Walking Arm Technique Conclusion

The following describes the proper way to implement the walking arm.
When the student is taught that the walking arm comes from the forearm only, not the whole arm, the pain disappears. Students should be supervised on this technique and handled very subtly. They should not be allowed to work on this on their own in the beginning. Anytime one movement gets too big, the other parts will do less or even cease to operate. In young children there is often a natural pumping of the arm. This should not be eliminated, but care should be taken that the fulcrum at the wrist does not break.

The walking arm is a natural phenomena and when the wrist collapses the entire mechanism fails. Should the wrist collapse up and down as each finger plays, collapse brings on an isolated action. It is not possible to play efficiently without the walking arm for the arm is never neutral. If the forearm is not going with you, it is going against you.
If the wrist moves up and down as each finger plays it creates collapse, for it isolates the hand from the forearm. Care must always be taken that the wrist does not break and this can be ensured by balancing the fingers on the surface of the keys. Many times a problem can be solved by checking on the walking arm.

The test pattern must have a down-up for every note. If only one down is missing it can cause trouble in this and all other passages.