Piano hands: More flexible?

[gyzzzmo]

My girlfriend who is a doctor has always been fascinated by the flexibility of my hands. For example i can stretch them far (probably common for pianists), but also i can bend my fingers backwards much further, move the outer fingerjoint without moving the rest (see picture A), and bend my thumb backwards with the muscles of that finger only (see picture B)

Is this common for many pianists? Being able to move hands like this doesnt look like something that will improve any pianoplaying :p

A:



and B:

[hyrst]

I don't think it is a piano related thing - you just have more supple ligaments.  Often, though, pianists have a more defined hand muscle build - some even looking very solid underneath and fine on top.  (from my own observations)

I have a couple of students (only beginners at this stage) and they have supple ligaments, bending joints way more even than anything you showed.  One girl bends all her finger joints past 90% just pressing a key - I'm trying to teach her to use her muscles for greater support, but it is slow.  It looks thoroughly painful, but she doesn't even feel it.  The other girl also bends in all her joints, but the thumb literally creates a sharp zig-zag with no assistance.  This is a great frustration when trying to use her thumb on the piano.  As soon as she tries to activate the thumb muscles, her thumb ends up somewhere totally weird instead of strongly standing in the keys.  Both girls are challenging to teach technique.

[gyzzzmo]

I can immagine that that could give problems if you want to play like fff in chords. I have problems like that sometimes to, mainly with the tougher rachmaninov pieces.

[richard black]

I can only speak for myself - my hands are, like the rest of me, extremely inflexible. I can't touch my toes by a long way and the rest goes in proportion.

[shortyshort]

I think that position "A" could be useful.

[thalbergmad]

My girlfriend who is a doctor has always been fascinated by the flexibility of my hands.

My girlfriend too was fascinated by my hands. I could get them all the way round her neck.

I would have thought that most pianists have hands that are more flexible than those of non pianists. We do train our hands to do things that cannot be done without years of practise.

Thal

[shinerl]

I certainly appreciate a flexible hand when it comes to laundry.

[term]

That thumb thing is not particularly good, moing your fingertip without moving the finger isn't good either.
In fact, i'd say these are signs of inflexibility. If you press a key with your finger as in picture A the second joint will be weakened.
Look at this mans hand, the middle finger:

This is what happens (in the extreme)

[gyzzzmo]

That thumb thing is not particularly good, moing your fingertip without moving the finger isn't good either.
In fact, i'd say these are signs of inflexibility. If you press a key with your finger as in picture A the second joint will be weakened.
Look at this mans hand, the middle finger:

This is what happens (in the extreme)

I didnt say those flexible thingies are 'good' in any way for playing the piano, i was only curious if it was common for other pianists. But i have no problems with pianoplaying. If i have to play like FFFF in Rachmaninoff, i just stiffen my fingers, just like other pianists do.

[franzliszt2]

I think pianists need a more flexible hand. The passing of the thumb under the hand, as in basic scales requires flexibilty. I can do some freaky things with my hands away from the piano, and I have seen many other pianists do freaky things as well. The meain difference is in the muscle development. Pianists tend to have large musculer development along the sides of the hand, and around the thumb.

Flexibilty in being able to stretch the hand is very important. I know lots of people who are not pianists, and are taller than me, and have a much smaller span than me. Not just between 1-5, but between 2-4, 2-5, 2-3 etc...

[zheer]

  It probably helps to have long slim fingers. Common complaints , handz too small or fingers too fat, occationally hands too week.

[rhapsody4]

B:

This is generally called "hitchhikers thumb" and is heritary. I don't have it, but know people who do. I would not have thought that this would aid pianism, unless you're playing a thumb-contorting concert!

[gyzzzmo]

Maybe i should organise a charity concert for all those poor 'hitchhicker pianists' 

[landru]

This is generally called "hitchhikers thumb" and is heritary. I don't have it, but know people who do. I would not have thought that this would aid pianism, unless you're playing a thumb-contorting concert!

I have this exact thumb! And my piano teacher HATES IT!!! Actually hate is not a strong enough term... You think if she has been teaching for over 20 or so years that she would have run across somebody else with a thumb like this - but apparently not. She believes that I intentionally (and have conscious control over) putting my thumb like that. She also believes that I'm not able to play fast because of it.

No matter how much I try to tell her that my thumb is made this way and it is perfectly natural for it to rest in this position - she still harps on it. Actually, making my thumb straight actually increases tension in some cases. I do see her point - when it is flexed down like that, it presents too much of a cross section to the key and could require more accurate control.

All I know, it's not my thumb that's driving me batty....

[db05]

I've seen some guitarists with thumbs like yours.

My thumb is different; it can bend back at the 2nd joint. You might say I'm double jointed? It is an advantage in thumb wrestling, when I can bend enough so I can't be reached. So it's practically useless, but I think I flick it sometimes when double-thumbing. LOL.

Some of my fingers, esp right hand, had "learned" to bend the outer joints, too. The results of carrying a pail every morning in my dormitory days. I guess it was from the weight of the water.

[csharp_minor]

I'm sure my fingers have lost weight or changed in some way since I took up the piano 9 months ago; I pratice everyday. At least they are in good shape!