The Correct Hand Posture for Piano Playing

It is important to learn how to keep your hands in a relaxed hand posture, as well as how to sit with the correct posture when playing the piano. This is for two main reasons;

to avoid any unnecessary tension that can lead to strain and pain, and
to help make your playing as effortless as possible, so that you can focus on making beautiful music instead of struggling to find your way on the piano.

In a previous lesson I wrote about how to sit at the piano with the correct posture. Equally important is how we hold our hands in the correct hand position while playing.

This might take some time to build up, but an advantage as an adult beginner is that our hands can keep the desired “cupped” position easier than a child’s hand!

Even though we as adults can feel a bit stiff at first, be patient! This will improve with some practice. If your fingers are feeling stiff and clumsy here is an excellent resource: Boot Camp for Clumsy Piano Fingers.

The proper hand position for playing the piano is also the most relaxed :

Let your arms hang down totally relaxed. Observe how your fingers naturally curve. When your hand is at ease, the fingers curve naturally into the cupped position we want when playing the piano.

Try this simple exercise each time before you start playing, (make sure to sit at the correct height):

Sitting at the piano, hold your arms out in front of you with your palms up.
Your upper arms should hang loosely from your shoulders. Don’t push them forward, outward or anywhere, just let them hang.
Relax your hands totally, shake them slightly. See how the fingers curve?
Now flip the hands over on to the keyboard and let them loosely land on the tips of your still relaxed and curved fingers.
Help your little fingers (nr.5) up on the tips, and Voilá! The proper hand position is ready.

Your knuckles will form an arch that support your fingers, and help you balance the weight all the way out to the finger tips for dynamic control among other things.

Your wrists should be neither too high, neither too low, aligned with your arms and the keyboard.

How to keep your hands in the correct position while playing:

This was very easy, right? Now, the problem in the beginning is to keep your hand posture as you play.

Well, just be patient with that. It will take a little time before you can naturally keep this position when you play, and it is important not to force anything!

Keep in mind that your hands want this position; they like it since it is both the most relaxed and give you the most strength.

Here is how to gradually build your awareness of a proper hand position:

Start by always checking your hand position right before you begin playing and when you finish the piece. Make this a habit first.
Then check your position whenever you have a longer note or rest. Soon after you have made this a habit, you will hardly need to think about your hand position at all.

Oh, and yes- Remember to keep your fingernails short! Paint them any color you like, but to learn proper piano technique you need short nails, no exceptions..!

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