I wonder If the shape of fingers will affect the quality of piano playing.Have you heard that square fingers tend to play better than pointed shaped fingers (almond shaped nails)? I actually heard this from my friend who plays piano too.Hmm, so what do you think?

I don't think finger shape is an issue but very thick fingers could possibly be a problem. The fingers should beable to sit comfortably between the black notes, often necessary where a mixture of black and white notes are played in sequence. Finger nails need to be kept reasonably short though.

my cousin's a really good pianist and she has really thick fingers though...it could just be a problem that you can get round. (like having small hands)

I have thick fingers (my fingers dont sit comfortably between the black keys) and I don't really have much of a problem...

But maybe that's just me being weird....


Probably.

QUOTE (Decibel @ May 23 2005, 06:10 PM)

I don't think finger shape is an issue but very thick fingers could possibly be a problem. The fingers should beable to sit comfortably between the black notes, often necessary where a mixture of black and white notes are played in sequence. Finger nails need to be kept reasonably short though.

The first I ever heard of this one!

It is surely in playing wide chords sometimes that the fingers need to occupy these gaps. Try playing sequences up there and your thumb is going to have an interesting time!!!

George, I disagree with you. Chords often require you to play white notes between the black. In addition, a fast sequence of a mixture of black and white notes would be very awkward requiring some fingers to be curved more than others. I am not suggesting that your thumb needs to be between the white notes - they happen to to be shorter than the fingers. I am interested to know how you get round the problem.

I kknow someone with fairly thick fingers who manages to play piano to diploma standard... so it must be possible (he claims they're thick enough to make going up between the black keys awkward, so...)