| If you're a piano teacher trying to get a child's hand to | | | | Remember, what's important is that the child observe |
| assume the classic "flat" position, you'll have noticed by | | | | their hand in that perfect relaxed position, even if only |
| now that most children have some difficulty achieving | | | | for a second. Get them to acknowledge it. |
| that "correct" position. | | | | Suddenly, something will happen: the child will tense |
| In fact, children's hands adopt a variety of strange | | | | their hand, and the fingers, limp a moment ago, are |
| positions when put on the piano, almost all of them | | | | now as stiff as breadsticks. |
| painfully awkward and comic. | | | | In fact, we play the game several times, and I try to |
| I've learned this because I do not teach hand position | | | | get them to leave their fingers like "wet noodles," |
| at first, and thus have had an opportunity to witness | | | | rather than like "breadsticks." |
| perhaps every variation in hand position that kids can | | | | I'll tell you right now that kids love to stiffen their hands |
| naturally come up with. | | | | into "breadsticks," just to see the piano teacher cringe. |
| There is the classic position I call the "bug crusher," in | | | | Laugh. It's a game. |
| which the two thumbs play a key each, but the rest of | | | | The second stage of the game is this: we play |
| the hand droops below the plane of the keys. | | | | "Hobbita-Jobbita," until they are seriously able to keep |
| Or the most popular and natural position, which I call | | | | their fingers limp. |
| the "pointer," in which the two index fingers are poised, | | | | Then, and this is the crucial step, guide their loose hand |
| at the ready, in position to take a jab at the keys from | | | | to the piano keyboard, quickly, before it loses the |
| various angles. | | | | relaxed shape, and put it in C position (C position is |
| Strangely enough, the piano keyboard was designed | | | | where the right hand thumb is on Middle C.) |
| with human hand in mind, perhaps more than any | | | | It will take hundreds of times, perhaps, of playing this |
| device ever created by the mind of man, except | | | | game for most children to get the idea, and they will |
| perhaps the glove. | | | | joke and suddenly tense their hands many, many |
| You can achieve a perfect hand position with any child | | | | times, just to be impish. Laugh. It's a game. |
| just by playing the following game I call | | | | But eventually, happily as well, children will find a |
| "Hobbita-Jobbita." | | | | relaxed hand position by themselves using this method, |
| Sit or stand and have the child shake their hands | | | | and here is the magical part: every child I have taught |
| vigorously, loose at the wrists, just letting the hand fly | | | | this game plays habitually and without reminding in a |
| around free. | | | | perfect hand position, because they have been led, |
| I like to have them say, "Hobbita-Jobbita" while we do | | | | through games, to see that it is the best position. |
| it, a nonsensical sound which seems to go with the | | | | Be warned, your patience will be tried, but you will be |
| rather silly act of shaking your hands at arms length. | | | | rewarded with that perfect hand position that many |
| In the middle of shaking, stop suddenly, and very gently | | | | teachers slave to foster in their students. In fact, many |
| grab the child's wrist and say, "Look!" You will see for | | | | teachers alienate the student on this issue alone, with |
| a split second the human hand in absolute relaxation, | | | | constant reminders and browbeating. |
| and what you are trying to do is to get the child to | | | | There's not a problem in beginning piano that can't be |
| observe what their hand looks like as a result of this | | | | solved with a creative piano game. |
| silly game. | | | | |