Most of my late intermediate and advanced students know the routine at lessons. The first twenty minutes are spent warming up in the Key they've been assigned the previous week. Once seated at the piano, they're ready for a challenging kinetic whirl around the keyboard as scales and arpeggios dance through the cosmos in various rhythms and articulations. It beats an aerobic work-out at George Brown's.
The wrists are pliant, and there's a slight pull on the elbows as contrary motion between the hands nudges them out. They never hug the sides of the body at any time, and there's always a relaxed space for the arms to swing back and forth enabling the elbows to "stretch" out. It "feels" like what the doctor ordered, pushing the physical envelope to its limit and getting the resultant health benefits. Perhaps a Cardio routine for pianists?
It's more. You <em>gradually</em> groove into the keys before you do a swan dive into your repertoire with "free," natural breaths to spare.
So let F Major play out in three parts, with a modest preliminary leading to a rigorous romp around the 88's.
