The Natural Curve of Your Fingers

Many piano teachers tell students to hold their hand like they’re gripping an apple, but this can cause your fingers to curl too much. Over-curling makes it hard for your fingers to move up and down, which adds tension and makes playing difficult. It also makes you press the keys too close to your nails, which gives you less control. Instead, your fingers should rest on the pads, where they are more stable.

Your fingers naturally have a small curve when they’re relaxed. This slight curve makes playing easier and more comfortable. Avoid curling them too tightly or keeping them too straight.

Try this: curl your fingers tightly and see how hard it is to move them. Now, relax your fingers and move them again with their natural curve. It feels much better, right?

In the video, I show this by letting my hand hang loose, and when I straighten my wrist, the fingers naturally curve without me doing anything. That’s the natural curve we want for piano playing.

Collapsing Fingers

Another common issue is collapsing fingers. This happens when your fingers bend too much at the joints closest to the fingertips when pressing a key, breaking the natural curve. This collapse reduces control and stability, making it harder to play accurately and comfortably. (In the video, I also demonstrate this issue.)

There are several reasons why this happens:

Long Nails: If your nails are too long, they can interfere with proper finger placement, causing the joints to collapse.

Weak Fingers: Weak finger muscles can lead to overcompensation by bending at the joints, resulting in a collapse.

Overcompensation: Sometimes, in an effort to press the keys firmly, beginners may press too hard with their fingertips, causing the joints to bend excessively.

To prevent this, ensure that your fingers maintain their natural curve and do not bend excessively at the joints, at least during your piano warm-up. Collapsing will happen occasionally (it happens to me and other professional pianists as well, so don’t stress too much about it), but try to minimize it. One thing that is surely in your control, even as an absolute beginner, is trimming your nails regularly.