Helpful Piano finger strength exercises to do at home
Have you ever thought about ways to develop finger strength to help with enhancing your piano playing? Practicing piano finger strength exercises will help you feel more confident at the piano and help to play at greater speeds and with more precision!
As your piano playing skill increase so should your finger strength. One way to do this is by starting to incorporate finger strength and hand strengthen exercises which can also be beneficial to preventing injury. We’re going to dive into some finger exercises you can do at home to be able to improve dexterity and strength.
Equipment for improving piano finger strength
While equipment is not always necessary to complete the exercises, it can be beneficial and helpful in improving hand strength. Ideas for equipment to help include:
· Hand Grips
· Hand Strength Rings
· Finger Stretcher Hand Exerciser
· Hand Therapy Balls
· Resistance Hand Grip Trainers
Make a Fist
This is a simple exercise that does not require any equipment and can be done anywhere. You’ll start by making a gentle first, placing your thumb outside your fingers. Hold this for around 30-60 seconds (set a timer if needed). Once time is up, release your fingers and spread them out. You shouldn’t feel pain with this exercise, just a gentle fist. You can repeat this exercise up to four times for each hand.
Finger Lifting
This is a great exercise for those wanting to increase flexibility as well as range of motion in their fingers. You do not require any equipment for those exercise, just a flat surface is needed. To begin, place your hand flat on a surface such as a table. Gently lift each finger, one at a time, of the table (while keeping the others flat on the table) and then lower it. Once you complete each finger, you can then keep you palm on the surface and raise all your fingers and thumb at once and then lower. You can repeat with each hand 10 times as needed; you should not feel pain while doing this exercise.
Thumb Strengthening
This is a great exercise for increasing mobility and strength in your thumb. No equipment is required, and this can be completed anywhere. Start with your hand straight up with fingers close together. Next, you’ll want to gently curve your thumb and fingers into a “C”. Imagine you’re wrapping your fingers around a bottle. Hold for 1-2 seconds and then gently release that position and return to the starting position. Repeat this exercise 5 times for each hand as needed; you should not feel pain with this exercise.
Wrist Extension
This exercise is great for playing piano and helps increase flexibility in your wrist and helps provide sturdy support to your hands while you play music. This exercise requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. To start you’ll want to make a fist with one hand (a gentle fist) and use the other hand (not in a fist) under your forearm of the other hand (holding up the fist). Once you are supporting the arm you’ll want to keep your fingers relaxed in a gentle first. Slowly bend your writs back and forth, repeat this up to 15 times per wrist. The key to this is to go slow and allow a gentle extension of the wrist to happen.
Finger Extension
When asking yourself how to strengthen your fingers for piano, consider doing finger extension and flexion exercises with simple equipment. For finger extension, you can use an elastic band, and this can be done anywhere. Place the elastic band around the end of the fingers and thumb of one hand. Start with fingers and thumb close together (so the band still stays around the fingers) and gentle being to spread the fingers apart. The resistance of the band will begin to tighten, once you’ve reached a good extension hold this for 5 seconds and then relax the finger back to start. Repeat this 4 times for each hand.
Summary
Have you tried any of these to help improve your finger strength before? If not, give one or multiple of these a try next time you are doing piano exercises. Be sure to reach out to a medical professional if you experience any pain and if you are unsure how to complete these exercises. The goal of these piano finger strength exercises is not to do them quickly, but to take your time and practice slowly which will build up strength, stamina, flexibility, and dexterity over time.