thus mentally practicing the piano session, also adding a few hours before sleeping of no piano playing or even thoughts about any pianothingy allowed. Going to find me some anti-inflamatoriating foods now, much thanks for sharing your thoughts Allysia

You look beautiful!

What do you think of silent pianos!!??

I was playing hard and the next day I had a ball on my ligament on the ring finger, wondering what it is. It moves with my finger when I move it and it hurts just a bit tho it cracks sometimes too

Do you recommend to use wrist support? Thank you!

Hi I've got arthritis starting in my finger... can you say anything about that and playing piano. Thx

Hello, I am asking when would there be a good time to start getting into full baroque suites. What would you recommend be the first one that should be learned? I am around a grade 4 to 6 level, so I am mainly looking at Handel's 4th in D Minor, but am seeing it as too difficult.

For Chopin I find learning to use wrist rotation is helpful to relieve tension. Same with practicing small stretches at once, legato peddling, alternative fingering, etc. Jocelyn Swigger’s guide on the Etudes with small hands (you can find on google) is like a bible that talks about how to overcome trouble spots, I find that to be very helpful.

Where can I get the armband mentioned in this video? Google and Amazon are not pulling anything similar up.

Hi. I can't find your book with the exercises for preventing injuries.

I have pain/stiffness in both hands fingers. What should I do?

Hey Allysia😘

Sorry this is off topic but I was wondering if you can suggests books that I can buy to learn music theory and possibly fingering techniques. Im trying to learn Chopins nocturne op 48 no 1 at the moment and I'm about 1:30 in so far but I feel like the fact that I never took lessons or properly learned how to play is slowing my progress.

Hi! When playing the piano, I have trouble keeping my tempo steady. I always tend to rush, and this is a huge problem when you want to play your instrument with other people. A metronome can keep me on the right tempo, but if I have to play something alone, I will surely end up playing fast and sloppy. Any tips?

I need one of those wrist bands please what's the name of them?

Can anyone please find me an article that's based on a reseach which connects tenosynovitis to professional piano performance over the years? Thank you in advance!

i developed carpal tunnel learning Clocks .I played it for 2 or 3 hours a day to master it. is it possible to fix that?

How can I make trills quicker and more fluent in the left hand? Specifically measure 20 in Bach's fuga in d minor from well tempered clavier 1

Dorothy Taubman wrist rotation technique helps relieve tension.

Hanon is the main reason why this happens

It's my right thumb that hurts because of stretching (playing octave).

Sometimes my left pinky and the bone on my wrist connected to my pinky hurts.. Idk.. maybe my pinky is just weak at the moment coz I'm a beginner :P

Its only when u do things to extreme than u can bear. Every major player of any sports goes through injury phase for sure. Cause they push things to extremes.But here on piano u dont do those kinda extremes but still training hard than u can bear can prove problematic even with piano. Especially if u train hard to do repeated too far stretched playing or repeated too close B&W keys combo loops to perfect it where your hand feel uncomfortable or stressed. More so for older ppls like retired ppls. First they have too much free time to practice unlike younger ppls who have many other things going in thier life that needs thier attention. Secondly scar tissues dont recover that easily at thier age as in young guys or especially young kids guess. So if u older person than do take care. Having free time doesnt mean go on war with your piano. 😂 U certainly gonna regret that. Telling ufrom experience. 😀

question: are both of these guys still playing music?

Where did your guitarist, and your husband buy their arm bands?

For you guys I've made a series on "Understanding Your Body to Improve Piano Technique" Feel free to check it out if you want to know more about your body to play the piano more freely ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MQzCnLCnh2c.html

SAAAAME IM PLAYING VALSE IN E MINOR BY CHOPIN AND MY HANDS ALWAYS GET SORE AFTER PRACTICE

So it seems I'm that idiot who's trying to go from 1 hour a few times a week to 4 hours (I thought I was spreading it out safely) every day for an exam...how do I safely get up to 4 hours a day? If I spread it out to five 40 min sessions, 3.5 hrs altogether, is that still too much? How do I build it up to that? My hands are really tired today and I'm worried, I didn't even do that much today and think I might have pulled something in my left hand 😅

Thanks for making me RU-vid famous. JK. But actually I'm glad others can earn from my over exertion and hopefully avoid a similar situation for themselves. Even though I'm doing better now, that injury is still always lingering.

Man, I am struggling more than enough in transforming from playing the organ to playing the piano, and now I need to eat berries, fruit and vegetables also... Why was this not mentioned in the piano brochure / piano retailer web-page... 😔

Carpal tunnel syndrome is NOT related to genetics. Cts is caused by tight muscles, usually in the wrist flexor muscles, but it can also be caused by other arm muscles or the pectoralis minor muscle in the shoulder. Working out regularely eliminates the chance of getting cts and it will cure cts as well.

Believe it or not magnetic bracelets cured my wrist pain.

Practice 2-3 hours a day????!!! I cant play more then 10 minutes whitout pain....I play 5 minutes and take a break....

got here early

If you feel tension when playing you're probably doing something wrong

Has anyone ever told you that you look exactly like Gillian Jacobs

Ummmmm, these injuries doesn't apply to beginners.......... right??

Always remember we must repent of our sins (sin is transgression The Law Of Yahuah The Father in Heaven. The Law are The Books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy). We must repent of our sins and Have Belief On Yahusha The Messiah. HE Died and Rose three days later so that we can be forgiven of our sins! Come to HIM Today. Much love!

Why does this topic have to be so hard to figure out? You're sitting in front of a piano. Why not just turn around and show us what correct posture and form is... and what incorrect posture and form is. What to do ... what not to do. If you were teaching me how to swing a golf club would you explain the mechanics to me and make me visualize it in my head ... or would you pick up a golf club and actually show me how? While I do appreciate the free information here, a picture is worth a thousand words. I will have to move on to another video to find what I'm looking for. Thanks.

She has no idea what she's talking about 5:12 "strengthen my wrists"...your wrists aren't even a muscle, I think you mean strengthening your forearm.

I think this woman just likes to hear herself talk.