Midget Hands

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Hi. I'm 18 years old, however, I stopped growing at ten. With my hands, it's a stretch to reach an octave. I don't think I could play a rapid succesion of octaves without pressing other notes also. I've taken piano in the past, and my teachers have told me that size doesn't matter. I haven't taken since I was little but now I am considering seriously persuing piano. (I compose and sing professionaly, I would like to accompany myself and be able to play my own music.) But I don't want to waste resources on something I can never be at least competant at. Is there any hope for me? Will I ever be able to play anything greater than John Thompson arrangments? Will I be stuck writing music on the computer keyboard instead of the piano keyboard? Or is my problem one of technique. Is there a special technique for people with abnormally small hands? Are there many midget handed pianists out there? How do child pianists do it? Is there as special repitoire I might try?

I have heard recently of a company that will outfit your piano with a smaller set of keys. Do you think this would be a helpful solution?

-- Jules Alero (mlle_bienvenu@hotmail.com), August 18, 2001

Answers

I have small fingers too, but I'm 13 and still growing... It is extremely frustrating... I can understand the problems it causes. Trust me. I have to mess up fingering technique a little bit to reach whole octaves. maybe you can do that too, it's definitely not a good habit, but it is all that works for me right now

-- Annie Kordecki (Anniekordecki@hotmail.com), July 01, 2002.

I can stretch an eleventh, but last year I could only stretch a seventh. I owe my sucess to gradual stretching exercises, where you practice stretching..duh..besides I am only 13 years old.

-- Jihad Baskerville (Dragon@michealrocks.com), May 11, 2003.

Hi

Go to GOOGLE SEARCH ENGINE and search on this key words - "Strategies for Small Handed Pianist". This is an article from American Music Teacher magazine. If you can't find it send me an e mail and I will e-mail it to you or anybody who reads this e-mail. I am sure this article will help you a lot.

Bernard

-- Bernard Vega (bernardvega@comcast.net), April 18, 2004.


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