I am an adult learner and have my grade 2 exam coming up in December. Over the last week or so, I have really stepped up my practising and as a result my hands have really begun to ache! I have quite small hands and to complicate matters, I have double jointed thumbs, not at the base but at the first knuckle. This can make some of the hand stretches quite difficult for me, as my thumbs tend to stretch well at the top but this then puts pressure on the joint at the base (hope this makes sense!) I can manage an octave but nothing more. Obviously, at this level I can get away with it but I think I will have to pick and choose my pieces carefully as I progress.

I just wondered if other adult players have experienced similar difficulties? I realise that lots of children play piano to a much higher standard than me and with smaller hands but suspect that a child's hands might be more flexible than mine are!!

Grateful for any advice or tips on how to deal with this!

I have always had problems because I have been quite a high standard for my age and been unable to reach larger stretches. You can always miss notes out of chords and eventually learn to spread chords.

As to the double-jointedness. I have always had a similar problem with the clarinet. My little fingers can either be straight or bent, but for the keys played with the little finger I need them slightly bent. If I try to get anything in between it clicks between the two positions with an unpleasant jolt. I guess that with practise I've just got used to it, and I'm sure that you will too, just don't let it hold you back, I'm sure you're great anyway!

You don't say how much you were and are now practicing, but the reason your hands are aching is most probably the sudden increase in the amount you are doing.

Take it as a warning, and ease off a little. It will certainly not help, going into an exam with aching hands

Try to vary your practice as much as possible (alternate slow with fast). Given time, you can probably gradually build up the duration of practice, but don't try to do too much too quickly. For most people 'little and often' is usually better than marathon sessions.

Mole

Hi,

Hands (or any other part of the body for that matter) shouldn't really ache as a consequence of practising. Aches are usually caused by misuse of the body at the instrument. Amateur players (especially late starters) are the most likely to be affected by incorrect technique but often get away with poor use until they try to increase practising time and then trouble starts. I would advise getting a professional teacher/player to take a look at what you are doing and to help you to make the best use of the physical apparatus that you possess. You would almost certainly find Alexander Technique helpful.

Longer practice sessions shouldn't make hands ache at all. Pain is more likely caused by tension, awkward/unsuitable fingerings and/or posture.

I have small hands and double jointed thumbs too but I don't find them a problem at all (and I'm often guilty of doing marathon sessions (5-6 hours) on Sundays to catch up if I haven't practised all week). If I keep my hands/wrists relaxed, I could even manage bars and bars of double octaves - was playing Grieg March of the Trolls recently. So don't worry; you can progress way beyond grade 2 with small hands! True, Rachmaninov or Scriabin, say, would be difficult, but otherwise, there are many ways to get over the small-strech issue (leaving out the note, spreading the chord and pedalling, playing same note at different octave, etc).

Have a look at this webpage, not all of it will be relevant but you might find some useful tips here Stress in Piano Playing

Just a line to thank you all for your replies - it's encouraging to hear from others who have small hands too! I do tend to play little and often but I think I've spent a lot of time on one particular piece which has octave stretches in the left hand most of the way through and I think that's perhaps what has caused me problems! I do take on board the points about posture, technique and possibly being tense when playing. I did mention this briefly to my teacher last week but will mention it again at my next lesson. Thanks again for your helpful replies!

I find my hands ache in the maple leaf rag. Three pages of octave stretches (and I include all of the repeats), is hard, particularly if I practise it and play it a few times. I thought at first I just needed to get used to playing it a lot, but although my arm strength has improved my hands still hurt, (I've been playing the piece for two years now). I've just got used to it now. I guess it doesn't hurt as much anymore because I'm used to it, and it's more that my hands and arms are tired. I've also learned to practise it at the end of my practise session (although it is quite a good excuse if I'm not in the mood for doing piano practise; play the maple leaf rag first and then moan that my arms hurt! )