{"id":1866,"date":"2020-09-15T08:30:58","date_gmt":"2020-09-15T15:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/?p=1866"},"modified":"2023-01-12T19:57:50","modified_gmt":"2023-01-13T03:57:50","slug":"piano-warm-up-exercises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pianote.com\/blog\/piano-warm-up-exercises\/","title":{"rendered":"Piano Warm-up Exercises"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

These piano warm-up exercises will help get your fingers limbered up and ready to play!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why bother warming-up at all?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a proper warm-up is a SUPER important part of piano practice. Just like exercise, warming-up helps prevent injury to our fingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also makes it easier to learn new songs because your fingers will just feel<\/i> better. They\u2019ll be moving more freely and faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, warming-up helps you arrive mentally at the piano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It tells your brain, \u201dHey! Now\u2019s the time to concentrate on the piano.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when your mind and body are cooperating, you can make amazing music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let\u2019s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You gotta stretch!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Playing the piano is a physical experience. We use our muscles and tendons to play those keys, so it helps to spend a few seconds stretching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I LOVE stretching out my forearm before every practice session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, I\u2019ve had some trouble with carpal tunnel syndrome, so this stretch feels incredible and I can\u2019t go without it now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information and examples of some good warm-up stretches, watch this lesson<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Say \u201chello\u201d to the piano<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve stretched, take a moment to appreciate where you are. You\u2019re sitting at your piano about to make beautiful music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a deep breath, and say \u201chello\u201d to your piano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ok, you don\u2019t actually have to say the word, but my point is that you should make an effort to be present at the keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means letting the past and future distractions go for just a few minutes and turn all your attention to your practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t worry, those distractions will still be there once you\u2019ve finished your practice, and there\u2019s nothing you can do about them right now anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warm-up exercise #1 – the Finger Pattern<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is my favorite finger pattern to get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, it might look a little intimidating, but it\u2019s quite simple and you\u2019ll get the hang of it quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here it is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1-2-3-2-3-4-3-4-5-4-3-2-1<\/b><\/center>\n\n\n\n

What does that mean?<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is the finger pattern you\u2019ll use to play a five-finger scale. So it\u2019ll look like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take it slow, and see how each number represents a finger playing a key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start on C, and the notes will be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

C-D-E-D-E-F-E-F-G-F-E-D-C<\/b><\/center>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019re done with C, move up to D. We\u2019re in the key of C, so we\u2019ll only be playing white keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep moving up through the C scale with your right-hand. This helps warms your fingers up and get them nice and loose. It also helps build dexterity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t rush this. It\u2019s not about speed, it\u2019s a piano warm-up exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83c\udfb9 Piano Technique Made Easy \u2728<\/h3><\/center>

Technique is the foundation to piano playing. If technique has been holding you back from playing the songs you love, check out Piano Technique Made Easy<\/a> with Cassi Falk. This course, free with your Pianote membership, will take you through all 12 major and minor keys as you master scales, arpeggios, chords, and more.<\/p>

<\/p>

CHECK IT OUT<\/a>

<\/p><\/center><\/span>\n\n\n\n

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The left-hand pattern<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve gone up the scale with your right-hand, it\u2019s time to move to the left-hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because our right and left hands are different, the finger pattern will change. So it will now be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5-4-3-4-3-2-3-2-1-2-3-4-5<\/b><\/center>\n\n\n\n

The notes are exactly the same, but the fingering changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, work your way up through the scale to warm-up those fingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Playing it with both hands<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve gone through the pattern with each hand, it\u2019s time to add the hands together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could just play the pattern with both hands, but I like to stagger it. So you\u2019ll play and hold the C note with your left hand while playing the pattern with your right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then once you\u2019ve played the pattern with your right hand, hold the C with your right thumb and play the pattern with your left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep alternating. It\u2019s like an echo, and it forces your brain to think a bit harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warm-up exercise #2 – Staccato Arpeggio<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Arpeggios are an amazing exercise and technique that can really make your playing sound beautiful<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here we\u2019ll be practicing playing arpeggios staccato, which means play them super short and bouncy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Play an arpeggio with your right hand first, then the left hand, and then play them with both hands at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also like to use a chord progression to make this more musical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, in the key of C, I\u2019ll start by playing the arpeggios on C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I\u2019ll move down to A, F, and finally G.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These 4 chords represent the most common chords in pop music, and just sound nice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warm-up exercise #3 – Octave Scales<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is the final exercise of the warm-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll be playing and bouncing up and down the scale using octaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can be a big stretch for some people, so make sure you\u2019re not feeling any discomfort or tension<\/a> while you\u2019re playing. (For tips on reducing tension, watch this lesson.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One hand will play the octave with the notes together, while the other will bounce between the notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what it looks like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then switch roles. Hold the octave with your right hand and play the separate notes with your left!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I hope you enjoyed these piano warm-up exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This warmup will only take about 10 minutes. But\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know there will be days when that might be all you have to practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s ok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pick one (or two) of these exercises and just try to do them. If you\u2019re running super short on time, try this 10-minute practice routine<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want to leave you with one challenge\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seriously, commit to using these piano warm-up exercises for a week and see for yourself what a difference it makes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your fingers will be warm, limber, and faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s worth it. Trust me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happy practicing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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