Alicia De Larrocha, the spanish legendary pianist, was small framed and have small hands too. But she still manage to play big works, like Granados, Albeniz. Someone asked her on this matter. Her reply? "I play the piano not only with my fingers!"

Anyway, read an interview on her too. She did do stretching excercise, but in a very careful manner.

I watch Idil Biret played, and shaked her hands too. She too has small hands, but still manage to play Rach, Listz etc.

Those with small hands, may wanna look into those stretching excercise.

As for me, I can easily span to 12th, even 13th if I try a little bit. I still doing a lot of stretching excercise.

Currently I am playing Czerny Op553, excercise for an octave. Really hope I can do some Listz Hungarian Rhapsody. Anyone with any ideas?

Rawr at you all!

I can get my thumb and little finger so that they're at 180 degrees and even then they're only an octave, nowhere near to a 9th. *Sigh*

Hi All

I have just tested my span. It's also a ninth and I am considered to have small hands but quite long fingers.

Sharrie

Hi there

Just tested my hand too - a ninth (a 10th but at a stretch). I thought I had quite large hands for a girl, as I'd been told when doing double bass, but a ninth is the average apparently. Comes in handy (ignore the pun ) for pieces like Chopin's Etude in C minor. Hand sizes vary between ages and countries, etc. so sometimes it can't be helped. Haven't heard about stretching exercises though...



A a word, wow. A 13th! Seems incredible to me, hopefully my hands will grow

I can stretch an octave at best. Oh I am such a hopeless pianist!!!!!!!!!

If you mean physically stretching one hand by forcing the fingers apart with the other, or anything like that, then ABSOLUTELY DO NOT DO IT!!! If you have stuff you can't reach, just spread the chords.

You can stretch a ninth - that's fine! So long as you can stretch an octave you're fine! My teacher at university could only just stretch a ninth, and she's amazing!

Your hands will get stronger over time with normal exercises and playing - don't worry about stretching your hands. A pianist who can stretch a 10th or 11th is no better than one who can stretch an 8th.

Remember the golden rule of practice: if it hurts, have a break!

I do an awful lot of spreading chords Kovich.....

I can get an octave quite comfortably, a 9th at a stretch.

Car Expert

I have really diddy hands although there are some 9th chords I can reach, as a rule I can only reach an octave.

I've also got bent little fingers from over stretching when I was younger.

But there is more to playing the piano than hand span.

I manage to teach piano, though I wouldn't take anyone beyond grade 5. I'm more intesested in building a sound technique so that the Piano sounds musical.

As a result none of my pianists thump the keyboard, and concentrate on phrasing rather than how many notes they can reach.

Flexibility comes with practise, as does finger strength.