Virgie Amendola's short list of general faulty physical patterns and the difficulties which may result for the pianist.......

1. Stretching to the extreme range of motion for a particular muscle group creates tension

2. Reaching for keys with fingers only results in stretching

3. Twisting of the hand from the arm at the wrist joint creates tension

4. Unnecessary lifting of fingers or holding fingers up while playing creates fatigue

5. Having the knuckle fulcrum either too high or too low may result in backaches

6. Having the wrist too low may cause pain in the wrist and/or in the back and neck

7. Having the wrist too high may cause pain in the wrist and in the forearm area close to the wrist

8. Holding the upper arm too high may cause pain in upper arm and/or back muscles

9. Raising and tightening of shoulder muscles creates tension

10. Gripping-type movements and contractions of the hand muscles while playing creates tension

11. Poor posture alignment and imbalance throughout the body creates tension and fatigue

12. Additional pressure to bottom of key bed after tone has been produced can cause pain on the bottom area of the forearm

13. Continuous fixation of joints of fingers, wrists, elbows and shoulders may result in muscle fatigue, loss of mobility and power