I’m practicing some rhythm exercises that need the same single pedal chord to play over and over (in this case Csus2). It’s tiring and makes my hand ache! The chords is not complex and doesn’t require stretched hands.
Are there any tips to play this type of exercise for longer without tiring?
Pure guesswork, given the sparse information. But I suspect you're using your fingers. As in you're moving fingers up and down on the keys to produce the chord.
It's far better to get the appropriate fingers in their relative positions, above the right keys, and use your wrists as fulcrum points, without changing where the fingers are pointing.
This brings in a larger set of muscles, which will tire less than what I think may be the cause of your problems.
Of course, with a video, or even pic., and some notation, there may be a far better solution!
You should be able to repeat-play a simple chord almost indefinitely without strain. So we need to look for where the tension is. Are you using fingers, hand or arm? Loosen them all up and make sure you're not 'clawing' at the notes.
Maybe the tension stems from problems with the timing. Try just tapping your hand on your leg rather than playing the notes. Try that with both hands! If you can't tap out the rhythms fluently, you won't be able to play them.
This is going to sound funny, but try shifting your position on the piano bench about six inches to the left of where you are normally seated.
This will change the break angle of your right wrist to make playing the Csus2 chord a bit easier, and it will bring a welcome change to your pedal pressing right foot and ankle.
Give it a try. What do you have to lose?
