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    How changing my piano technique improved typing comfort

    • Started by ThePhoenixEffect
    • 1 Replies:
    • Reputation: 0
    • Registered: 08-Aug-2013
    • Posts: 1

    I'm classical pianist by hobby, and I've made recent strides in my piano technique by ditching the traditional way most teachers approach it. 

    My technique is now heavily influenced by the works of Abby Whiteside, who was concerned with why some students, despite effort, never seem to be able to play pieces such as this with velocity, musicality, and comfort:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqk0UICjNbk

    I've made incredible strides, and have recently been implementing it with my typing technique, and I'm now amazed at how much for comfort I feel when typing.  I currently maintain about 85 wpm colmak and 60ish qwerty. 

    Some ideas that may help others:

    A. Learn to "touch type" not just from your fingers, but at the level of your upper-arm and shoulder. We actually have immensely fine control at this level. Many good hand-writers and calligraphists I've spoken to write from their shoulders: http://www.paperpenalia.com/handwriting.html.  Over time you should increasingly be able to map your kinesthetic typing experience connected with words and phrases to higher levels in the body, and not just at the levels of the hands and fingers.

    B. Learn to use the intrinsic muscle in your hands.  The lumbricals and interossei in your hands, should be the primary muscles you use when typing at the level of the fingers.  The allow the simultaneous extension at the fingers while flexing at the knuckles.  The extension allows your fingers to hit the keys, while the flexion allows you to feel the arch structure in your hand, such that you have an upper feeling as your hitting the keys, rather than a constant downward feeling. 

    C. Align your arm and the rest of your body behind your fingers.  If you feel the strength of the arm behind each finger, your "weak" fingers no longer become weak.  You should sense the sensation of weight transfer to each finger.  This is highly connected with Point B.  For example, the fourth finger,  feel this alignment such that it causes the fourth knuckle to pop up every time you make contact with the key. 

    D. The goal is to experience center to periphery movement.  Not the opposite, and they are completely different experiences.  You's be surprised how much your torso can actually be involved when typing, and how much better it feels. Especially if you do it with rhythm and pulse.  You actually only feel like you just so happen to be hitting the keys on the keyboard because it's in the way rather than making moving the keys the primary experience. Hitting the keys on the keyboard should not actually be your primary sensation, or at least initial sensation.  It starts from the center, and hitting the keyboard is incidental. 

    E. Holding on to the  home keys will only limit your typing experience. This is highly connected with point D.

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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
    • Posts: 5,362

    Interesting post!

    What do you feel about the Angle ergonomic mod for instance? In my experience it helps make your suggestions easier to do, even if ulnar deviation is less of an issue when observing your points D and E. It does help point C I feel.

    *** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
    *** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***

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