Pieces for small hands :)

[3kitty333]

Hi! I can reach just octave, nothing more. My ex-teacher wants me to play on concert, I can choose my pieces. I want to play some expressive concert etudes, especially by Chopin... I already played some of them, I had no problem with 25-12, 25-2, 10-3, 10-6, 10-9, 10-12, but I suffered with 10-5 and the worst for me was 25-9
Which concert etudes are suitable for small hands? ( from others composers too, I would like to play Chopins 10-1, 10-8, 10-10 is that good idea?
thanks for advices

[amelialw]

Hi, I have small hands too with a max reach of an octave as well....

chopin 10-8 is a good idea...it wasn't very hard for me. I played 25-7 which is one of the easier ones as well. 10-5 for hard for me.10-4 was okay. Am learning 25-6 and 10-2 now and I'm coping with these 2 the best...i guess because i'm at a diff level already.

you could take a look at some of the easier transcendental etudes from Liszt or those with a smaller stretch.I'm learning feux follets so I roll what is more then an octave or ommit notes if necessary.
gnomereign is doable for small hands too but it's not that easy.

moskowski has some etudes too op.72

[gyzzzmo]

Interesting that you had no problems with all though chopin etudes, but still cant figure out yourself abit wich other etudes you could handle?

[3kitty333]

I performed all except 10-5 and 25-9, because its dangerous for me to play them in public, said my teacher, so I´m searching pieces which I will be able to perform in public

[3kitty333]

One more question: Do you think I should play chopins 25/6 thirds etude?  I know its very very hard, but fast thirds always make me trouble and I want to improve my technic

[gyzzzmo]

One more question: Do you think I should play chopins 25/6 thirds etude?  I know its very very hard, but fast thirds always make me trouble and I want to improve my technic

You gave yourself the answer Ofcourse you should play it.

[amelialw]

One more question: Do you think I should play chopins 25/6 thirds etude?  I know its very very hard, but fast thirds always make me trouble and I want to improve my technic

ask your teacher....

[bach_rach_and_roll]

Small hands? I suggest Beethoven and Bach. I am double jointed (which causes me a lot of problems) and have a comfortable max of an octave but I can stretch a ninth (if I absolutely must) but when I play an octave, especially with voices within the octave, I have to let my pinkies double joint, and over time this causes them to lock. I have rarely had issues with Beethoven's music (I play his sonatas, have done 14/2 and 10/1) and only once have I seen a large reach in a Bach fugue. I know a beautiful, easy Gigue in B flat major that would be a good way for you to take a technical break in your concert (the one from Partita no. 1. heck, you could do that entire Partita)
I feel your pain though. My favorite composer is Rachmaninoff. With these hands, I'm not allowed to play his music and took several years convincing my teacher to let me play the Polichinelle from Op. 3.
Chopin is hard for small hands cause his hands were large (there is a convo in this forum about Rach's hands and they got onto the topic of Chopin's...) and his pianos were smaller (in terms of the keys' widths)

[wert718]

I have large hands, so I can't sympathize with you.

Beethoven's sonata no. 3 has a very interesting last mvt. I enjoyed it  lot, as the RH rarely stretched farther than a seventh.