How far can you reach? dont know if a poll like this already exists

[semme]

i dont know which guy it was. but he could reach a 13th. i mean, how thick do your thingers have to be to reach that far. are there any chromatic scale runs possible?

[nicco]

Rachmaninoff could reach the 13th they say. Myself i reach the 10th, but if I stretch really really REALLY hard i juuust reach the 11th

[invictus]

I can actually reach 14.5th

Thats massive hands, I know

[sevencircles]

I can actually reach 14.5th

Thats massive hands, I know

I would like to see a photo of you doing that!

How tall are you?

Rach was 6´6 and  had unusually long and limber fingers.

[steve jones]

The max LH reach is an 11th, but the 10th is my max 'practical' reach (and this is still a a stretch).

I injured my RH / wrist a few years ago and this has resulted in it having impaired flexibility - I can't split 1 - 5 with this hand like I can with the LH. As a result, I struggle to play tenths without a good pre stretch.

[thalbergmad]

I can actually reach 14.5th

Thats massive hands, I know

Sounds like you should be in the Harlem Globetrotters.

[donjuan]

I would like to see a photo of you doing that!

i second the request

[alzado]

When you stretch a tenth and the top key is a sharp to a black key, or -- conversely -- the lower note is a flat to a black key, you would imagine that you are doing more than a tenth.

However, my piano teacher just smiles and tells me, "no, that's still just a tenth."

Any other opinions?  The stretch is about another half note.

Someone talks about a decimal stretch -- like __.5.   This is absurd.  There is no decimal sort of interval.

[pianistimo]

maybe he means 50% more (whole step being 100%).  i like the idea of measuring in increments because my span is between the octave and ninth.  i can comfortably play octave and ninth with a very slight natural curve of hands and fingers.  i don't feel comfortable with a totally flat flat hand.  if you look at your hand in this position, it forces your three middle fingers out more.  i wouldn't like playing that way - so i don't care if i 'zip' around to reach farther notes.  (play the bottom note and then zip to the top so it sounds like they are played together).

[ted]

My final post in this thread may be of some relevance here.

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,13424.0.html

[steve jones]

When you stretch a tenth and the top key is a sharp to a black key, or -- conversely -- the lower note is a flat to a black key, you would imagine that you are doing more than a tenth.

However, my piano teacher just smiles and tells me, "no, that's still just a tenth."

Any other opinions?  The stretch is about another half note.

Someone talks about a decimal stretch -- like __.5.   This is absurd.  There is no decimal sort of interval.

The only viable scores have to be:

- Maximum stretch

- Practical stretch


For example, I can split my 1-5 and just hold down an 11th (C-F). But I could only ever play a tenth practically.

With respect to your question of cross intervals...

They are much harder, I agree. I really struggle with those, even though I am pretty comfortable with similar key 10ths. The reason seems to be that you cant get on the edges of the keys, you HAVE to play on top.

So theoretically they are still the same interval, but practically they are much harder (A-C# probably being the most difficult).

If you can comfortably PLAY all tenths, then you probably have the perfect reach imo. Anymore is going to be a false economy, as its likely to make other techniques more difficult. And less and you have to deal with spreading those occassion chords.

[kelly_kelly]

I CAN reach a ninth in some keys, but only with preparation. The only piece in which I actually manage it (and it doesn't always work) in the 1st mvt of Moonlight.

So my "practical" reach is an octave.

[letters]

I CAN reach a ninth in some keys, but only with preparation. The only piece in which I actually manage it (and it doesn't always work) in the 1st mvt of Moonlight.

So my "practical" reach is an octave.

im the same. i have little hands so its only in certain pieces that i could do a ninth. my hands and up my wrist start to hurt if im playing a piece with lots of octaves in, but its getting better now because im playing more advanced pieces with bigger stretches in. and im doing double octave scales (because my teacher told me to)

[pianorama]

I can actually reach 14.5th

Thats massive hands, I know

I would like to see a photo of you doing that!

How tall are you?

Rach was 6´6 and had unusually long and limber fingers.

i second the request

Me too.

I can only play octaves, but if there is a lot of them in a song, especially a fast song, my hand hurts. In a slow song though, if I have enough time to get my fingers in position I can barely get a ninth.

[steve jones]

Id be interested to know if you find that your hand limitations deter you from taking on pieces by 'stretchier' composers like Chopin?

I used to think my hands we to small for Chopin until I actually watched someone play the full Etudes. Then I realised that it is all part of the technique. Indeed, Idil Biret is reported to have tiny hands and yet she plays the entire Chopin piano works (very well I hear too!).

14.5? Yeah right. Whats that in, old money? 

SJ

[henrah]

I third that request to see Invictus' fingers!


As for me:

Maximum stretch- 10th
Practical stretch- 9th

Lots of octaves do give me a little grief, but I think it's only in the way I play them. I can play the 9th stretch chord at the end of the middle section in the Raindrop prelude, and I am content with that.
Henrah

P.S. Wouldn't it be so amazingly cool to stretch 2octaves?? You could slap someone real hard with that kind of handspan, and could create some killer compositions. Nobody else would be able to play them though.....but would still be cool

[steve jones]

Henrah,

Rachmaninoff 16/3 is a good one for RH. It has some really tricky chords, and ofcourse, the fact that they're in the RH makes them all the more difficult. This might be a good piece for you to learn.

Can you play this chord (RH)?

G, B, D, F#, A


How about this one?

B, D, F#, A, C#



SJ

[thalbergmad]

I can just stretch a 4th

[steve jones]

4 octaves? Wow!

SJ

[bearzinthehood]

As for me:

Maximum stretch- 10th
Practical stretch- 9th

Lots of octaves do give me a little grief, but I think it's only in the way I play them.

Perhaps you could try practicing 6ths or 7ths first with the 1-5 fingering.  That way you can ingrain the proper motion without burdening your hand.

[invictious]

I used to stretch my hand non stop for the whole day for a month, and my hand size literally doubled.

So try it; Stretch it everyday@

[frederic]

I believe Josef Hofman used to put his hands in hot water and pulled his fingers one by one to stretch them.

[houseofblackleaves]

Meh.... 12th for me.  Nothing spectacular...


I can reach 10 and a half with my fourth and thumb, and then 10th with my middle finger and thumb.

[gruffalo]

i can do C-G (12th) with left hand but only just touch it with right hand. though comfortably i can play both LH and RH an 11th (C-F). I am 6'2, i have freakishly long and skinny fingers. seriously i didnt realise how weird they look in the mirror. Some say i have "E.T." fingers.

[steve jones]

Cool. Do you find this reach to be much use? Iv never seen a 'solid' chord longer than a 10th, so Im curious to know at what point a large reach becomes a burden. 

Surely anything wider than a 12th must start causing problems, right?

I think a stretch 11th is probably optimum, as it would enable all the tenths to played. Yet probably wouldnt hinder and fine passage work either.

SJ

[houseofblackleaves]

I think that most chords larger than 10 keys are scored to be "rolled," and the performer is to hold down the last or as many notes as possible for however long as the music says so.  Even if your hands can strech far enough, you should still roll it.

It's nice, because playing octaves is much easier, because you can alternate between your fourth/fifth/(third?) and thumb.

[alwaystheangel]

Practical: 9
Maximum 10 (but I'm hangin off the end of the keys.  So does stretching your hands acually work or is that a bunch of BS?

[Mozartian]

Practical: 9
Maximum 10 (but I'm hangin off the end of the keys.  So does stretching your hands acually work or is that a bunch of BS?

Used to barely get an octave, and now I can get a ninth with minimal uncomfortability. So yup.

Remember you're stretching though, not trying to snap something! Treat it the way you stretch, say, your hamstrings- very carefully- and you shouldn't hurt yourself.

[alwaystheangel]

Used to barely get an octave, and now I can get a ninth with minimal uncomfortability. So yup.

Remember you're stretching though, not trying to snap something! Treat it the way you stretch, say, your hamstrings- very carefully- and you shouldn't hurt yourself.

Sounds good, so the hot water and Pulling method the best way to do it?

[steve jones]

I think that most chords larger than 10 keys are scored to be "rolled," and the performer is to hold down the last or as many notes as possible for however long as the music says so.  Even if your hands can strech far enough, you should still roll it.

It's nice, because playing octaves is much easier, because you can alternate between your fourth/fifth/(third?) and thumb.

I think most people can do that though, right? Isnt the 1-4 on black keys pretty much the standard octave fingering?

SJ

[alwaystheangel]

yuppers. 1-4 in blakcs and then 1-5 in whites in a chromatic setting or really any setting.  I personally find alternating between 1-4 and 1-5 creates the best legato effect when playing octaves.

[gruffalo]

Cool. Do you find this reach to be much use? Iv never seen a 'solid' chord longer than a 10th, so Im curious to know at what point a large reach becomes a burden. 

Surely anything wider than a 12th must start causing problems, right?

I think a stretch 11th is probably optimum, as it would enable all the tenths to played. Yet probably wouldnt hinder and fine passage work either.

SJ

dont find it use in terms of the coming across chords that require this or close to this amount, just in general i find it easy to get my hands around chords and also with my long arms and large hands i guess mobility around the piano is easier although i dont really know, i cant compare because i have always had large hands and arms in life.

[nonfox]

Can you play this chord (RH)?

G, B, D, F#, A


How about this one?

B, D, F#, A, C#


SJ

I can reach both of them!.. 

But the last one is pretty defficult to reach!

Practical: 9th
Maximum: 10th

[steve jones]

Absolutely, the first one is playable for me, but the second I would probably break. Thats a tough chord imo, especially my RH having restricted flexibility. That said, its tricky in either hand!

[lfischer]

Henrah,

Can you play this chord (RH)?

G, B, D, F#, A


How about this one?

B, D, F#, A, C#



SJ

i can very comfortably reach both of these chords. i have very large hands, maximum stretch is a 13th, but my practical stretch is a 12th. nothing much has been written that requires these stretches, except the opening of rach 2 is comfortable. i only use larger chords to colour improvisations.
having larger hands does not make me a better player! it just enables faster placement of chords.

[arensky]

Can you play this chord (RH)?

G, B, D, F#, A

Yes

How about this one?

B, D, F#, A, C#

Not quite. I can just barely play it with my LH

[sevencircles]

I believe Josef Hofman used to put his hands in hot water and pulled his fingers one by one to stretch them.

He could still only reach an octave that´s way they made a piano with more narrow keys for him.

Godowsky could only reach an octave as well.

Rach on the other hand could reach a 14:th with his left hand in his prime.

[ilikepie]

Max for left hand& right is 10th
Comfortable for left is 9th
" for right is an octave.

[jre58591]

i can do an augmented 11th in both hands, but with some pain. minor 10ths in either hand are comfortable, but some major 10ths can get kinda uncomfortable. my ultimate goal is to get this reach:

LH C-E-G-C-F, RH B-E-A-C-E

this is henselt's span. he was known to have short, fleshy fingers, but he could still reach this after some stretching excercises.

[mad_max2024]

I can reach a tenth with some stretching, I can actually play tenths if the music is not very fast

[steve jones]

He could still only reach an octave that´s way they made a piano with more narrow keys for him.

Godowsky could only reach an octave as well.

Rach on the other hand could reach a 14:th with his left hand in his prime.

Godowsky had a large hand! Iv seen a picture of his mitts and he's playing 5 finger tenths with ease.

Then again, only having one usable hand kind of renders that advantage void!

SJ

[ihatepop]

9 and growing!

ihatepop

[ronde_des_sylphes]

LH C-E-G-C-F, RH B-E-A-C-E

this is henselt's span. he was known to have short, fleshy fingers, but he could still reach this after some stretching excercises.

I can do an 11th. I was surprised to find that, on trying the above span, I found it easier to do the LH than the RH. (I couldn't play cleanly as a chord, but I could if I played it as a broken chord, finishing with all the notes held down).

Who on earth can stretch a 14th?! Is Bao Xishun a member of this forum?

[arbisley]

A tenth for now, though 9th is practical. I have pretty big hands, so I suppose I can improve my stretch with practise. Start now!