Anatomically unfit to play

[playlearnmaster]

Hey everybody. Is there such thing as being all thumbs when it comes to piano playing. I mean anatomically wise not just by being dumb.

I noticed how piano teachers sometimes examine students' palms, especially fingers. What's up with that? Are there any rules as to shape or length?

[Bob]

I don't think so.  I suppose in extreme cases -- If you don't have hands, that's a problem. 

Hand span alters what a person can do.

I've heard about problems with double-jointed students. 


I've never examined a students hands or had a teacher examine mine.  I suppose if there's a problem, it would come up during playing.

[go12_3]

I don't examine my students hands nor fingers, I observe their hands and fingers while they play.  I don't think people are "all thumbs"  when it comes to playing the piano    
  

[Bob]

I do think some people my have more difficulty with coordination, how the brain is wired up.

And in older students, they seem less able to relax.

[go12_3]

However, coordination comes through practicing and the mind telling the fingers on what
to do.  Young students have to learn to control their finger action. Being older and
tense, that's no reason to feel uncoordinated.....perhaps the older person has too much
on their minds to relax completely.  I would think that playing piano WOULD be relaxing
unless a person is all keyed up about issues in his mind....

[peterjmathis]

There could be physical issues that make it more difficult to play (arthritis and such), but most people should be able to learn eventually. Some people do have especially lucky (broad!) hands for the piano, though, and they'll find it even easier than normal.

[indianajo]

You can be unfit to be a pro classical concert performer, and still enjoy yourself playing.  I have native American ancestors, and any experienced teacher could tell when I was ten from my small hands that I was not going to win any classical piano competitions.  Yet I enjoyed my piano training, the discipline helped my finger coordination and my ability as a mechanic.  Skill at the piano is  useful training,  to any aspiring surgeon or dentist.  I can't do the extreme chord spans in, for example, Pictures at an Exhibition, but in the home my fake version pleases me.