Piano Techniques: Finger, Wrist, and Arm Functions - Josh Wright Piano TV 

you're so passionate, I love your honesty and generosity in sharing so much of your own experience

Hi Josh, I just recently had a traumatic brain injury, broken hip, broken ribs, and spinal fractures from a very bad horseback riding accident. My 17.1 hh Dutch Warmblood Dressage horse bucked and bolted and off I came! Doctors said that playing my piano-which I haven't played much in the past years because of showing horses--will help with my eye-to-hand coordination. Since I have given up riding my new goal is to be a good pianist again. Thank you for helping me with your excellent videos!

I know this is a super old video, but I'm in the process of relearning piano (self-teaching) now in my 30s after doing some lessons 20 years ago. This was really helpful to see how my technique from those childhood lessons has remained over all the years! I was practising today and wondering if my fingers and arms were moving properly, since my upper body was a bit tired after my 45-minute practice. I searched it online and wow I had no idea it was such a debate. This video really helped me see how the whole arm and each finger plays a role in the dynamics and it all comes down to what piano-and all instrument playing-is about: mindfulness and awareness of how your body is working with the instrument. Thank you!

Great video. This is something I've thought a lot about even outside of piano. Similar ideas come up in weightlifting, shooting a basketball, throwing a baseball, etc. It seems that each person's body has a natural tendency towards certain types of motions required for a particular task (basketball player shooting the ball, pianist pressing the keys, etc). These motions can be altered depending on the strength and coordination of the active muscles involved in a given movement, and over time it is the same natural tendency (or close to it) that seems to arise after the muscles are well balanced and the person experiments with different types of movements (think about being out of shape for a certain movement and then regaining the same "feel" for it). One must take care in gaining the required coordination/strength of each "sub movement" or else improper technique can result from well coordinated/conditioned muscles making up for weaker ones. Worrying about the fine details (for piano, the part of the finger that touches the key) before the major movements (the position of the body, motion of arm/wrist) doesn't seem like the proper way to perfect the movement. In math the analogy would be worrying about crunching numbers before determining if the equation was correct in the first place. Even if the arithmetic was done properly, the wrong problem was solved. In bench press if one relies only and chest or triceps/front delts to lift the weight then the maximum strength will be less than using a combination of chest/tris/front delts/lats, and these muscles will develop differently if used in the wrong balance, leading the person into the wrong direction. For shooting a basketball, it's the legs and shoulders that get the ball to the rim, but the job of the fingers to provide fine control over "dropping" the ball in. Legs provide lots of strength but no (or very little) direction/accuracy. Shoulders provide less strength than legs but more accuracy. Triceps provide less strength than shoulders, but more control over accuracy. Lastly, fingers provide very little strength, but lots of control over accuracy. Without the legs, the other groups will have to make up the difference in strength, and will therefore lose accuracy (for piano this same link may be something like torso/core --> arm weight/movement --> wrist movement --> finger movement). Having the right strength/coordination is one difficulty, and being able to find the right way to link these muscles/movements together is another. Sorry for all of the examples :)

This is so great. The point about the “inner feeling” that is not perceptible from audience is so accurately put.

Your natural way of being, your honesty and humanity, your common sense approach, your ability to help others open their eyes and come down to earth, I appreciate all that and more. Thank you Josh!

This is a golden lesson. You are, essentially, saying the same as Olga Conus - russian pedagogue. Perfect.

These little details Josh, are the treasures that help me so much. It's the internal tensions and relaxations and transfers of energy in the kinetic chain. How much tension, what is the intention - these are things as you say that cannot necessarily been seen with the eyes. Thank you so very much for continuing to share these types of things that really make a difference.

I learned more from this video of yours than I had learned from years at Eastman School's punctilious style and Longy School's nearly opposite style. Thank you so very much ! -pat

A super beginner right here. Have NEVER played the piano before. Your video shed a lot of light on what's to come. Loved your insights.

Josh you are a very modest and giving teacher. Thank your indepth demonstration . We are all lucky.

I love how genuine you are, great tips

Your video is as entertaining as it is informative! I've had many of my students watch it and it has helped tremendously with technique, posture and a more relaxed approach to playing. Thank you so much!!

I love your tips re: use of arms, wrists and fingers. As I get older I have found that my stamina is not what it used to be and I think that this video will help me use my arm strength more efficiently. Thank you so much.

Thank you Josh. I'll rewatch the video as for all your video. I laughed at the description of the "crazy" lesson

Thanks so much. I learn so much from your videos. I very much appreciate your dedication to teaching. For me it's all about visualization. I watch you, I try to feel the essence of what you are doing, and in my mind, I try to bring it to my own playing. That is why I appreciate it so much when you try to convey your feelings while playing. Extremely helpful! Thanks!

Excellent work, Josh!. Thank you so much for your incredible clarity and honesty👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

What a revelation! I immediately gave this a try, never before did I vary the stiffness in my wrist while playing piano and it actually felt really natural! So far most of the weight came from my wrists or fingers instead of my arms, glad I figured this out.

I absolutely loved this video! I too struggle with these same issues with students. Especially those coming from another teacher. When the play a piece they've worked on and I have them go back and change something in their technique, as you showed they are amazed! I did laugh as you were demonstrating, only because I could relate so much.

Thank you so much for giving your time to explain this stuff. Even as a total beginner it is so helpful and motivating.

Yes, Josh it was truly helpful for me. Thank you for your time and effort in order to share.

Since my post I just had a quick practice. Yes, yes, yes - it worked. I was getting tense every time I tried to play softly, and just could not get it. Being able to keep my arm basically the same and reduce volume by using a springy wrist worked. Thanks once again.

Enjoyed this. My teacher stresses this but it is good to hear another expert cover it as well. Your point about not obsessing over the technical aspect of finger shape is important, "analysis can lead to paralysis." Like golf, you have to get out and play as opposed to hitting a 1000 balls a day at the range.

Very informative lesson especially about the hand positioning!

As a beginner in my early 50’s, Struggling with forearm pain, after playing , not during, these tips are hopefully gonna help. thanks 🙏

Enjoying your videos and sharing them with my son who has been playing 4 years.

Josh, this was a great session on something that I'm still trying to understand fully! Thank you! Congrats on your degree, Dr. Wright.

Josh I was looking for you so many years thank you my Master

Practicing now after watching your video, a most enlightening point you made was that the motions of a performer are so nuanced that they can't be directly observed. With that new-found understanding, I have found the freedom to explore muscle/finger motions. Specifically I had been trying to get ( in a Mozart Sonata ) simultaneous sound of a C# with the thumb and E with the third finger. Never could get that straight. What now works for me to get that synchronous sound is to let the thumb press the C# as it wants to, and have the more nimble third finger sort of 'flick' the E, or caress quickly the E. My playing has changed within like twenty minutes of watching your video ! Nicely done and Thank-You !

Thanks for your willingness to make so detailed explanations!

Thank you so much for this video. I had my first lesson after many years of being away from piano . My instructor was critiquing my wrists (need to rotate more), fingers (bending too much at 3rd knuckle) and weight on piano. I started to obsess thinking I’ve been playing all wrong all these years. I understand now from this video. I need to relax and not put too much into it I think. Excellent presentation!

So funny what you said and so true, most of teachers insist on things that almost not even matter or are ridiculous for a beginner to think of. Great videos!

Josh, I often watch and study your videos. It is a great joy and extremely useful . Thank you, thank you. You're a great and inspiring teacher. Wish I could have lessons with you in person, too, but I suppose you live far away from where I am (in The Hague, The Netherlands).

Very helpful, informative, and charismatic teaching style. Super skilled on the keys, too! Keep on keeping on!!

Thanks for sharing. I know nothing about piano but I use this to teach my daughter like PROOOOO.

Piano students of all ages should watch this. Most of them have good technique but the wrist are always tense. Great video

Hi Josh. Thank you so much for your videos. I really learned a lot from them. I appreciate what you're doing. See you in the next lesson.:)

I've had the hardest time with guitar and find the keyboard much more intuitive. Just subscribed. Thanks for the video.

There's this guy on yt who... I don't know what is it about his technique. I just love it. Makes everything look smooth and effortless.

This video has helped me a lot as I'm a self-learner. Been of great help, thanks!

Thank you Josh! I am an adult student with some bad habits from many years ago. This does answer questions for me. Now to try and implement those tips. :)

this is SO important!!!! thank you for bringin this up

Great lesson as always, you’re a very good piano teacher and also a charming guy!

Definitely one of the best piano coaches on YT.

Wow very cool, helpful. I majored in piano performance for 2 years (on scholarship) and have been teaching private piano for 33 years. I also accompany a ton of students (choir, instrumental, vocal). I love the description of active fingers, loose wrist, and weight of arm. I often talk about using gravity to let the arm fall. Thanks for reminding me not to work so much w/ pulling the keys down, although I do prefer that idea, rather than "pushing" the keys down as a lot of beginners tend to do. But this gives a little bit different approach to having a nice touch! Thanks!

Thank you so much !!! Adorable in every way !!!

I am starting to play piano this pandemic and I am very happy that I gained lots of information in this video I am just hoping that I can really apply it physically. Thankyou

Thank you Josh, this is something I'm learning right now it is really helpful for me.

I have known that this is what you do with arms, wrist and fingers, but this demonstration broke it down into bite size pieces that will definitely help in my teaching techniques. Thank you.

Thank you for your great explanations on how to properly use arm, wrist, and fingers when playing the piano! :) As a piano beginner, I thought that I had to use more fingers' strength to push down into the keys to play louder (I did that because it was easier for me to play the chords or notes since my fingers are already positioned to play them right away), but wow I was wrong when I realized that my fingers kept getting more sore in the next few days. Now, my fingers are totally relaxed when I play the piano. And it's actually easier to play with more dynamic contrast using arm weight and wrist in relaxed manner. Mind blown.

What a marvelous teacher

Your explanation was helpful, thank you for posting this content.

Thank you for sharing all these micro tips --& even making it funny!

oh that you had seen me through the length of that video. I almost nodded my head off my neck haha... I just watched it right now, haven't yet tried it honestly, but it makes so much sense. I envy your students man, really do. Thanks a million...

Very helpful! Thanks a lot for sharing.

Your videos are great. I always learn a lot from you.

Wonderful videol! You do a terrific job and are a very good teacher! Thank you!

I don't know how u do it, but ur already amazing videos are getting even better. Keep it up Josh!

Great video. Very helpful ❤

Thanks, Josh! Really helpful video!

After being taught to "strike the keys with my fingers", I've spent the last 45 years 1) Figuring out that my technical issues were rooted in my bad touch 2) Undoing the bad technique and recognizing when I've fallen back into my old bad habits. Biggest issue in my case is forte scalar passages. One of the things that seems to be helping me that may not be obvious is the concept of applying no force until my fingers touch the keys. That may seem like a ridiculously obvious concept but the "striking the key" movement pattern gets you in the habit of building tension in the air and then releasing it to make sound. Once I stop doing that, then what you are explaining above makes sense and in fact I put it to use last night during a rehearsal. Its amazing how coordinating the forearm, wrist and fingers can suddenly remove the effort involved in tone production. In any case your videos have given me lots of new approaches to practice and I recommend them often.

Great great video, learned a lot! Thank you so much.

Very helpful indeed Josh. Thank you.

I loved this advice. Thank you!

I love your channel, it's helping me alot.

Thank u. This was andnus great Help. Much appreciated 😀

He's the best! I'll try it tomorrow

Great job on the Chopin Competition!

Really help much! Thanks for sharing 💕

Thanks Josh, that is very helpful.

Definitely saving this to my daily piano practice playlist

Thank you josh, nice video, very impressive!

The beginning part of this video made me laugh soo much 😂😂

Thanks alot man! It was very helpful how you explained everything. And i've been working on chopins winter wind for about a month and still cant get it perfect, then i see you play it and im just like wow!

Very helpful tips. Thanks again

Thanks for this. Dynamics are my biggest headache - I believe I have seen the light.

amazing instruction, thank you!

thank you! this video was quite helpful!

Grigory Sokolov's performance of Prokoviev's 7th sonata 3rd mvt is another great demonstration of the use of the arm, and relaxed weight in technique

Chopin etude op 25 no 11, Winter wind at 07:04 haha Love that piece

I’m so grateful for this lesson! Btw, I think you’ve become my piano hero from now lol.

I really appreciate this video!!

wonderful way of explaining!

Such an excellent lesson!

Excellen video and explanation. Thank you so much Will share, subscribe, and like for sure.

Great advice! Thank you.

Excellent info !Love it !

Awesome video, Josh! Very helpful.

Thank You, for the formidable showing how to learn to play :)

Thank you for sharing

A great lesson!

Great technique videos. 👍

Excellent tutorial. RE the Beethoven section, I often explain it as allowing the arms to use natural gravity and increase volume/velocity by lifting them higher - which you are naturally doing. Sending my students to this video :-)

Most helpful video I've ever seen :')

Thanks for the tips!!!

Thanks Josh

Thank you very much! It really helped!

You are amazing sir. I am still struggling with this fingers moving n fingers pressure issues. There is no proper teacher i could get to teach or correct me. Your RU-vid is nice n elaborate n your way of explaining is marvellous. I am impressed. Your are great sir

Really helpful. Thanks❤️

Very useful, thank you!