You might think that playing piano isn’t demanding on the energy levels, being that most pianists sit and push buttons. On the contrary, there is so much stuff going on in between the ears that learning a new piano piece increases breathing and heart rate.
To conserve some of that energy, it’s necessary to relax the shoulders and to keep good posture. This allows the circulation to be more efficient.
Now we go to small muscle groups like the hands and fingers. Make sure that the fingers are slightly curved but not on purpose. They hands should be relaxed. Think about how your hands are when you’re ready for sleep: the fingers are curled a bit. The hand is not stiff but loose and flexible.
When the key is struck, the finger should be curled in. Again, not stiffly but loosely. Think of the natural motion of the hand: to grasp, the fingers curl inward with the palm muscles doing the work. In the same manner, the gripping muscles should be working to strike the keys.
Thinking about these things might feel draining, especially to a new student, but nurturing good habits is what will keep injuries at bay. Moving ligaments and tendons in ways that they are not designed is what causes strain.
Your child will enjoy decades of healthy playing with the proper techniques of conserving energy.
