Flying Fingers vs. Proper Technique

A common mistake beginners make is letting their fingers fly up when playing a note. This happens when one finger presses a key while the others fly up, making playing feel awkward and tense.

In the video, I show an exaggerated example of this problem while playing five notes up and down on the piano. This over-lifting happens because beginners often struggle with controlling their fingers individually.

Recognizing the Issue

In the first part of the video, you’ll see my fingers flying up as I play. This helps show exactly what the problem looks like.

Overcoming the Issue

To address this, the second exercise in the video shows a method to relax your fingers. As I play each note and let the other fingers fly, I don’t move to the next note until I relax all my fingers back onto the white keys. I call out “play, relax, play, relax” to remind myself of this process.

Proper Technique

The final part of the video shows the right technique. I play five notes smoothly while keeping all my fingers resting lightly on the keys for better control.

Daily Practice Suggestion

To develop this technique, spend five minutes daily practicing any five notes (white notes) on the piano, up and down. Focus on keeping your fingers relaxed. Each time you play a note, remind yourself to relax your fingers before moving to the next note. This simple exercise will help you gain better control and avoid flying fingers. Practice with both hands.

Remember, overcoming flying fingers will take time—sometimes even months. Dedicate the first five minutes of your practice to addressing this issue and trying to correct it. As you progress with reading music and improvising, you can temporarily deprioritize proper technique to focus on learning new notes, rhythm, playing with a backing track, or improvising. This balanced approach will help you develop both your technical skills and musicality.