Octave Playing

[coldness]

Hello. I was wondering whether octaves should be played inside the keyboard or outside. When I try playing inside the keys, either my thumb or pinky sometimes presses on the key right beside the octave keys.

[jimbo320]

Welcome to the forum Coldness,
Please explain what you mean by "inside or outside the keyboard"?
Most people who can't make the stretch swivel their wrist. If that's what you mean....

[ryan2189]

I think they mean playing deeper into the keybaord (i.e. with fingers between the black keys) versus near the edge of the keys (only in white key space)

I think the best way to think of it is to play white key octaves on the outside or middle of the keyboard, and obviously black key octaves will be closer to the insider of the keyboard.

Also, if you're doing octave runs / scales, I'd recommend using your third and fourth fingers (instead of just your fifth) when possible. It is also easier to use those fingers on black key octaves (less of a stretch I believe)

[nyiregyhazi]

Hello. I was wondering whether octaves should be played inside the keyboard or outside. When I try playing inside the keys, either my thumb or pinky sometimes presses on the key right beside the octave keys.

Seeing as it's very rare to get white or black note only runs of octaves, most people try to aim for the minimum requirement of movement when going from one to the other. Go into the white keys just enough that you can move to black notes almost as easily as to other whites.

[coldness]

I think my hands aren't big enough to use the 4th finger octave technique.

When I say outside of the key, I mean like a cm or 2 from the edge of the white key in question. That way ensures that I do not press on the keys next to the one that constitute an octave.

[pmwpmw]

In one music festival, where I think I was performing the G minor prelude Opus 23 no 5 Rachmaninov, the military one, the adjudicator said it was a mistake to try and use the 4th finger too much with a smaller hand. This piece has octaves, but it would seem daft in this particular run of octaves not to use the 4th. Perhaps hewas talking about someone else, I can't recall in the fog of time.
But I do think that in the Chopin octave etude I'd use the 5th as much as possible (yet to learn this one). I have smallish hands for a male but can squeeze 10 notes.
I think it is worth doing exercises to widen the palm and get one or two extra millimeters out of it - at least! PW

[nyiregyhazi]

But I do think that in the Chopin octave etude I'd use the 5th as much as possible (yet to learn this one). I have smallish hands for a male but can squeeze 10 notes.
I think it is worth doing exercises to widen the palm and get one or two extra millimeters out of it - at least! PW

I'm very skeptical about playing that piece without many fours. It's a legato etude and would likely sound very choppy without a sense of physical connection.

[coldness]

any tips on widening the palms? Or are there any forum links with previously discussed exercises for doing this?

A discussion here as well as links would be great.