You NEED A Good Mind-Muscle Connection For Tension Free Playing

[@liesje.sadonius]

More in depth video? Yes, please 😊!

[@matthewchang7252]

Yes, almost every situation requires relaxation to maximize effectiveness! ❤❤❤

[@DavidMiller-bp7et]

Thanks for weighing in; you have a lot to contribute.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

As a physician I am a mind-muscle mechanic. Since I had to rehabilitate my own shoulder too many times, I became quite the specialist of the shoulder, and have found that it is probably (in Europe) the most missed or mis-diagnosed joint in the body. It is vital for wrist and hand movement. If some of your students had too much difficulty, they might want to have a shoulder exam. In America you can also consult baseball trainers since they should be specialists.

[@DavidMiller-bp7et]

As a veteran of both shoulder surgical repairs, I learned that the shoulder is the most complex joint in the body. Perhaps here in the US, too. We go to a high-level orthopedic clinic here in Oregon for shoulder specialists, surgeons and all. General practiitioners are often not at the same level of expertise. Wife had 1 shoulder replaced. So right about vitality for wrist and hand connection. Baseball trainers and advanced Physiotherapists are pretty good with this too. They can see arthritis with an x-ray but an MRI is essential for soft tissue analysis; those cost much more money and insurers don't care to spend more money even if necessary. Another issue. Our docs can push for it and get them if they know how to work their way through the paper administration. Good advice, shoulder exams would likely be helpful. The docs send us to PT first to measure motion range and strength, then proceed from there and look at x-rays to examine wear in the joint. Excellent comment.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

@@DavidMiller-bp7et Bon courage for your shoulders, both you and your wife's. I have a video with my exercises for the low back, and for my techniques for the upper extremity. Oh My Aching Bach

[@DavidMiller-bp7et]

In early 2022 I came up with a serious L hip and crotch injury, due to sitting too low and too close, cramped up on a bad chair for like 5 years. Very painful involving l sciatic and related adductors, nerves and muscles. Spent 8 weeks in PT, first stretching then exercises, mostly core, to strengthen the weak areas. I now do 6 "core strength" exercises, 2 sets of 10 reps each. (Lower) back exercises are vital in the sequence. Remarkable what core strength does for the overall body, on piano or other stuff. Piano is a repetitive stress activity, some ways to avoid injury are highly recommended, "efficient" technique, best practices. @@lawrencetaylor4101

[@DavidMiller-bp7et]

Where are you? Fun to talk to people hither and yon.@@lawrencetaylor4101

[@jozeftobben980]

​@@lawrencetaylor4101, Hi , are you willing to share the link to the video? Thnx in advance.. Kind regards, Jos T.

[@jeffhayz7802]

Great videos

[@igotbit9454]

why'd you stop making vids? i love this healthy way of playing vids. hope you make more soon!

[@angelaalves9530]

Yes on the tutorial for the exercises please! I'm currently working with my teacher for a sore right arm issue (because I'm sure I don't use the right muscles and the wrong muscles are tense) and I have the collapsing knuckle bridge in the left hand!

[@bunnyhollowcrafts]

Thanks for your videos on these topics. Play every day, have always had a piano, but was never trained. Proper technique has caught up with me now and these videos are very timely! Appreciate your channel very much!

[@DavidMiller-bp7et]

Eventually will; I had the same experience.

[@LJMadrigalMusic]

Well explained, thank you for this. As someone who is overall very tense and anxious, I always find myself clenching my body muscles very unnecessarily like I'm fighting something. Even when I play the piano for more than a decade now, it's still my issue. So, when there are times that I feel like I'm doing it right and not tensing up, I take pride of it because it's a rare moment to have. Hopefully, I can resolve this issue in my mind because it's frustrating as hell not to function normally because I'm involuntarily tensed.

[@jozeftobben980]

Hello Mr. Walstead, Can you share some more exercises to build or improve the connection?

[@72-bit]

insightful

[@jessevanrhijn1300]

Love your videos! Do you have any specific tips for those of us with hypermobile joints in our fingers? All of my fingers are hypermobile in all of their joints, which makes it hard to stabilize the joints sometimes, and can lead me to overextend the joints without even realizing it. As a result I often unconsciously compensate for that stability like you talk about here.

[@DavidMiller-bp7et]

Getting at the nitty gritty of the "mind-muscle connections." If some are having issues here, very slow, deliberate, but not overly tense, practice is probably the way into this. Going too fast for one's developmental level on this is too fast for the brain to process. Also, mind implies more than brain, but I think we agree that it is vital to the process. Slow down and then speed up slowly once slow has been mastered. All great experts agree with Edna G, "If you can do it slow, you've got it." That doesn't work the other way 'round. Very good clarification, "relaxation" is too broad and general to cover exactly what one needs. Flaccid is not for piano work except for mili-second spots within constant movement. Garrick O called it contraction/release at the same time. He knows what he's talking about but it is not at the same time, it's sequential; it appears so because the movement is so fast and constant that it creates this sense, illusion. to use the artist's term. Thank you, again, Craig for this offering. You are getting better from already being very good, as online teacher. You are attracting more advanced players and more talkative ones, too. Who maybe would glance and not engage with comments. Nevertheless. Your teaching applies to all levels; to get the best results, we must be honest with where are, not where we would like to think we are. Discipline, and removal of the ego crown, is required to get these moves right and think of our playing in the most productive ways. You are doing very well; helping a great many players. Side conversations can also be very profitable.

[@DavidMiller-bp7et]

PS: This applies to all repertoires and musical styles. Best technique is just that, across the (key) board.

[@JlYlElNlJ]

My back muscles start aching like im doing pull ups when playing piano

[@Ali-xx9sj]

Do you give remote private lessons?

[@PIANO_LAB]

I do. You can contact me through my website: pianolab.studio

[@alidianat4426]

❤️🫂