hands are too small

[vlh1992]

I have been playing piano for 11 years and am at an advanced level except for one thing, I can't reach more than an octave in either my right or my left hand. I can play very fast and complex pieces but I get stuck on the four-note chords because they are so hard for me to reach. I have been omitting notes to make the chords easier to reach but I would prefer to play the songs as written. Is there anything that I can do?

[jimbo320]

I would like to think chord inversions. It may change the exact writing but it will serve the purpose...

Jimbo

[becky8898]

HI  : I used to have that problem . Whatever you do dont invert the chord it can ruin the whole harmonic effect. Example if your playing a c chord and it is written with the E as the highest note you cant change that. On the other hand rolling a chord with good use of the pedal can work wonders. This is no one simple answer. Each piece of music is different.  One thing my teacher did tell me when I was 9 and having this problem.  When Martha Agerich was seven she played the Beethoven first piano concerto, and yes I know its Martha Agerich where talking about , but she was Seven. Bet her hands where alot smaller than yours and she did a great job with the concerto.  On any chord you are having trouble with listen to the tone color . Decide what modificatons you need to make and do it.  You cant do what is impossible . If the Chord is to large its to large.  Make adjustments.  I have this problem all the time.  Or at least I did, im slowly getting out of it. 

Cheers, Becky

[asianpianoer]

omg i so know what u mean by getting stuck on chords
like certain 4 notes on like with difficult black keys are hard to get
like i can do a 4 note c major
but not 4 note e major root position doubling the e

i have the same problem too i'm also in advanced
i can just reach a ninth though thankfully. but just i can't play it properly but i can reach it
just a question are u asian?

[kelly_kelly]

In the same position - I think it really depends on the situation. Inversions are not a good idea - the lowest and highest voices should always be preserved. Try to get the stuff in the middle by spreading the chord, pedal, etc - if all else fails, see if it sounds alright without a note or two in the middle. But again, each specific passage needs a different approach. What piece(s) are you talking about?

[jimbo320]

I agree with most of you about preserving the voicing correctly. I believe I mentioned that. I just suggested chord inversion as a way to stay within a chord. Of course the voicing changes, but I use inversions to make fuller sounds and make fingering easier. I guess by teaching myself I tend to cheat.

Musically, Jimbo

[vlh1992]

Thanks for all the input.
asianpianoer: no i'm not asian, my piano teacher is asian though 
kelly_kelly: I am not talking about any piece in particular I am just having problems with pretty much every piece that has 9ths or 4 note chords. My teacher has me practice 4 note chords through each of the keys but all it seems to do is make my hands and arms very sore. I can usually play 4 note chords in 2nd inversion but 1st inversion and root position I have problems with.

[thinkgreenlovepiano]

If something's uncomfortable or you can't reach, just tell your teacher. What you're supposed to do usually depends on the piece, and what sounds good. My teacher has told me to roll chords, change  fingerings, use both hands, release  notes, etc, but it depends on the situation.
I can't reach more than an octave either.
Oh and don't hurt yourself trying to reach those chords... not fun =/

[gyzzzmo]

Use the nose!

[pianisten1989]

In some music, you can take away one note.
It's always difficult what to do when you can't play what's written.

But at least you have some alternatives from here (sometimes they work, sometimes they sound sh*t):
Invert the chord
Take away one note
break the chord

This is what I can think of atm...

[rmbarbosa]

If you are young, you may try to stretch your hands with a very easy exercise: put your 2º, 3º and 4º fingers on a table, and the 1º and 5º on the border of the table. Then, carefully, push your palm in the direction of the border of the table until the 1º and 5º draw a straight line (almost). Remain in this position some minutes. But not overstate cause this will be dangerous for your hands.
You may wish to have a look to C.C. Chang book where he teachs how to stretch not your fingers but your palm.
Best wishes
rui

[fleetfingers]

I have small hands, and what rmbarbosa describes doing on a table is what I used to do at the piano. Just use the wooden edge in front of the keys in the same manner you would the edge of a table. It's like doing the splits with your fingers. I have managed to become flexible enough to have the first and fifth finger flush with the wood- easily, and with no discomfort whatsoever. Obviously, you can't do anything about the size of your hand, but you can increase your flexibility to be able to reach the largest span possible with what you've got.

You will also need to strengthen your pinky (or, rather, the tendons/etc. that control your pinky), so that it has the control to press the right key accurately. When you're at your widest stretch and the pinky is barely touching the key, it must be strong enough to carry that end of the chord. It's quite a challenge with small hands, but it can be done. Practice scales in octaves, or (what I prefer) find a piece that will require the playing of many octaves in succession. Play as much as you can each day until your hand becomes fatigued, then do it the next day, and so on.

That's about all you can do that I know of. There will still be some chords that you can't get, because the arch of your stretched hand isn't high enough to put all the necessary fingers where they need to be within the chord. As others suggest; break the chord, drop notes, and/or use the other hand.