My hand span at the moment is only a ninth as although my hands aren't particularly small, I have a lot of webbing between my fingers. Recently I have been learning some pieces with uncomfortably large stretches and my teacher told me that stretching my hands as an exercise would probaby help. Does anyone know if this is true, or will I just do a Schumann and damage my hand?

I would not recommend this, Boo. Any difference it made (and I cannot see it making any) would be very slight.

Steve

You'll probably find that with normal usage your thumb will be able to flex more so that you get a nice big angle between thumb and little finger - will give you some benefit and will happen over time as you use your hand. I can "reach round" with my thumb far more than my non-piano-playing friends, which lets me span nearly as much as people bigger than me, but that's all happened over the years of just using my hands to play reasonable size chords etc - certainly no concerted effort to stretch.
I'm limited to a 9th, and that's as good as I'm going to get. One just has to get creative with work-arounds.

For heaven's sake don't strain it!

Isnt a ninth the average , mine too! I think itll just hurt...what do you mean by doing a Schumann?

Schumann damaged his hand and couldn't play the piano for a few months, in his early 20s I think. The story is that he built a contraption to improve his span/flexibility/finger independence but it really hurt his hand.

In fact, this is believed to be a myth. It was a syphillitic sore, the disease which would in the end turn him insane and cause his death.

I can only reach a 9th - and I've had to resign myself to the fact that it won't increase! It unfortunately rules out some of the wonderful vast piano repertoire, and other pieces I can cope with by careful spreading/splitting of the chords or different distribution between the hands. But there's still a lot I can do even with small hands and short-ish fingers. Brahms I think had similar kind of hands and look at his music!!

9th is the limit for me, unfortunately. But playing in octaves is hard too (Rondo Alla Turca) because my hand keeps on trying to shrink...

My hand's only a ninth (well, 10th if I really really stretch) but I don't think it's something you should worry about. Playing pieces with large stretches should help you deal with them in a musical way but you shouldn't be hurting your hand playing them. I wouldn't consider attempting to stretch my hands (just the thought makes me wince).

Here is another thought. I can only stretch a 10th with difficulty. That has not stopped me performing concerti by Rachmaninov and Brahms. Wide hand-span would be useful, for sure, but flexibility is far more important.

Steve

I can stretch a ninth too! I wouldn't try to do anything that hurts, you'll definitely do a Schumann.

I can just reach and octave because I have small hands but I can reach a 9th with my left hand not my right hand which is kind of random! But your hands do grow though don't they? Til you're about...26 I think?

Hehe that would be nice but I don't think my hands are going to grow much more. Thanks for all the replies people. I think it probably will be better to just work on dexterity and flexibility than trying to increase hand span.

Theres one chord in the Grieg piece I'm learning that covers a 17th!! But I think it is supposed to be spread, after all he was only a little man!

I was under the impression that a 9th was a 'normal' handspan; but everyone here who can stretch a 9th seems to say that their handspan is small. I can stretch a 9th reasonably comfortably, but I couldn't play a 10th (not in a piece anyway, I can reach it hanging off the edge of the keys; or if I can play two notes at the bottom (or top with left hand) with my thumb, haven't seen, or heard, that required much yet though ). So does that mean that if I can stretch a 9th I have a small handspan? Or maybe just 'not a big one' (i.e. pretty average) as I originally thought? I know YAP can span a 10th quite easily but I'd guess he has big hands.

I'm hoping that a 9th is 'normal' rather than 'small' .

Yes. 'Small' hands struggle with an octave.

most of my non-piano playing friends can barely reach an octave..

it's odd. does playing the piano from a young age increase your hand span further than it oringinally would if you didnt play the piano at all?

The only suggestion I have of this is that my hands are disproportionately bigger than my wrists; on the other hand, I could just be some sort of genetic mutant

Exactly!! I can reach a tenth but not really play it in a piece, a ninth is comfortable. My piano teacher can reach a twelth i think...

Ive been playing for 6 years and my handspan is what it is but my friends been playing since she was 4 and she can only reach to a 7th comfortable and an eighth if she really tries...

I can reach an octave with no major problem, I can do a 9th but wouldn't want to in a piece... and I'd say I have average sized hands and pretty long fingers. So I think an octave or a 9th is pretty respectable....

It'll probably help the flexibility of the components of your hand, which will mean you can get that little bit more out of what you've been genetically dealt!

people who play piano generally wear down the "webbing" between fingers more than those who don't play. so the fingers can stretch further apart - although your hand span has increased it's not down to size, it's just flexibility.

as for long fingers, that's just something you're either blessed with or you're not.
if you're not, things might be a little trickier, but it's not a huge crisis. rachmaninov could stretch a 12th, but chopin had relatively small hands. and they were both fantastic pianists

I would think that although wearing the webbing down will improve your stretch a little, it won't have a huge effect - there's still a finite distance that your little finger and thumb will stretch to, even if you managed to get them so far apart they're at 180 degrees to each other!

I wonder if this rate is also affected by what you play....like if you play normal stuff for small /normal hands all the time, compared to playing Rachmaninov day in day out!

Does this talking about "wearing down webbing" make other people wince or is it just me?

I have small hands and struggle with an 8ve!

I was attempting to play some pieces from "Neon Genesis Evangelion" (I have arrangements for piano) and there is one piece where the melody is doubled in octaves in the RH and after playing that my hand ached like anything.

But for some reason my LH can reach an octave easily (not a 9th, though!)

Not actually wince, as such, but it does sound a little odd.

Odd/a little painful sounding...

HeHe. Maybe a Stanley knife would do the trick.

*Ahem* *ahem* *embarassed shuffle*

Sorry - couldn't resist. I am cleaning the kitchen and cleaning always affects me this way

Actually, prescription corticosteroids (for eczema) do apparently thin the skin long term

*feels queasy*....

"Stanley knife please nurse. . ."

I have quite a lot of 'webbing' but can still stretch a tenth, and often have done in pieces....I fairy certain I'm weird

Hi,

I never used to be able to reach an octave, but the more practice that I've been doing the further I seem to be able to reach, I can comfortably reach an octave now!! (I need to be able to for Grieg's Piano Concerto!!) Aaaah!

I once had a 15 year old boy pupil who had massive hands - he could reach an 11th with a slight stretch and a 10th easily! I don't think I'd like hands that big but it is frustrating not being able to stretch further than an octave/ 9th comfortably and a 10th if I hook my little finger under the edge of the key and split the interval!

I had to do stretching for my left hand as part of my guitar exercise regime. I can't play piano to save my life but I can reach a 12th in my left hand comfortably and only an 11th in my right. This is entirely due to stretching as both hands are the same size. I must say though it gives me a bit of a kick to throw in the odd 11th in my compositions for piano....

hey, im only fifteen and can reach to 4 above an octave

I know, terrible wasn't it? Almost entirely tune-free

I can reach a little over an octave... in fact, my piano teacher used to force me to stretch further, saying that for my grade students should be able to stretch a 10th, which of course sounds ridiculous! But it's so annoying when I can't reach and have to spread the notes.

I can span a tenth without it feeling particularly unnatural, (and having compared my handspan with manyothers I know I have a fairly small handspan for a boy) can just about stretch a minor11th/ augmentd 10th, but wouldn't really be able to use it in a piece...I think it is not a bad thing to practice spanning intervals slightly wider than you think you can handle, (as long as you don't over do it).
I remember a couple of years ago I had to perform a Debussy prelude with fairly big chords in - they spanned a tenth - - with notes in between as well, which always makes it harder. When I first started learning the piecei could only really span a ninth comfortably and the chords were actually slightly painful to play. After a good few weeks practice though, I could play them as though I'd always been able to.
It was just plain scary to see my old piano teacher see how far he could stretch though - he could span a 12th comfortably , prob a 13th if he wanted.......but then he was like a borderline giant, at about a foot taller than me and I'm six foot tall!)

I have tiny hands compared to most people I know but I can reach a 11 th easily and a 12th without much difficulty. I just have freaky hands that bend in weird ways..! My piano teacher refuses to look at them when I'm stretching!

I can stretch a 10th and an 11th if i really, really strech. but i would never use it in a piece unless it went very, very slowly

For me to stretch an 11th not only is it not the most comfortable of reaches, but it's also on the tips of the keys!

IrisH - LoonY

Don't try to play with your hands.
I believe it was Schumann who messed his hands up therefore i could never play again.
Don't stretch to much or you will hurt yourselves or maybe damage your hands for ever.
Obviously stretching your fingers increases hand span but dont force your hands into uncomfortable positions.
Anyway you cans till play Rachmaninov's prelude in c minor for piano with an average hand although the keys to play with the middle fingers will hurt a bit
How much is it to stretch from C to F anytime.
(I like composing big chords because they sound better for example (in G minor : G EG B
this B is like a glimpse of hope

Once I read about a concert pianist who cut the webs out of his hands... Can't say the name now tho... Painful gums and clackety dentures hurt more than webbings... ho hum

Webbingly,
GC

The doses of steroid cream available in the shops wouldn't do much - and anyway, webs are useful. Just think of your swimming advantage!
Don't try to stretch anything, flexibility is useful, but over-do it and you could lose in strength as well as causing needless pain...
Maybe avoid playing Liszt?

I think my favourite composer (Hisaishi) must have very big hands because a lot of the chords he uses are an octave or over...so its very difficult for me to play...*sigh* I guess i shall just have to live with it...

I can only just reach a 9th- very small hands! My piano teacher doent seem to mind though and lets me spread notes? Humm.

you guys are so lucky. it's hard to reach 8 for me. i've tried to play Rondo Alla Turca, but i had troube playing the middle part.

I can play 9 at a stretch too. Do you think that playing octaves all the time will gradually stretch your hands? Because i play loads or Hisaishi and a lot of that is chords....

I sometimes play scales in octaves mainly with my right hand and it works a tiny bit I think... I have really small hands but I can stretch them as far as my friend who has bigger hands than me so I think stretching and playing chords and octaves does work...

I always find the middle bit of that piec ethe easiest oh well, hah

Back on topic, my piano teacher thinks i've stretched the ligaments in my hand. Ive been stretching to 9'ths a lot and my fingers are hurting and clicking awkwardly in and out of place :/