Piano and the Risk of Tendonitis

admin Tendonitis June 14, 2011April 12, 2020Bouts, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, Conventional Methods, Hamilton Ontario, Instrumentalists, Jazz Piano, Learning Piano, Left Arm, Long Periods Of Time, Musician Injuries, Pain Medications, Paul Tobey, Physio Therapy, Piano Lesson, Piano Players, Piano Teacher, Playing Piano, Playing The Piano, Repetitive Strain Injuries, Right Arm

Piano and the Risk of Tendonitis

By: Paul Tobey

As someone who has lived through 3 incredibly painful bouts of tendonitis, both in my left arm and right arm, I thought it important to pass on some information that has helped me deal with this in the past.

It is important to understand that playing the piano can cause serious injuries such as tendonitis and carpel tunnel syndrome. Both these ailments are known as repetitive strain injuries. The constant up and down, side to side movement of the arms and fingers when playing piano for long periods of time is what causes these injuries.

This is common among piano players. In fact, it is so common that there is a special clinic in Hamilton, Ontario called the Musician’s Clinics of Canada that deals with the prevention and rehabilitation of musician injuries. Naturally their patients include other instrumentalists like violin and guitar but, pianist injuries are certainly among the most common.

What can be done when a pianist gets tendonitis or carpel tunnel syndrome? Well, certainly there are conventional methods of dealing with the inflammation and pain. Unfortunately these types of treatments such as; anti-inflammatories, pain medications and physio therapy are designed to treat the symptoms. Therefore, once the pianist goes back to playing the piano without being completely healed the injuries can re-occur and in the end be quite difficult to get rid of.

It is not uncommon for tendonitis to stick around for very long periods of time. In my case, I once had a problem with my right arm that took almost 3 years to get better. The problem is of course that, as a professional I can’t possibly just stop playing the piano. I can take breaks in between concerts but usually I can only take up to a month’s rest at a time.

So, how can these injuries be cured while still continuing to play? It’s important to understand that not every case is the same but, for me, I actually had to re-learn how to play the piano the correct way. I realized, after visiting the musician’s clinic, that I had the completely wrong approach to playing piano. Specifically, I was too close to the keyboard, I had the wrong wrist position, the wrong finger position and I didn’t understand the concept of leverage.

Leverage means to use the entire body to create volume on the piano. I was trying to create volume by forcing the keys down with forearm strength instead of using the entire body. Therefore, my arm muscles and joints suffered from the strain of trying to play too loud. What I eventually realized, with the help of the musician’s clinic doctor was that, I needed to create velocity as opposed to force. Once the key reached the bottom of its natural movement it can go no further. Yet, I was trying to force the note passed its end without even realizing it.

The correct way is to drive the note down with extra velocity using the back, shoulders, biceps, arms, wrists and fingers and then release at the exact moment the key reaches its lowest point. Therefore, it’s the velocity of the hammer hitting the string that creates volume. Knowing when to let up is very important in the fight to prevent injury.

In terms of moving the piano bench back, I had to learn also to sit with better upright posture and to generate leverage using my entire body. It’s easier to do this with the right foot (pedal foot) forward and the left foot back under the bench. Then as you pivot forward and backward on the bench you have more balance and leverage.

Once last point I should mention; exercise is very important. I started weight training several years ago because, I find that the extra muscle helps a great deal in preventing injury. Be careful however, to consult a professional when starting weight training. You must do it the correct way in order for it to be beneficial.

Paul Tobey – About the Author:

Learning piano lessons takes motivation that sometimes can be missing. Paul Tobey’s online piano lessons are perfect for anyone who may be considering learning to play better piano. He a free piano lesson to new members.

Piano and the Risk of Tendonitis

admin Tendonitis May 28, 2011Ailments, Bouts, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, Conventional Methods, Hamilton Ontario, Inflammation, Inflammatory Pain, Instrumentalists, Left Arm, Long Periods Of Time, Musician Injuries, Pain Medications, Paul Tobey, Physio Therapy, Pianist, Piano Players, Playing Piano, Playing The Piano, Repetitive Strain Injuries, Right Arm

Piano and the Risk of Tendonitis

Piano and the Risk of Tendonitis
By Paul Tobey

As someone who has lived through 3 incredibly painful bouts of tendinitis, both in my left arm and right arm, I thought it important to pass on some information that has helped me deal with this in the past.

It is important to understand that playing the piano can cause serious injuries such as tendinitis and carpel tunnel syndrome. Both these ailments are known as repetitive strain injuries. The constant up and down, side to side movement of the arms and fingers when playing piano for long periods of time is what causes these injuries.

This is common among piano players. In fact, it is so common that there is a special clinic in Hamilton, Ontario called the Musician’s Clinics of Canada that deals with the prevention and rehabilitation of musician injuries. Naturally their patients include other instrumentalists like violin and guitar but, pianist injuries are certainly among the most common.

What can be done when a pianist gets tendinitis or carpel tunnel syndrome? Well, certainly there are conventional methods of dealing with the inflammation and pain. Unfortunately these types of treatments such as; anti-inflammatory, pain medications and physio therapy are designed to treat the symptoms. Therefore, once the pianist goes back to playing the piano without being completely healed the injuries can re-occur and in the end be quite difficult to get rid of.

It is not uncommon for tendinitis to stick around for very long periods of time. In my case, I once had a problem with my right arm that took almost 3 years to get better. The problem is of course that, as a professional I can’t possibly just stop playing the piano. I can take breaks in between concerts but usually I can only take up to a month’s rest at a time.

So, how can these injuries be cured while still continuing to play? It’s important to understand that not every case is the same but, for me, I actually had to re-learn how to play the piano the correct way. I realized, after visiting the musician’s clinic, that I had the completely wrong approach to playing piano. Specifically, I was too close to the keyboard, I had the wrong wrist position, the wrong finger position and I didn’t understand the concept of leverage.

Leverage means to use the entire body to create volume on the piano. I was trying to create volume by forcing the keys down with forearm strength instead of using the entire body. Therefore, my arm muscles and joints suffered from the strain of trying to play too loud. What I eventually realized, with the help of the musician’s clinic doctor was that, I needed to create velocity as opposed to force. Once the key reached the bottom of its natural movement it can go no further. Yet, I was trying to force the note passed its end without even realizing it.

The correct way is to drive the note down with extra velocity using the back, shoulders, biceps, arms, wrists and fingers and then release at the exact moment the key reaches its lowest point. Therefore, it’s the velocity of the hammer hitting the string that creates volume. Knowing when to let up is very important in the fight to prevent injury.

In terms of moving the piano bench back, I had to learn also to sit with better upright posture and to generate leverage using my entire body. It’s easier to do this with the right foot (pedal foot) forward and the left foot back under the bench. Then as you pivot forward and backward on the bench you have more balance and leverage.

Once last point I should mention; exercise is very important. I started weight training several years ago because, I find that the extra muscle helps a great deal in preventing injury. Be careful however, to consult a professional when starting weight training. You must do it the correct way in order for it to be beneficial.

Piano lessons are becoming more popular on the internet every day. Paul Tobey gives online piano lessons that not only focus on making better music but on the business end of the music business to help aspiring artists succeed. Take a free piano lesson today.

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The Importance of Scales and Arpeggios

admin Injury Management, Keyboard Technique, Piano Method, The Magic Touch May 4, 2010April 27, 2010Arm Muscles, Bowman, Encouragement, Finger Muscles, Fingers, Flexibility, Hand Arm, Lionel, Moving, Musical Composition, Nbsp, Pianist, Play Piano, Play The Piano, Playing Piano, Playing The Piano, Posture, Scales And Arpeggios, Sitting Posture, Stress, Tension

It is no secret that for any pianist, amateur or professional, it is imperative that they commence with a solid warm up prior to launching into a playing session. In fact, I prefer to think of the scales and arpeggios as part of the playing session. Why and how so?

The benefits of playing scales are all about an adequate warm up, and flexibility of the fingers, and hand. Whist I realise that for a beginner, the idea of incurring an injury at the piano may seem a far fetched idea, it is a definite reality for many people, who may not be adopting the right techniques to play the piano. However, far from wanting to put you off, I'd rather that it be an encouragement to simply follow the right techniques, and processes, to adequately tone your hand, arm, and finger muscles.

Playing the piano is not about just pushing the right keys in the right order. It is very much more than that, and certainly, a possibility to master as a skill, when approached the right way.

To illustrate this example, you can start by playing scales, and then, moving up to arpeggios.

However, you can also start improvising, and turning the scales in to musical composition, as you progress.

It is not an automatic thing, no, but certainly a way to move forward, when you need to.

As the Late Professor Lionel Bowman said, it is always a good idea to start to learn something new, with a new technique, rather than trying to play something you already know,as your mind has already programmed a certain method into your playing for a particular piece. However, what about if you decide to learn something completely new, following a new technique, like the Bowman method?

You will find that you develop greater strength in your fingers, as well as the ability to relax more in the hand and arm, thus allowing a greater degree of stress to remain out of the equation.

Tension and stress, mixed with the incorrect sitting posture can dramatically affect your likelyhood of having problems with tendonitis and also muscular aches in general.

However, getting back to my title earlier, the fact that you are playing scales and arpeggios is an important aspect of the warm up process.

I realise that it may take a combination of discipline, and sheer creativity in time, but you will certainly see the result with less injury over the curse of your piano playing career. For that alone, the issue is a fait accompli.

The Classical Piano method- known as the Magic Touch, is available here.

Piano and the Risk of Tendonitis

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