How to Position Hands and Arms to Play the Piano

Playing the piano can be a wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable hobby. Beginners however, tend to struggle with hand and arm placement, which can often result in tired and painful hands, wrists and forearms. Follow these simple steps to insure you correctly position your hands and arms while playing the piano.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Sit on the front of the piano bench with your elbows resting comfortably near your sides. You may need to raise or lower the height of the piano bench so that you can keep your arms and hands at keyboard level. Sit approximately eight inches to one foot away from the piano. Align your belly button to the middle C key on the piano.

2. Keep your fingers rounded over the keys. By rounding your fingers, you are better able to spread them to reach far-apart chord sequences. You should aim to have a 45-degree angle from your fingers to your palms.

3. Position your wrists so that they are level with your rounded fingers. Avoid resting your wrists on the keyboard or allowing them to go limp or flat. Make sure that you position the wrists and fingers of each hand in a similar fashion. Your forearms should be parallel to the floor.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid playing with your fingers straight or flat. If you do not arch or round your fingers, your wrists and arms can easily tire, and you may find that you have difficulty reaching all the notes of certain chords.
• Refrain from keeping your elbows far out from your sides. This makes for an uncomfortable and unnatural playing position.