Hand-Strengthening Exercises

    Many people learn to play piano from their early years but whenever you begin to play, it is imperative that you work to stretch and strengthen your hands.  Below are a bunch of practical exercises that will help you achieve very strong, flexible hands and fingers that can much more easily and adeptly play your music.
*       Squeeze a tennis ball repeatedly for up to a minute with each hand
*       Using the same tennis ball(s), place the ball on a flat surface with your hand palm-down on top of it, and roll the ball to massage all of the areas of your palms
*        Close your hand tight then open your hand and stretch it back as far as possible
*        Place each wrist against a flat surface, and make “Spider Fingers” by rolling them individually from “pinky” to       thumb, and thumb to pinky
*       Place hands palm to palm, and press
*        Create a “dome” with your fingers by rounding fingers while they are touching…press the fingers together one pair at a time
*        Place wrists flat on a surface with fingers rounded but with fingertips touching the surface.  Raise finger/fingertips one at a time, isolating each one.  The “ring finger” will be the most difficult.  In fact, beginning students may find it impossible when they first try.  Practice will bring success, however, and this exercise helps build tendon and muscle stability and strength.
*        Be Mr. Spock from “Star Trek”.  This means to hold up your hand as if to tell someone to “Stop”.  While pressing the fingers together, separate your ring and middle fingers.  Next, put those two fingers back together, and separate your ring finger from your pinky finger.  Next, put those fingers back together, and separate your pointer finger and middle finger.  Once again, these exercises make playing the piano infinitely easier, and also, allow for greater endurance.
*        Massage your hand or someone else’s shoulders.  Ordinary daily activities that allow you to use your hands, and/or your fingers, can help build your piano playing skills.


Enjoy these exercises and, hopefully, the wonderful results they produce!  That’s for your interest and for practicing these simple exercises.  Please send me any and all questions, comments, and/or suggestions for possible future blog posts.  If you have any questions about me or my lessons, please check out my website at www.SingitForward.net.  Thanks again!  Sing it Forward!

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