Why this comes first

Tension is invisible until your shoulders ache or your wrist twinges twenty minutes in — and by then it’s already shaped how you played. Five minutes of setup at the start of every session prevents that, and lets every later technique exercise (legato, detached, scales, two-hand work) actually do what it says on the tin.

No prereqs — this lesson is a floor, not a step. But everything in Weeks 5-6 (touch and articulation) and Weeks 9-10 (two-hand) sits on top of it.

The five items you’ll check

• Bench distance

  Elbows are slightly in front of your torso when your fingers rest on the white keys.

• Forearm height

  Forearms parallel to the floor — wrist level with the keys, no upward or downward angle.

• Wrist shape

  Wrist is neutral — a flat line through the back of the hand and the forearm.

• Foot position

  Feet flat on the floor (or on a riser if the bench is too tall). Knees roughly under hips.

• Shoulder release

  Shoulders are dropped — lift them once, let them fall, that's the resting position.