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Joined: Aug 2011
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I'm just turned 15, and a competitive pianist... I've spent all year preparing for the Gina Bachauer international Young Artists' competition- my audition is on Dec. 3 in Steinway hall. However, my fifth finger was broken yesterday!!! I can't practice on it- it's in a splint. they said the plint will come off in three weeks... but if you've had a broken finger, what was your experience coming back to the piano? My youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/plvsbpb
Working on: Rachmaninov concerto 3, Mozart K488, Beethoven Waldstein, Bach Goldberg Variations, Stravinsky Petrushka, Bach Art of the Fugue, Brahms 118, Rachmaninov op. 39 no. 6 (Red Riding Hood), Chopin etude op. 10 no. 1, Chopin nocturne op. 55 no. 2, Bach Prelude and Fugue in g# minor (Book 2)
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Ugh - eventually your finger will be fine. But three weeks is three weeks and it sounds like this is the wrong three weeks! For what it's worth you play some outstanding Chopin!
Justin ------- Bach English Suite #5 Scarlatti Sonata K141 . L422 Mozart Sonata K333 Schubert Impromptu opus 90 D899 Schubert Moment Musicaux opus 94 D780
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Hey Rachel- I'm really *really* sorry to hear about your finger. Terrible!! When I was 17, I broke my LH 4th finger. As I recall, it was in a splint for a few weeks, then felt sort of unstable for a few weeks after that. It was probably 5-6 weeks before I was completely back in the saddle. (During which time I wrote a composition for the right hand.) Maybe they can let you audition a little later? Whatever you do, don't push it. Let it heal naturally, and never play with pain, even if this means holding off on the competition this year... -Jason
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A couple of random thoughts:
1) It wouldn't hurt to ask for a later audition. I noticed they have January dates in Utah. If they'll allow it and you can afford a ticket to Salt Lake, it may well be worth it.
2) Communicate with your doctor, and if he/she isn't sensitive to your particular situation, find one that is. Depending on the nature of the break, there may be aggressive treatments that could safely get you through the competition.
3) Judging by your repertoire and YouTube performances, I doubt being away from the piano will affect your performances a great deal. You'll be able to notice, and the judges may detect a few rough edges, but more than anything, faith in yourself will get you trough. Trust your preparation and focus, and the hands will respond.
4) Canceling is an option. Yes, it'll feel like a horrible disappointment, but if it means healing properly, then trust me, the 25 year old version of you starting her concert career will look back and be glad you had the courage to consider your long-term health as a pianist.
"If we continually try to force a child to do what he is afraid to do, he will become more timid, and will use his brains and energy, not to explore the unknown, but to find ways to avoid the pressures we put on him." (John Holt) www.pianoped.comwww.youtube.com/user/UIPianoPed
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By the way, I just listened to your G major WTC/II Prelude and Fugue. Everything you do is good, but, I have to say, that interpretation is particularly good. Hang in there. -Jason
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Life is full of appointments and disappointments! Heal well, Rachel! What Kreisler said about the 25 year old you looking back and being glad you took the time to heal... Yes! You now have an appointment to heal.
I may not be fast, but at least I'm slow.
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A couple of random thoughts:
1) It wouldn't hurt to ask for a later audition. I noticed they have January dates in Utah. If they'll allow it and you can afford a ticket to Salt Lake, it may well be worth it.
2) Communicate with your doctor, and if he/she isn't sensitive to your particular situation, find one that is. Depending on the nature of the break, there may be aggressive treatments that could safely get you through the competition.
3) Judging by your repertoire and YouTube performances, I doubt being away from the piano will affect your performances a great deal. You'll be able to notice, and the judges may detect a few rough edges, but more than anything, faith in yourself will get you trough. Trust your preparation and focus, and the hands will respond.
4) Canceling is an option. Yes, it'll feel like a horrible disappointment, but if it means healing properly, then trust me, the 25 year old version of you starting her concert career will look back and be glad you had the courage to consider your long-term health as a pianist. Yes. This guy ^ ^ ^ is pretty wise. I am very sorry to hear about your injury. I hope it heals quickly and you resume your music making full force!
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The biggest danger you face right now is playing in the competition if your finger has not completely healed. Don't compromise your long-term physical health and your life-long joy of performing music you love to perform by rushing the process.
I do feel sorry for your injuty, but don't take any risks - none!
Regards,
BruceD - - - - - Estonia 190
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Agreed with everyone else. There will be many more competitions in the future. Look to the health of your playing mechanism first and foremost.
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I have seen you, Rachel, on Youtube, prior to this thread and am happy that you are part of PW. I'm terribly sorry about your situation and I'm hoping that you're able to perhaps set yourself up with another audition date as Kreisler mentioned. I've enjoyed many of the performances I've watched/listened to on Youtube from you. Keep up the good work.
"And if we look at the works of J.S. Bach — a benevolent god to which all musicians should offer a prayer to defend themselves against mediocrity... -Debussy
"It's ok if you disagree with me. I can't force you to be right."
♪ ≠$
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How on earth did you break your finger?
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Thanks everyone... I'm not going to push it. Meanwhile, I've entirely refingered Beethoven's ghost trio without the fifth finger for upcoming performances. I've contacted Bachauer, and am waiting to see whether I can audition in January in SLC. And P.E. class!!
Working on: Rachmaninov concerto 3, Mozart K488, Beethoven Waldstein, Bach Goldberg Variations, Stravinsky Petrushka, Bach Art of the Fugue, Brahms 118, Rachmaninov op. 39 no. 6 (Red Riding Hood), Chopin etude op. 10 no. 1, Chopin nocturne op. 55 no. 2, Bach Prelude and Fugue in g# minor (Book 2)
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Meanwhile, I've entirely refingered Beethoven's ghost trio without the fifth finger for upcoming performances. That's got to be interesting. I'd love to see your fingerings!
"And if we look at the works of J.S. Bach — a benevolent god to which all musicians should offer a prayer to defend themselves against mediocrity... -Debussy
"It's ok if you disagree with me. I can't force you to be right."
♪ ≠$
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P.E. can be deadly for a musician! Heck, throwing a football in front of the house can be a killer. One jammed finger and....
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Please describe your break. Which phalanx is it in? Fingertip, middle, or the one near the knuckle? Is it a full break, or a crack? Hopefully not a compound fracture, and everything remained in place? Is it a lengthwise crack, or is the break perpendicular to the bone? Does the break extend all the way into the joint? If you have a clean break across the phalanx (or even better, a crack), and if it is in the distal phalanx (vulgo fingertip), without any crushing of bone or damage to blood vessels or nerves, then you be in very good shape soon (but maybe not in three weeks).
Above all: consult with your doctor (who hopefully is a really good hand surgeon), and make 110% sure you don't do anything that has the potential to permanently damage your finger. There are techniques that speed up bone growth ... if you want, you can ask your doctor about osteogenic stimulation (electric bone growth stimulation), and ultrasonic stimulation (brand name Exogen). My hand surgeon swears by the Exogen, but then he deals in much more serious injuries. I don't know whether these tricks would do any good for clean breaks in a young person.
While your bones are healing, make sure they don't get rattled apart, and give them time to heal solidly before starting to beat them up again. Look up malunion and nonunion in a medical dictionary or on the web. It's scary, and you don't want it. If this means not doing the competition, or not giving any concerts for half a year, so be it. You said you are 15? You have about 60 or so years of playing the piano ahead of you. Don't risk all that for a few weeks of head start.
You probably don't want to hear this, but I'll tell you anyhow. In my experience, splinting a finger for a few days or longer will make the joints quite stiff, and causes atrophy of the muscles. When the splint comes off, the finger will be painful to move, you will probably have reduced range of motion in the joints, and it will be quite a bit weaker. I just had my right hand in a splint (for 8 weeks), and my right lower arm shrank in diameter so much (muscles vanished) that the splint became too loose and had to me remade. Once the splint comes off is when recovery starts. Ask your doctor for a recommendation for a good hand physical therapist. Within a few sessions, they can do wonders to regain motion, but strength and dexterity will come from practicing.
If this is your right hand: there is a heck of a lot of repertoire for left hand alone. Some of it is very amusing. Start with Scriabin Prelude and Nocturne. Then find the Godowsky "Fledermaus" transcription; that should keep you suitably busy for a few weeks. And if you still have an appetite for left hand music, try Ravel's concerto. It is musically and philosophically very satisfying (read about who he wrote it for, and why, and then think about the structure and tone of the piece), and parts of it are devilishly tricky, while not being technically very hard.
Don't get too upset about injuring your hand. Even piano players are humans, and have normal human needs and wants. Part of the life to a 15-year old is to do P.E., go hiking, take the bus, go dancing, and so forth; all activities that risk injury. Enjoy them, and sometimes there will be a small price to pay for accidents. I'm now the father of a 7th grade tuba player, who also enjoys soccer, rugby (competitively) and dirt motorcycles (very competitively, he is way faster than I am). Although for wind instruments, small injuries are not much a problem ... the common cold is much worse for him, and can knock him out for a week.
P.S. And whatever you do, don't imitate me. I've had one reconstructive surgery already 15 years ago (cross-finger flap, needed to rebuild a fingertip that got lost). That one stopped piano playing for about half a year. Recently I nearly lost my right index finger, and will probably end up with a permanently fused joint in it (due to a malunion at a joint, and a nonunion in the middle of a phalanx leading to a pseudoarthrosis). Nasty horrible big mess, but I hope to get back to 10-fingered playing (at a lower level) in maybe a year. I started a thread about that a week or two ago.
Last edited by treelogger; 11/12/11 01:34 AM.
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Rachel, if you revisit, please be advised that we have several members who consider themselves medically informed and it would be in your best interest to simply ignore the blah blah you'll find with them and consult a physician of your own choosing as he/she only will be able to determine the best course of action for you after a face to face meeting. All the best...
"And if we look at the works of J.S. Bach — a benevolent god to which all musicians should offer a prayer to defend themselves against mediocrity... -Debussy
"It's ok if you disagree with me. I can't force you to be right."
♪ ≠$
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T.....Meanwhile, I've entirely refingered Beethoven's ghost trio without the fifth finger for upcoming performances. Two things about this: 1) I think you should film yourself playing the GT in this manner and post it - seriously I would really like to see this. I picture your poor ailing pinkie hovering longingly over the keys in its splint! 2) I would like to suggest an electronic standing ovation for Ms. Breen by all thread participants. This is, to use a word I rarely use, awesome!
Justin ------- Bach English Suite #5 Scarlatti Sonata K141 . L422 Mozart Sonata K333 Schubert Impromptu opus 90 D899 Schubert Moment Musicaux opus 94 D780
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Haha!!!! Thanks! It's broken at the joint closest to the knuckle. Maybe I'll post a video of my group rehearsing soon. It's a bit funny, but it sounds pretty normal after the refingering. The second movement of the Schumann Fantasy, however, is a different matter.
Working on: Rachmaninov concerto 3, Mozart K488, Beethoven Waldstein, Bach Goldberg Variations, Stravinsky Petrushka, Bach Art of the Fugue, Brahms 118, Rachmaninov op. 39 no. 6 (Red Riding Hood), Chopin etude op. 10 no. 1, Chopin nocturne op. 55 no. 2, Bach Prelude and Fugue in g# minor (Book 2)
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Not to scare you Rachel ... but ... if you try to come back and play before it is healed completely you run the risk of turning it into a chronic condition which may bother you forever and you know what that could do to your plans.
Take a rest and let it heal completely.
All the best ...
Don
Kawai MP7SE, On Stage KS7350 keyboard stand, KRK Classic 5 powered monitors, SennHeiser HD 559 Headphones
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I feel your pain! I was in my senior year of piano performance at CSUNorthridge, and we were all doing insane hours in the practice rooms. On the suggetion of another tortured soul in the next room, we all cut out to shoot some hoops.
Coming around for a block, my pinky caught the vocal major right In the armpit and snapped like an icicle.
Unfortunatly, I thought it was sprained and jumped in the hot tub for a couple hours! Badddd idea. Swollen like a balloon.
Had to put off my senior recital. But, I kept up my day job as an accompanist - once in a while the poor metal splint would tap out a strange rhythm on the keys.
I feel your pain...
David Sprunger - Learn to play piano by ear using the revolutionary technique of "Rhythmic Patterns". Piano Lessons Homepage here - includes library of piano lessons for beginners through advanced piano and keyboard players.
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