Finger independence is vital while playing piano. You need to make sure your
fingers are operating freely from one another by not pressing down on keys when they are not supposed to touch
them.
Improving independence and strength will give you a better
control over what fingers press specific keys. There are several variations of practice and exercises in order to
strengthen finger muscles and promote independence.
Practicing these exercises on a daily basis will help you to control the movement of your fingers while playing.
Do not feel discouraged if you feel weakness in your 4th and 5th finger, these are common problems due to the
anatomy of human fingers.
The first exercise you can try consists of pressing all five fingers down at once, selecting notes C to G. Begin
with your right hand and play each note with each finger up to five times, therefore you will press down on the C
key with the thumb five times, followed the index finger pressing down on the D key, and so on.
Keep the other fingers gently pressing down on its corresponding key, without stressing the muscles. Beginners
experience two problems: their resting fingers will collapse or lift involuntarily.
If the remainder of your fingers collapse while playing a note, switch hands or stop. You do not
want to continue practicing with collapse fingers as this creates incorrect patterns between your hands and your
mind. Try again once you have given your hand some rest.
Once you have practiced this exercise for a while, it is time to
increase the speed. This exercise is similar to the first exercise, however you will focus on finger
independence. It is recommended to utilize this exercise every day in order to strengthen hand independence
until you are comfortable playing each finger independently.
If you are experiencing problems, practicing this exercise multiple times a day or in a session will be deemed
necessary. You must remain consistent in your practice schedule or you will not yield the necessary lessons. These
exercises are mostly used for beginners or intermediate piano players, advanced piano players have
excellent finger independence.
Many pianists will complain of having a weak 4th finger, unfortunately this is due to its anatomy. The 4th
finger on each hand does not rise to the same height as the other fingers. The positive aspect of this anomaly is
the lack of effort necessary to lift your finger.
You can therefore play the piano with your 4th finger slightly floating on top or touching the key. If you are
playing a song which requires you to overuse your 4th finger, you will find that your 3rd and 5th fingers become
stressed.
Be careful, adjusting your finger positioning may be necessary.
Most importantly, finger strengthening exercises can be practiced without the aid of a piano. The use of any flat
surface is appropriate when working on your finger independence.
If you are still experiencing some issues, asking for subsequent exercises from other pianists may be deemed
necessary. Never give up, training your hand muscles is an easy task to overcome.
The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use.
Although every attempt has been made to make information as accurate as possible, we are not responsible for
any errors that may appear.