I play more so on my 66 key keyboard with non weighted keys and no touch sensitivity than on my piano. Is this advisable? I can only play on my piano for a few hours a day since I can't play too early in the morning or too late at night and then when I can it's only for a few hours before I annoy everyone. I think it is a different technique that you are building. I don't think it is ruining the other.
. Yes...it most definitely does. I mean I guess if you never plan on ever playing on a real piano, then no. But if you are trying to really learn piano and if you ever want to play fast passages cleanly and evenly , then I would suggest practicing on a real piano....and 88 keys would be your best bet. It certainly doesn't help. Real pianos develop the finger, hand and arm muscles. If there is no resistance this development will not occur and it will make playing with dynamics difficult. Well, it is not good. Try to get a full 88 note keyboard with weighted keys then you can practise whenever you like and get the full benefit of your practise time.. It won't ruin your technique, but won't help it either. At least you should have a touch-sensitive board. If you don't, you will not develop the ability to play with dynamics (distinguishing between loud & soft levels). A weighted, 88-key board is recommended, because it emulates an acoustic piano. Roland, Yamaha, and Casio make great boards that have good feel, great sounds, and are affordable. Plus you can use headphones, so you can play at all hours of day or night. Good luck in your studies! Your technique is in your mind, and you won't ruin it by playing it on anything!
Yes, different keyboards will present different challenges. But what you hear in your mind will ultimately determine the player that you are.
I play differently on my grand piano than I do on my Roland keyboard, and that's not a bad thing.
"Weighted" vis a vis an electronic keyboard doesn't mean anything to me. It's artificial.
Your musicality will surface regardless of the instrument you chose to express it on, and sure, when you're playing an acoustic piano, the dynamics are different and more sensitive to touch.
Besides which, electronic pianos may say they are "weighted" but none that I've ever played can replicate the touch of a real piano. It's mostly hype.
It all depends on what you want to do with what you know.
My advice - play anything you can get your hands on and don't worry about it. Your "technique" doesn't depend on what instrument you are playing!
Can you move me with your playing?
That's your goal! Have fun! it won't ruin your technique, but it does not give your hands the exercise required to keep up a piano technique, for example ......it is no worse than playing the organ which also requires very little strength to play
also, for your own sake, try not to practise the piano very long..... sometimes a little really good work goes a long way.... don't annyoy yourself !!! your work should always be without strain....
and for exercises: you might take a look at exercises for the hands, to do away from the keyboard.......I recently sprained my wrist, and was surprised how closely the exercises given by the physical therapist at the hospital resembled the exercises taught by a pianist friend of mine ... so you might check for those exercises (online?) .... or ...
if you wish:
put your hands on a table surface, the tips of the fingers supporting some of the weight of your arm, with the fingers curved nicely in playing position, so that all the knuckles form the curve of your finger and none of the little sections of your finger (sorry, I forgot the right word !) sinks inward towards the table, especially the knuckle that joins your hand to your thumb ... keep your wrists up (don't let the line break or sink), and be sure your elbows are free to move....just like at the keyboard.... then
** lift each finger up and put it back down on the table top, one at a time, 10 times each' do this in a series of one each, so it would be: thumb, 2, 3, 4, 5 .... thumb, 2, 3 etc....and being sure to work on the table top for all the following exercises:
** move each finger from side to side, one at a time, ca. 10 times each finger, but in the sequence noted above
** curl up each finger towards the palm of your hand, also 10 times each
** put each finger out away from your hand, straight out, as if you are pointing to something..10X
** off the table: make your fingers all touch and contract the muscles so they stay tight, as if you are trying to make water stay in your hand and not leak through your fingers... do this with the back of your hands up, and the palms up ...but don't contract them much, just a little ... enough for the muscles to grow a little each day, which is all they can do ... so if you over-contract them you run into strain, and therefore: pain which signals injury.....
** curl all your fingers into the palm of your hand, and be sure to contract the muscles nicely, then uncurl them all straight out again
** hold your hands straight out, parallel to the floor, absolutely flat, as if you are going to play a drum with your hand ......then move your thumb away from the rest of the hand so it is at a 90* angle to your index finger, move it back so it is close to your hand again, and this time have the index finger join it and move them together in the same general direction, away from the hand so it forms a "V" between the 2nd and 3rd fingers .. .the other three fingers staying exactly in line with the hand, and back.....then the middle, index, and thumb together, out to the side , and if you can, finish the sequence, but it is hard to do 1 thru 4 in position....you will run into difficulty with the 4th finger since it does not easily move independently (the tendon is shorter than the others, and unless I am mistaken, it even joins the tendon for the 3rd finger) so follow this sequence as well as you can, but if you run into trouble making the 4th finger move with 1-3, it's ok; usually what happens is that the pinky decides to take off by itself !!..........and: do the same in reverse: starting with the pinky: move it away from your hand, then have the 4th join it, which is easier in this direction for me ...
** flex your hands upward from the knuckle that joins them to the hand
** anything else you think might be good for you
like a relaxing exercise after you are finished ....like shaking both hands gently, like shaking out your handkerchiefs ...
*** note: these are all "little" exercises....be sure not to contract your muscles too strongly and do not ~ amazingly enough ~ overwork them or you will tire yourself out .... better a little work each day, w/o any strain.....and then your strength will build without injuring your muscles... it is not just the muscles of your fingers that are strengthening, it is the muscles up the forearm.....just from trying these out right now, and demonstrating them to myself so I can type them out, my arms hurt just the smallest amount ....and I know what that means !!! It means: "stop !! That's enough for today. Tomorrow, we can do just a little more."
note: if you feel tired after this sort of workout, let your hands rest .... do not even use them for a half hour or so.....they will be very grateful for the respite ...
All the best |
