Biomechanical analysis of hand muscle activity and wrist relaxation techniques during piano playing

  • Qian Yang Music and Dance Academy, Chongqing Preschool Education College, Chongqing 404100, China
Keywords: piano playing; hand muscle activity; wrist relaxation techniques; biomechanical analysis; biomechanical model
Article ID: 1351

Abstract

When playing the piano, there is a complex coordination of movements between the wrists, fingers, elbows, and shoulders. This paper aims to explore the characteristics of hand muscle activity in piano playing through biomechanical analysis and to improve the player’s comfort and performance by combining the application of wrist relaxation techniques. Participants with different piano proficiency levels are recruited as experimental subjects, and muscle activity data of players of various levels is collected and analyzed. Surface electromyography (EMG) technology is used to monitor the main muscle activities of the participants dynamically during piano playing, and their features under different playing conditions are analyzed. At the same time, a high-resolution three-dimensional motion capture system is used to analyze the movement efficiency and injury risk of participants’ wrists and fingers while playing the piano. Then, the EMG data is integrated with the 3D motion capture data to construct a biomechanical model based on the Newton-Euler method, analyze the relationship between hand movement and muscle load, predict fatigue points during performance, and design relaxation techniques for wrists and fingers. The experiment shows that the p-values are all less than 0.05, indicating that relaxation techniques positively affect the electromyographic activity of participants with different piano levels. The wrist relaxation techniques also effectively reduce the risk of injury for participants, indicating that this technique has a positive significance for improving pianists’ relaxation level and performance.

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Published
2025-02-25
How to Cite
Yang, Q. (2025). Biomechanical analysis of hand muscle activity and wrist relaxation techniques during piano playing. Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, 22(3), 1351. https://doi.org/10.62617/mcb1351
Section
Article