The Wrist

 

In previous posts I've discussed issues surrounding pain, and even injury, that can result from using improper techniques at the piano.

Unfortunately, some of those techniques are actively promoted by many other teachers and so-called experts.

I just happened to come across a blog post by someone who teaches (I'm assuming), who talks about the importance of the wrist. Although he is a big proponent of finger-based technique, he does admit that you can't use just fingers for octaves and big chords. He says for this you must use your wrists. He gives an exercise to do to strenghten your wrist. He says you "must not use the arms" and also that the "arm is not fast enough."

After reading his post, I felt compelled to immediately write this post.

Sorry, but there is no way "not to use your arms." I often say your hands are not going anywhere without the arms taking them there. Can you do a jump from the lower register of the piano to the upper without using your arms? Or an ascending or descending broken chord or scale that spans a few octaves? Of course not. (If you want a simple illustration, take one hand and hold your other arm very tightly at the forearm so it cannot move at all; then try to play. There is almost nothing except a simple five-note melody you could play, and even that will be awkward and stiff.)

Your arms are your "power source." The upper arm is not only strong, but efficient. If you want fortissimo chords or octaves, for example, there is simply no way to get them with the wrist alone. You need the power of the arm.

The exercise he gives for the wrist is very dangerous. I cannot stress this enough. The wrist is a somewhat delicate joint. You cannot strengthen a joint! The only thing that can be strengthened is a muscle and that is not going to happen with the exercise he suggests. (I cannot resist adding here that he doesn't seem to understand basic music terminology; he uses the word "diatonic" to mean all the white keys, which is absolutely incorrect. So this makes all his advice suspect, in my opinion.)

Almost everyone probably knows someone who has had carpal tunnel syndrome, or tendinitis in the wrists, or even a broken wrist from a minor fall. People who work at a computer keyboard for hours a day know that they must support their wrists, to prevent them from sinking below the hand, to avoid problems. If it's true for the light touch of the computer keyboard, imagine how much more important it is for the piano.

The wrists needs to be aligned with the forearm, without twisting side to side, close to 100% of the time. In effect you are using the arm and hand as one unit. The wrist needs to be elastic, not rigid, and will definitely have some flexing and extending (so that the hand points up or down from the wrist) to a moderate degree. However, if your hand and forearm are at a 90 degree angle to each other, you are over-flexed. This will cause strain if you do it too much.

I realize that my advice is the complete opposite or what some others may say. This is a conundrum for someone studying the piano. I address this is my previous post titled "Who Can You Believe?" I strongly urge you to read that post now to help put this whole discussion in perspective.