Natural Hand Position and Alignment (1.3)

To practice Chopin’s natural hand position:

• Bring your right hand to the keyboard, just above middle C on a whole-tone scale starting on E: E-F#-G#-A#-B# (or C). This was Chopin’s preferred method to teach a natural hand position.
• To practise the left hand, use the same pitches in the octave just below where the right hand is.
• Observe your quiet hand, resting on the surface of the keys with the bridge well-supported in an arched position.
• All digits, including the thumb, are resting on the key surface. The longer middle fingers rest comfortably on the black keys. The thumb hangs down naturally on the E, and the fifth finger is also comfortable on its white key.
• Note that the fingers are not curled. Each finger is gently curved from the knuckles, allowing free motion from this joint.
• Align your whole hand in front of your forearm.
• Note that the larger muscles of the arm are positioned optimally to support the action of each finger.
• The hand is not swivelled in either direction.

Common Hand Positions:

• One common hand position features overly curled fingers, often all in a straight line. This cramped position inhibits free movement and true advancement in playing.
• The “cluster” position is also common, especially in early teaching of children. Although there is more bridge support, this still does not facilitate optimal movement and coordination.
• Yet another position involves imagining holding an apple or orange. While this also inspires more bridge support, in practice, this also instils tension by focusing on “holding” instead of “letting go.”
• Instead of these, draw your hand up from your side with a relaxed hand, over Chopin’s preferred position, maintaining good alignment and a quiet hand to allow free movement of the fingers from the knuckles.

Alignment: Hand Positioning in Different Registers

• Keeping your natural hand position, move up the keyboard so that your right hand rests over the white notes BCDEF.
• Observe your hand: the angles have changed somewhat, however, you can still maintain your gently curved fingers and quiet hand.
• Return to the octave above middle C. Observe what happens when you move your hand down an octave.
• Maintain natural alignment, especially gently-curved fingers, a quiet hand, and alignment in front of the forearm.
• Notice that the most comfortable position for the thumb may now be off of the keyboard, depending on your hand’s size. Contrary to what many of us have learned, this is perfectly natural and desirable.

Left-Hand Instructions:

• Invert the figure by placing the left hand over the keys one octave below middle C.
• Observe what happens when you move your hand down an octave.
• Follow the remaining steps listed above for the right hand.

Continuing with the Right Hand:

In its relaxed state, the thumb comes to rest below the other fingers.

Maintain good bridge support, so the thumb never dangles like a dead weight.

Aligning the hand in front of the forearm and avoiding the practice of thumb-under is injury-preventive, and facilitates better coordination and freer sound.

Alignment: Dyads and Single Notes in Different Registers

• Play some different dyads (two notes at once) in the middle of the piano. Slightly lift one or more of your other fingers and note how tension unbalances the hand.
• Contrast this by letting fingers that are not playing rest quietly on the key surface while lifting and dropping others.
• Maintain good alignment in all registers and think of the spine as your central axis.
• In well-aligned dyads and chords, observe how the distance of each finger from the fallboard changes, keeping the hand aligned behind the forearm.
• Also begin experimenting with aligning your arm behind single fingers (on single notes). This will be explored in greater depth in the upcoming unit on Free Fall.