Wrist Tension & why Freedom & Coordination must coexist.

One of the most challenging areas for musicians to coordinate and feel relaxed is the wrist.

It’s where freedom and precision must coexist. Many musicians try to solve wrist tension by moving the wrist more, rolling it out, or holding it in a “better” position. These adjustments can have a positive effect, lowering wrist tension in both flexors and extensors. (Oikawa et al., 2011).

But here’s the catch: if we carry unconscious tension due to how we use our fingers, it can persist regardless of wrist position. This kind of tension is nearly invisible, unless you’ve developed the body awareness to feel it, or measure it using tools like EMG (electromyography, which measures muscle activity).

Understanding Wrist Function

The wrist has six main muscles: two or three flexors (which bend the wrist) and three extensors (which extend it). Some of these muscles also allow sideways movement. All these muscles attach inside and on the back of the hand, then cross the wrist and originate from the lower arm. Also, most finger muscles cross the wrist joint, so every time we use our fingers, we influence the wrist as well. This especially applies to the two outer joints of each finger.

The intrinsic hand muscles, however, don’t cross the wrist at all! They are located entirely within the hand itself. That makes them ideal for finger movement without straining the wrist, if we know how to activate and use them correctly. We will explore this in the video below.

One interesting study showed that musicians (in this case violin and viola players) had weaker intrinsic hand muscles than the non-musician group of healthy individuals. The extrinsic muscles were the same strength in both groups. This was the opposite result of what the researchers had expected, as one would think that using the fingers hours every day would strengthen these muscles. However, their theory is that keeping an eye on the strength of these muscles over time might help us catch early signs of shoulder, arm or hand problems (Gorniak et al., 2019).

My observations through almost two decades of teaching musicians confirms that many musicians have weak intrinsic hand muscles. These muscles are primarily responsible for controlling fine motor skills and fast alternating movements of the fingers - which are essential for effortless speed and accuracy. (Valenzuela, Launico, & Varacallo, 2023; Palti & Vigler, 2012) Maintaining good functioning of these muscles is essential for good technique and subsequently effortless musical expression.

I’ve observed that a lack of strength and use in these muscles can lead to tension further up the arm, shoulders and neck, and in the hands themselves, as other muscles try to take over the control of these movements, creating less optimal movement patterns.

Activate to Relax

We rarely think that strengthening and activating muscles would make us feel more relaxed, but when I give exercises that address these muscles - like the MCP tune-up exercise in the following video, musicians report that playing after activating (warming up) these muscles makes playing feel more effortless. Knowing how to access and coordinate these smaller intrinsic muscles is essential if we want to play with accuracy, fluidity, and less tension.

This kind of knowledge isn’t just for injury prevention. It’s also about discovering what’s possible when your body is working with your instrument, not against it. When we understand how anatomy and movement support musical expression, playing becomes not only easier, it becomes more joyful too, as you begin to reap the rewards of the hours you’ve invested in practice and effort.

In the short video you’ll see:

● Hold your opposite thumb inside the hand, just below the knuckle joint.

● Bend the MCP joint while keeping the PIP and DIP joints extended.

● Move the MCP joint up to 90 degrees, then repeat with the next finger.

● Use your opposite thumb below each finger bending to feel a firm activation inside the palm, below the MCP joint.

● While holding the position for 2–3 seconds, check that your wrist remains free and relaxed.

● After completing each finger, rest your hands in your lap, close your eyes, and sense any increased awareness or activation in the palm.

● Play your instrument and notice any changes.

● Repeat 2–3 times daily for 2 months.

References:

Gorniak, S. L., Collins, E. D., Goldie Staines, K., Brooks, F. A., & Young, R. V. (2019). The Impact of

Musical Training on Hand Biomechanics in String Musicians. Hand (New York, N.Y.), 14(6), 823–829.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1558944718772388

Oikawa N, Tsubota S, Chikenji T, Chin G, Aoki M. Wrist Positioning and Muscle Activities in the Wrist

Extensor and Flexor during Piano Playing. Hong Kong Journal of Occupational Therapy.

2011;21(1):41-46. doi:10.1016/j.hkjot.2011.06.002

Valenzuela, M., Launico, M. V., & Varacallo, M. A. (2023). Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Hand

Lumbrical Muscles. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.

Palti, R., & Vigler, M. (2012). Anatomy and function of lumbrical muscles. Hand clinics, 28(1), 13–17.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hcl.2011.09.00