Avoiding Piano-related Injury: A Proposed Theoretical Procedure for Biomechanical Analysis of Piano Technique

Abstract

Several biomechanical studies have been done with regard to the fingertip, hand, wrist, and upper arm in pianists. However, these studies have generally focused either on one isolated part of the anatomy, or on one specific motion. It is notable that none of the studies conducted to date examines the execution of a technical skill at the piano, such as a scale or arpeggio, in terms of the cooperative work done by all involved parts of the anatomy. Drawing upon established quantitative data, this study took a qualitative approach in describing and analyzing the execution of selected piano technical tasks. The procedure developed for conducting a biomechanical analysis can be readily applied in both medical and pedagogical venues with the goal of preventing injury.