Why We Don't Play Piano With Our Fingers (What???)

Technique is all about how we use our bodies at the piano.

For beginners, the most important concept is that we do not play piano with our fingers.

What?

Of course we have to use our fingers, but the primary motion should be coming from our arms, with the use of arm weight.

This can feel strange to new players, especially those of us who've spent hours typing on a computer keyboard. In fact, computer typing technique uses the exact opposite approach to piano technique.

When we type at the computer, our hands hover over the keys and our fingers flick and dart to press individual letters. If we rest our finger on a the F key we end up with a string of FFFFFFFF! But this is closer to the motion that we want as pianists.

The tutorial video explains one approach to achieving this technique. You won't achieve it in one lesson, or a week or even a month. That's okay. Start here with a strong foundation to build on as you progress.

Playalong video included for your practice.