One of the first things covered in a student’s first lesson is posture and hand position. It’s easy to gloss over these topics as a teacher because we have repeated the same lesson over and over to dozens of beginning students. I have asked myself many times, especially recently, “How important is it to keep harping on and on to a student about their improper hand position? Will they eventually grow out of it? If so, am I wasting valuable lesson time talking about and demonstrating proper hand and finger position. And why is it that some students struggle with it, and others not so much?” I continue to search and look for ways to help students with this. I am by no means an expert in beginning piano technique, nor do I have all the answers to these questions, but I do have experience in teaching a lot of beginning students. So I would like to share how I approach the topic in lessons and what has worked for some students.
Depending on what method you use, sitting position is typically covered on the first page or two. I like to demonstrate to a student proper sitting position by sitting next to them and showing them how to sit with both feet flat on the floor (if they are tall enough to do so). If a student’s feet cannot reach the floor I have them sit farther back on the bench and crisscross their ankles. I have seen some teachers create a foot stool using books or boxes for a student to be able to put their feet on. Adjustable foot stool’s are available for purchase, which may be worth the investment if you teach a lot of preschool students.
Student’s hands, wrists and forearms should all be horizontally level when sitting on the piano bench with hands placed on the keys. (Don’t forget to check for relaxed shoulders. Some students tend to tense up.) Sitting height may need to be adjusted in order to reach the appropriate hand and arm position. An adjustable bench is desirable because then it is easy to correct a students height and position, but again one could use other means to achieve the correct height.
I teach my students to check for proper sitting placement from the bench to the keys. I have them make fists and stretch out their arms to touch the fallboard on the piano (or the bottom of the music rack if they have a keyboard). If their arms do not have to stretch out completely to touch the fallboard, then they are sitting too close to the keys. If they must lean forward to reach the fallboard, then they are sitting too far back. The student can then adjust their position as necessary for them to have appropriate elbow room. Students may have to be instructed on proper sitting position for the first several lessons. Typically, once a student gets the feel for the proper sitting position they will learn to adjust their position automatically.
Proper sitting position is important to proper hand and finger position. Ideally a student should maintain a hand position that includes a c-shape between the first and second fingers of the hand, a strong knuckle bridge, and rounded finger tips (no collapsing finger joints). I demonstrate good hand position by first showing students myself. I also have them place their hands over their kneecap and then gently lift their hands up onto the keys maintaining the hands shape. Sometimes I have students turn their hands up and imagine that they are holding a small ball. Then I ask them to turn their hand over without dropping the ball. I find that some imagery like this helps the student understand how their hand should look and feel.
It is not uncommon for a student to have difficulty maintaining a good finger and hand position once they actually start to press the keys. This is due to weak finger and hand muscles. I tell my students that their hands and fingers need to go to the gym! I ask the student to do finger O’s, gently pressing the thumb against each finger without letting the joints collapse. I suggest different activities for students, such as squeezing a stress ball, squeezing a hole punch, using scissors (under parental guidance of course), or playing with small lego pieces. All activities which I fear have become increasingly less with young children. Fine motor skills are super important, and not just for playing piano purposes.
As a teacher it can be frustrating for a student to come week after week, and barely be able to press the keys independently. It takes time, a student may be half way through the primer method book before they start to improve in this area. Some students will need extra technique practice. I sometimes have a student focus on playing just one finger with the proper position. (Usually because they are not maintaining the correct finger position is the reason they are struggling to play.) I have them repeat that finger several times, and then repeat the process with another finger.
Sometimes even older students who have been playing for a while have the problem of playing with collapsed finger joints. I have struggled with how much of the lesson time do I want to use up on fixing this? It needs to be addressed, and it should be brought to the student’s attention. As a teacher I don’t want students developing a bad habit that will affect their ability to play more advanced material later on. It’s a matter of making the student aware and asking them to be aware when they are practicing at home. In my opinion it comes down to balance. Addressing the issue and still continuing to pursue other areas of the music that need to be worked on so the student (and you as a teacher) do not become frustrated.
I would love to hear ideas and ways other teachers handle this with their students!
