Repertoire for small hands

[dbmusic]

This topic came up at our music teachers' network meeting......concerning repertoire for intermediate/advanced students who have small hands ie they can barely reach an octave. Would be interested in ideas from other teachers who have works they have used that 'hit the spot' for these students!

[cygnusdei]

I'm no teacher, but I think pieces with lean texture (e.g. 2-part polyphony) should work.

What comes to mind:
Bach Duets BWV 802-805
Chopin Etude Op. 25 no. 2
Mozart Sonata in C, K. 330 (1st mvmt)

[emilye]

You can play many works by Chopin.
Etudes: e.g. op. 25/11, op.25/12
Ballades: 4 in f-minor and 1 ... I think that no. 3 too
Scherzo no. 1 and no. 3 (if you can barely reach an octave it will be good work for you)
Nocturnes: op. 27/2

Bach: II Partita

Mozart: Sonata in c-minor KV 457

[thinkgreenlovepiano]

I'm not a teacher either... I'm making this post as a student. I'm going to list a few pieces that I've played that didn't require too much stretching and were quite comfortable for me. I can only reach an octave...

So it may not have hit the spot for all my teacher's students, I don't know, but it did for me 
Bach French Suite No. 2
a lot of Mendelssohn... (:
Nocturne in c sharp minor op. posth.
Mozart Sonata K282, first movement



 

[liszt1022]

By "barely reach an octave," are you implying octaves are the maximum reach and are fair game? Or are you looking for works without octaves, except maybe on the last note?

[fleetfingers]

I am getting stuck on the "hit the spot" part of your question. Do you mean you are looking for pieces that won't require the playing of too many octaves, so it'll be more comfortable and easy for someone with small hands? Or, do you mean you are looking for pieces that will be a challenge and will strengthen the octave technique of someone with small hands?

[pianisten1989]

The students can play most of Bach, Mozart, Haydn...

Here's a long shot: Chopin etude op 25/1
It might not work, but it also just might... It has got some stretch, but it will give the student a very soft hand if they can manage it. Though, don't try to teach them if they get pain in their arms and hands, but just try it for a while?

[dbmusic]

Thanks for the input eveyone. With reference to 'barely able to reach an octave' I used that term in a general sense to imply 'small hands'. for students with small hands often stretches between fingers are restricted and so some chord configurations difficult. Obviously they will be given repertoire/technical exercises to extend and build on what they can comfortably reach but in recital and exam situations in their current musical journey they need pieces which will fit reasonably well under their fingers - 'hit the spot'! Sometimes there may be only one or two chords/sections which cause difficulty and these can be adjusted without interfering too much with the integrity of the music. It's better to have a piece that is challenging the student but not causing frustration because some parts are simply 'out of reach' - pardon the pun.
Keep the ideas coming

[bkaldridge]

I have this problem myself (and I'm an adult).  I can reach just over an octave - barely.  I'd appreciate any additional suggestions. 

[phillip21]

For anyone prepared to consider more unusual repertoire, Joachim Raff's Op.75 is a 'Suite de Morceaux pour petites mains' (Suite of Pieces for small hands) which are uncompromising technically save the modest stretches required.  I have some but not all of them, and they seem to be dedicated to female pupils.  One of his once-most-popular pieces, 'Fabliau' is from that set.