Can you lift your finger?

Nope. At first I thought I could. But then I realized my middle finger wasn’t properly positioned. Okay—so what is the anatomical reason behind this? Why is my body made this way?

Yes, I can.

With my palm flat on the table? Yes.

yup, no problem.

Yes, easily.

I can, but not as high as the others. Do I get a prize?

Nope. Bodies are weird.

I can’t move my finger at all when I do that.

@casheroo: Your palm can’t still be flat on the table. Your middle finger is basically curled all the way under it. But the rest of your fingers should be flat on the table.

Yes, but only about a half inch off the table. My other fingers are easy to lift from the table. It was a struggle to life my ring finger.

I think we need clarification.
Is it the top of the knuckle or the bottom of the knuckle that needs to touch the table?

Not a problem for me, but it’s one of those things that I can tell by the way it feels that not everyone can do it. I don’t know if there really is such a thing as “double jointed”, but that’s what everyone used to call it when I was a kid. I can for example bend just the first knuckle (just below my fingernail) on my middle and ring fingers, locking the middle knuckle, so that I could actually press on the inside of the middle knuckle and it kind of “pops” in and out of place (by that I don’t mean it makes a noise…think more like an adjustable vice grip wrench where you can move it to the right width then lock it, and you have to kind of press upwards to unlock it…kind of hard to describe, but if you can do it, you know what I mean). If you could do that you were double jointed, if not, you weren’t. The other thing would be that I can pull my thumb down so that it touches my forearm…it doesn’t feel great, but it doesn’t cause any lasting or severe pain for me, but I showed a friend who wasn’t double jointed when I was in high school, he tried it, couldn’t do it, forced it, I heard a snap, and his thumb hurt for 3 weeks. I’m betting he couldn’t do the table thing either.

@dalepetrie – I am double jointed in my fingers, but can’t do the thumb trick.

Yes, but it won’t go as high as my other digits, and it’s easier with my left hand than my right.

Right hand yes… left hand… not so much.

Okay, I had gto redo it because apparently I cannot follow directions. I can do it with my left hand, but not my right. I’m right handed though…

I can do it with both hands, but I’m not trying to curl my middle finger under my palm.

Oh I didn’t curl mine under. I though the bottom of my knuckle had to touch the table.
I can’t do it.

it’s pretty hard and yes, there is an anatomical reason. Wouldn’t be a problem if you bend your index finger instead.

Makes you respect pianists more, doesn’t it?

yes.

No problem. I just use my other hand

When I try to lift that finger, my leg goes up. Is that normal?

Um, yeah. Both hands. Not even a slight difference.

Yes.

ok, sorry about the ambiguity.. (and the spelling) when your hand is flat on the table, your finger is curled right under, so your “main” knuckle, the part you can bend the most, is touching the table..

there’s nothing profound about this, i just like keeping busy trying things :)

apparantly its to do with the tendons in your hand..

Yeah, i definitely can’t do this. It actually hurts to try on my left hand.

no, but i can if i lift my pinkie at the same time lol.

@fireside: it hurts on my left hand too, but I assumed that was because of the scar I have linking my two fingers over there together.

Nope. Can’t do it.

Easily…

what the hell?

I lifted every one of them with ease. I have to admit, though, I don’t feel any more special now that I’ve accomplished this mundane feat. That was to be expected right?

@Bluefreedom actually the fact that you can do it makes you one of the chosen few. Congratulations.

@SuperMouse. Thank you ma’am. Happy St. Patty’s day to you also. =)

I was able to. Not sure why some people can and why some can’t though.

i can, it’s a lot harder than the other fingers though.
clarification for those who are confused: palm on the table, then curl your middle finger so that its knuckle is on the table, then lift your other fingers.

I can—barely! Does being a pianist have anything to do with it?