The arm and how it is needed.
The hand, when vigorously applied in helping the fingers, again in turn needs a stable basis for its operation.
This basis is here needed at the wrist-joint, else the wrist-joint itself would give way upwards, under the stress of the reaction or recoil arising from the down-exertion of the hand and finger against the moving key.
For this purpose of Basis at the Wrist-joint, the ARM has to be employed; and it is available in Six Distinct Ways. Succinctly stated, these are as follows:
The six ways of Arm-functioning:
- The poised-arm element (balanced on the surface of the keys)
- The forearm-rotation element
- forearm weight
- Whole arm weight
- Forearm down-exertion added to the full weight and lastly
- Upper arm forward-drive along with the forearm down-exertion (which is to be avoided)
The first two of these six ways of using the arm are invariably needed, whatever the nature of the passage they are compulsory.
Whereas the last four ways of applying the arm are needed only during the moment of key-descent.
The choice here depends on the tone required and these last four ways are therefore optional.
We will first consider the two required arm conditions which are
We will first consider the two required arm conditions which are
- poised arm "balanced" and
- rotative forearm