Should Pianists Crack Their Knuckles – Is It Okay?

Playing the piano is one of the most physical activities anyone can do. It involves lots of movement from the fingers and the body as a whole. However, the biggest focus is, of course, on the hands. That’s what plays all of those wonderful notes, of course. With all that motion, the hands can sometimes become cramped from all the repetition. 

It’s common for pianists to want to crack their knuckles in between practice sessions and even performances. However, is that practice something we should be doing? Should pianists crack their knuckles? 

Generally, it’s okay for pianists to crack their knuckles. Cracking helps remove excess air between the joints. Doing so will not lead to any degenerative issues in your hands as you age, and it is safe to do. 

I always crack my knuckles, especially when I have long practice sessions that go on for hours. However, I find little detriment in doing it. Still, it’s something that I’m mindful of and tries not to do too often. 

Let’s get into the nuts and bolts of the issue, and understand how cracking the knuckles affects a person’s hands. By diving into that, you’ll get a better idea of whether you should be doing it and alternative ways to take care of your hands. 

What Happens When You Crack Your Knuckles

Cracking knuckles is something we all do at some point during the day. It’s a nice way to relieve stress and pain in the fingers, especially if you use them most of the day. 

Whether it’s playing the piano or typing at the computer, it’s bound to happen. 

But what happens when you crack your knuckles? 

According to doctors, the air is released from the joints when knuckles are cracked. Or, more technically, nitrogen bubbles burst in synovial fluid. This is what creates that “pop” sound we all hear. Depending on how much air is trapped, that sound can be loud or soft and sometimes uncomfortable. 

For a pianist cracking the knuckles can feel pretty good. When you think about it, the hands feel looser as all that pressure is relieved. 

How Cracking Knuckles Affects Piano Playing

For the most part, cracking your knuckles won’t affect your piano ability. However, if the cracking is done incorrectly, it could.

Some people take cracking their knuckles too far, sometimes to the point where they’ve bent the joint back so far that an injury is caused.

And then others may be a bit older and have more fragile joints. 

Doing this activity at a chronic level, such as after every passage of music, could also cause some issues. Usually, though, that’s a pre-existing condition that isn’t related to the joints’ cracking. 

But, in general, usually nothing to worry about. It doesn’t harm the joints; it doesn’t cause arthritis or anything of that nature. 

What You Can Do Instead Of Cracking Your Knuckles

Although cracking the knuckles is relatively harmless, it’s still not the most ideal way to relieve fatigue or pain in the fingers. Plus, it’s noisy, right? Cracking is also short-term, as those nitrogen bubbles will fill back in within 20 minutes or so. 

What pianists should do instead is something more long-term that offers relief (not just psychological) and keeps the hands fluid and pain-free. 

Instead, I recommend doing the following:

• Stretching the fingers
• Warming the hands
• Using a hand massager/compressor
• Taking a break from playing

Let’s take a deeper dive into each of these alternatives.

Stretching 

Stretching the fingers can be an effective way for pianists to take care of their hands between practice sessions. It can be done in many ways too. I prefer to pull on the fingers slightly and gradually apply pressure. Doing it this way helps avoid cracking them accidentally. 

You could also open your hands as slowly as possible as if making a high-five motion. Do this for 2 – 3 minutes, opening and closing the hands, which should relieve any pain or tension.

Warming The Hands

Warming the hands is also helpful to do. You can use a warm towel or submerge your hands in water. The heat helps relax the muscles and helps with blood flow to increase fluidity in the hands. This is particularly helpful in those tough passages where the fingers need to move. It’s helpful on fast pieces. 

Massage Tools

A hand massage or compressor works well if you want an easier way to take care of your hands. These little devices work for one hand at a time, and some even have rolling features. You can adjust the pressure settings and even turn on the heat. 

As a pianist who plays a ton, I often use a device like this. You can also do this manually with massage tools, but its added compression feature and simplicity always leave me opting for the battery-operated option. 

Taking Plenty Of Breaks

Ultimately, you can take a short break from practicing. Pianists must take short breaks to avoid further injury, even at the basic practice level. You’ll find that the more breaks you take, the less likely you’ll be fidgeting with your fingers, massaging or cracking them. I usually practice on a Pomodoro timer (25 minutes on, 5 minutes off) to stay disciplined.