Is A Bouncing Wrist A Good Or Bad Thing?

I just received another great question, this one from a subscriber named Florence. She asks:

My piano teacher has been complaining that I bounce my wrist a lot when I do scales… but you are suggesting raising the wrist and letting it drop so that the wrist and arm is parallel to floor which makes sense. When I asked what is wrong with bouncing the wrist, she said that it may slow me down when I want to play faster…. can you tell me what your thoughts are? i am really struggling with proper technique.

This is a frequent and understandable source of confusion. So here are my thoughts.

When you play scales rapidly, there’s no advantage to—or indeed time for—raising and lowering your wrists.

But in slower passages, at the ends of phrases, when playing chords—in such situations a loose and flexing wrist is a real asset. It helps you play in a relaxed manner, with rhythm that’s precise and exciting, and fine dynamic (loud-soft) control.

In general, a relaxed wrist is a cornerstone of great piano technique. But as the tempo quickens, the bounce—the outward visible sign of your relaxation—lessens, and may disappear entirely.

Every musical passage is unique, and these things have to be seen and experienced to be fully understood. For the songs and videos I present in Play & Sing, a loose, bouncing, wrist is perfect. I feel that it makes sense to begin by mastering the motions of the larger muscles, before playing passages, like rapid scales, that place great demands on the smaller muscles (the fingers).

See also this post for my thoughts on beginners and scales.

I hope this helps a bit!