It’s tough to explain to piano students why they should care about fixing their flat-fingered playing position. But I know why I care about fixing it…
Playing with flat fingers is unnecessarily hard and results in music that, quite simply put, doesn’t sound very good… which could very well result in piano students quitting lessons.
But kids who play with flat fingers don’t necessarily care about a piano teacher’s retention rate. So, we are then presented with two challenges:
- How to fix flat fingers
- How to make kids care about fixing flat fingers
In today’s post (and also the SUPER helpful posts we’ve included at the bottom) we’re going to attack both of these challenges. In doing so, we’ll help you eliminate one big, but often overlooked, reason kids quit piano lessons: It is too physically challenging to warrant the effort required to learn piano.
How To Fix Your Piano Students’ Flat Fingers
To solve the flat-finger piano problem I’ve invited Dr. Chris Foley to join us on the Teach Piano Today Helpline. Dr. Foley is a Toronto-based pianist and teacher who spends much of his time training adjudicators for the Royal Conservatory of Music. Today’s podcast is jam-packed with actionable advice including:
- Three things you want to correct before hands and fingers: Many of us jump straight to the hands when trying to correct flat fingers. But is this the best place to start? Maybe not! Flat fingers can be a symptom of other problems and if these aren’t addressed first, you’ll get nowhere.
- How to find a natural and rounded hand shape: After playing for eight hours straight Dr. Foley had a hand-shape epiphany that makes complete sense when you hear what it was he discovered.
- How to motivate kids to care about hand position: There are certainly more thrilling things in the life of a child than piano hand position… but when you explicitly draw attention to the personal benefits… they WILL care.
This podcast is less than 10 minutes long, but it’s packed with practical information you can use right away! Click below to listen now or visit our iTunes page where you can download this Episode (and many more) to your iPod or smartphone to take it on the go!
Are Your Students Struggling With Technique?
Check out our other blog posts for help with teaching technique:
A Teacher’s Guide To Fixing Teen Technique… Without Squelching Motivation
The Piano Technique Cheat Sheet – Everything You Need To Know In One Place
Thanks for this support on the dreaded flat fingers syndrome! Had an evening with an ABRSM adjucator recently who said that he wouldn’t treat this during evaluation cause who would correct Horowitz? Wish I would have been quicker with my words since we’re not talking about Horowitz are we? And position does affect sound.
Thanks Andrea. That was very helpful, I’m going to use the picture taking idea right away.
Just this week I started using your applesauce cup and ballon idea as well.
Big thanks;)
So glad it was helpful Susan!
Awesome! I’ll listen to the podcast as soon as I can! It might be addressed there, but in case it isn’t, I’ve run into a problem I’ve never had before with scales (even pentascales) with more than one of my students (including my 11 yr old daughter). I started teaching the thumb tuck and the 3 cross over, and was VERY careful to demonstrate correct hand position and to walk them through it, however, these students contort their wrists or raise them up in a weird way when tucking the thumb under or the 3rd finger over. I’m baffled! Can you help? I’ve given my daughter “Scale-y” from the Allistar book as a supplement to get more comfortable with the scale fingering. And I’ve started teaching the RH fingering with the penta-scale first before they get to the full octave, but I’m seeing the problem regardless.
Have you tried placing a penny or even a ball point pen on the back of the hand to quiet down their hand movement? Plenty of videos out there with this hack.
Thank you for this insightful podcast about correct finger/hand position. I have used several of the approaches discussed in my teaching; however, alas, the student performs well in my studio then goes home and uses an electronic/non-weighted keyboard to practice their music. All the finger positioning study goes out the window. What about electronic keyboards and appropriate finger and hand position? And body position?
I haven’t listened to the podcast yet ….but just thought I would say that I have found it helpful to get kids to march up and down the hallway nearest the piano goose stepping. When they fully realize how awkward it is, they get it! …I also ask them to straighten their fingers and try to wiggle them. Hard! Then I ask them to curve their fingers and wiggle them. Easy! ….Repeat as necessary.
Thanks for sharing your tips Sandra!
Thanks for posting, Andrea and Trevor. Several of my young students are going to benefit from this!
PS, my flute professor also brought home the idea of the natural hand position (she talked about about this in piano, but also in the RH of the flute playing and as much as possible in the LH) by reminding us that if we were to watch a sleeping infant that is completely zonked out, look at their hands-that’s a natural relaxed position! And I make my students try to move their fingers as fast as they can with flat fingers, and then again with curved fingers. They all “get it” in theory, but sometimes less aware in practice 🙂 With parents, I do bring up the prevention for overuse injuries to help get it reinforced at home!
Love that imagery Melissa! Thanks for sharing
I have a student who flattens only the middle finger of his right hand. His left hand is nicely rounded. Neither he nor I know why he flattens his right hand. We are aware of the habit but not successful in changing it.
Hi Antoinette – it may just be a matter of a weak finger joint in that finger. Maybe try this! https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2015/03/09/the-amazing-fingercise-cup-a-diy-tool-for-fixing-your-piano-students-collapsing-finger-joints/
Thanks, Andrea! I especially loved his great tips in explaining “why” a curved hand position is important. I look forward to passing this onto my students.
Lovely Paula! Thanks so much for listening 🙂
How I teach beginners to fix flat fingers is to use
“Ladybug Squeeze” (from Amazon.com). I place their fingers around it and then gently back the ladybug away as their fingers are rounded and placed on the keys.
Also, some children like to think of their fingers as ballet dancers dancing on their toes. Others like “doggie paws”.. The child puts their hands up to their chest and make doggie paws, then place them on the keys. The thing I like about this is that when the child flattens their fingers, right in the middle of the song in a fun way I say, “Doggie paws”.. They smile and continue playing in a correct hand position.
I encourage my students to pretend their fingers are spider-legs,,and they’re walking on their tip-toes like spiders. Boys are very keen on this idea !!!
I use hairbands… I gift them to students, they get to wear them on their wrists while playing piano. I have them dangle their hand from the wristband and then I put my hand in the wristband above theirs and I play them like a puppeteer. It always gets a smile and a perfectly relaxed natural hand position. The band is an external reminder to hold the hand up. My students love them, and now they take responsibility for their hand positions. We hide them in the bench or even on the bench height adjustment wheels.
Thanks! Helpful as always 🙂 Hands on knees strategy doesn’t seem to be working for most of my students, but I’m certain taking photos of the posture will be a winner 🙂 Will also use the sports analogy. Thank you 🙂
I have my students practice a scale very slowly, playing each note deliberately, lifting each finger, then striking the key with a hammer-movement of the fingers, feeling the tip of the finger tap the key with each note. This insures the correct curvature of their fingers. To confirm their strike, I have them “play” the wood part of the piano, and make sure it has a hefty “thump” sound with each strike. Then then know how it should feel to strike the keys. They connect to the term “finger hammer”, because it reminds them how it feels to strike the key with the tip of the finger.
Great podcast. Thank you! I have a 12 year old student who is extremely double jointed in his hands. Hand shape and properly curved fingers have been a huge challenge for us since day one. Any strategies or tips for kids who are double jointed?