I show some simple approaches that help to ease thumb passing, for speed and flow. After getting the thumb under 5 (not by straining nor contorting, but via a simple trick of alignment) regular passing under 3 or 4 will start to feel like nothing at all.

Although we don't always need to pass the thumb with full legato, if you want true ease and speed then it's still an essential skill to have. Success neither requires any extreme reach of the thumb under the hand (I don't even have a very good range of motion in my right hand thumb!) nor is it based solely on shifting the arm. When both elements work properly together, it becomes perfectly easy to pass even under finger 5. By performing a few basic exercises, you should be able to feel where arm pressures are likely blocking your freedom of movement. Relieve these and you will discover how easy more ordinary thumb passing can be. Also, while rotation is a vital part of scales, I show that applying it in the wrong role is as damaging as trying to force the hand to stay level. The genuine value of rotation is not as a substitute for effective finger movement and it should not be used to bear down heavily!

I teach lessons on Zoom (as well as in Birmingham UK) if you want direct feedback on issues of technique, with a first lesson available at half price.

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