Hand and Finger Strengthening - New Approach

[Mysteryman]

Last week I was reading a few articles on becoming a piano virtuoso. A number of people say there are no shortcuts and that it would take 10 years at least on the fast route. I know that there are a number of other factors that come into play in a person getting to a certain level. I have been practicing piano in the mornings a lot and was thinking many people can't do certain things because they don't have the strength to. If you have more strength than you need shouldn't that make things a little easier especially if you engage muscles you may need later on. I think of the examples of lifting a heavy weight and then lifting a lighter one or a baseball player swinging two bats to warm up then only using one. I started thinking about rock climbers and how they have to do certain finger and hand exercises to make their hands and fingers stronger.

All this led me to look up finger and hand strengthening exercises that they do and transfer it to bass or piano. I always see that playing bass is easier after being on the piano for a while and vice versa. I know that each instrument engages a different set of muscles. I'm planning on buying a bucket of rice or beans and doing some of the exercises I have seen on YouTube to see if I can get faster progress. I know there is still some technique in playing involved which I will get from practice on the instrument. What do you all think?

[stix_clgi]

I don't know a whole lot of hand/finger strengthening exercises, but it's definitely true that exercising those muscles will make playing easier. I've had to strengthen my hands because of a joint condition I have that makes my fingers prone to hyper-extension if I'm not careful. It might not sound so bad, but I remember bending the middle digit in my pinky backwards while playing one day, it was very painful. I bought one those Vari-grip handmasters a few years ago. It allows you to exercise individual fingers as well as your whole hand. I noticed a marked increase in my hand stamina and speed, and I hardly ever get cramps from playing like I used to. I can still bend my fingers in weird directions, but it doesn't happen as often.

It's also important to add stretching to your hand exercise regiment (not sure if the exercises you read about mention it).

There is an exercise you can do that doesn't require you to buy anything; it will both stretch and strengthen your hand:

Start on your E string and fret the first fret (F) with your index finger. Count to ten slowly ( 1 mississippi, 2 Mississippi, etc...). Fret the next fret while keeping your first fret fretted. Count to          10. Repeat until the first four frets are covered (F-Ab)

Then slide your hand up and repeat, starting with your index finger at the second fret (F#) and ending at the fifth fret. Repeat this entire process until your pinky finger is fretting the twelfth fret.  Once your reach the twelfth fret, move to the A string and start over. Do this across all the strings of your bass. It's a good way to stretch and strengthen your hand, although its a little slow and boring.

I do this pretty often, although not every time I practice. Hope you can add it to your regimen!