How far can you go?

[mycrabface]

My left hand can reach one octave and one tone. My right hand can only go one octave. Yeah real tiny. 

[e99angel]

Only an octave for both, and barely. I can technically reach an additional tone, but my hand is so stretched at that point that the sound is unclear. Playing parallel octaves is very difficult. =/

An octave and a third seems like a good range, but I doubt my hands will ever get there.

[cjp_piano]

I can reach a 10th in my left hand, but throw in some other notes in between (as in the opening of Rachmaninoff's 2nd) and I have to roll it.  My right hand can play a 9th.

I've heard that Rachmaninoff's reach was a 13th (C, skip the next C, then A)!

[oscarr111111]

major ninth comfortably, major 10th at the very front of the keys.

[Bob]

What Oscar said.

A 9th I would be fine with for a performance.  I would have concerns about a 10th, although my left hand seems much more able than the right.

[tradge]

I can get a 9th with each hands, comfortably. I can JUST stretch a 10th, but with great difficulty

[oscarr111111]

I can get a 9th with each hands, comfortably. I can JUST stretch a 10th, but with great difficulty

This seems like the kind of reach the majority have.

[tradge]

A couple of people I know have Rachmaninov hands haha!

[gruffalo]

these topics keep appearing and i keep putting photos up 

[ihatepop]

these topics keep appearing and i keep putting photos up 

I want your hands.
 

ihatepop

[b.piano]

well.. my hands can reach one octave only.. I'm a 15 years old girl.. started taking piano lessons & bought a Piano 6 months ago, but I'm improving very fast.. I finished the nocturne in E flat op. 9 no. 2 (Chopin) & the nocturne op.72 no.1 (Chopin), even Toccata (A. Khachaturian).. yeah my teacher is really surprized!!! but I always feel afraid of that my hands well not get bigger.. but my teacher says don't worry. & your fingers will get taller when you play piano more & more.. so what do you think?? & just in case my fingers didnt get taller.. is one octave enough to become a great pianist & play in concerts??? 

[kriskicksass]

well.. my hands can reach one octave only.. I'm a 15 years old girl.. started taking piano lessons & bought a Piano 6 months ago, but I'm improving very fast.. I finished the nocturne in E flat op. 9 no. 2 (Chopin) & the nocturne op.72 no.1 (Chopin), even Toccata (A. Khachaturian).. yeah my teacher is really surprized!!! but I always feel afraid of that my hands well not get bigger.. but my teacher says don't worry. & your fingers will get taller when you play piano more & more.. so what do you think?? & just in case my fingers didnt get taller.. is one octave enough to become a great pianist & play in concerts??? 

There are many very successful concert pianists who can just barely reach an octave. If you can play octaves with a relaxed motion and creatively spread chords and/or redistribute notes between the hands, nobody will ever be able to tell you have small hands.

If you want to hear some great playing with small hands from someone who's performing today, try to get a hold of Jon Nakamatsu's recording of Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto and Paganini Rhapsody. He can just barely reach an octave, but they're phenomenal recordings.

[tradge]

I bet gruffalo gets all the ladies, eh?

[b.piano]

There are many very successful concert pianists who can just barely reach an octave. If you can play octaves with a relaxed motion and creatively spread chords and/or redistribute notes between the hands, nobody will ever be able to tell you have small hands.

If you want to hear some great playing with small hands from someone who's performing today, try to get a hold of Jon Nakamatsu's recording of Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto and Paganini Rhapsody. He can just barely reach an octave, but they're phenomenal recordings.

oh really??? I didn't know about that.. we don't have a lot of pianaists cd's here in Arbil- Kurdistan , well!! we almost have none!!  I don't think I'll be able to get it !!! but thanks I feel much more confidence now.. my hands still weak coz I started playing piano only 7 months ago.. but they are much better than they were in the beggining!!!  my teacher is not going to be to come to Arbil during the Summer coz he lives in Mosul & the way is dangerous!!! so he gave me a lot of exercises for my hands (the octaves, chords,Hanon,Cromatik (how to spell it in English??)... etc)... to work on in Summer..

Thanks a lot again 

                               Boran