Chords fingering technique for a "small hand"

[nordic72]

Hello,

Due to my relatively small hand/fingers I am only confortable playing some chords, in a non std way. I would play Left hand CEG with 3-2-1 instead of 5-3-2. Is that bad? If I play 5-3-2, my  5 & 3 fingers will hit the keys flat and it hurts. Do I need to practice more? or does it really matter that I do 3-2-1 instead of 5-3-1. I am a newbee and I would not like to take bad habits at an early stage.

Thx

[mcdiddy1]

If it hurts then don't do it. Why not simply play 5-3-1? That is much more common.

[nordic72]

Thx, 5-3-1 works better.

I was wondering as my pinky finger is quite shorter than my 4,3,2 (I guess this the same for all of us) if it would not make more sense to use the 4,3,2 fingers for chords with small intervals (aka avoid 5).

Same thing, I would rather use 4-3 or 4-2 or 4-1 rather than 5-3 for C-E. Otherwise I don't have any pb playing with my pinky finger.

Any tips on books/article on technique is welcome.

[jimbo320]

Do you do inversions?

[brianlucas]

You can try sliding your whole hand slightly up the keys until your pinky hits the key.  Don't move your wrist or arm sideways to get your pinky on the keyboard, that will cause problems.  My opinion is that the fingers you use are personal to each player, so no, as long as it's comfortable, use the fingers that work best for you.  But at this stage, it's better to experiment. 4-3-2 probably isn't the best choice for chords, except maybe C F and G.  If 5-3-1 doesn't feel right, even when sliding your hand up slightly, try 4-2-1.  I think that should be more comfortable than 4-3-2.

-Brian
www.brianlucas.com
www.pianoin8weeks.com

[mcdiddy1]

Thx, 5-3-1 works better.

I was wondering as my pinky finger is quite shorter than my 4,3,2 (I guess this the same for all of us) if it would not make more sense to use the 4,3,2 fingers for chords with small intervals (aka avoid 5).

Same thing, I would rather use 4-3 or 4-2 or 4-1 rather than 5-3 for C-E. Otherwise I don't have any pb playing with my pinky finger.

Any tips on books/article on technique is welcome.

I am glad you found a fingering that works best. There are numerous piano methods probably one that would work for you is Alfred Adult Method. However the absolute best thing you could do is find a knowledgable teacher because they will teacher you more efficiently,quickly, and be more personalized than any article or method book. I hope you go in that route so you can reach your goals.

[jeffkonkol]

a teacher is going to be critical for you... especially with small hands.

how small by the way ?  Can you hit an octave, and if so how much effort is it for you to do so ?

there are going to be a lot of standard fingerings that you are going to pretty much need to try and get comforable with as a lot of music phrasing will be built off that fingering (for instance, the 5-3-1 discussed earlier in the thread for the basic triad) .... but beyond that you will likely have to find many alternate fingerings and techniques to adjust for a smaller hand size... but it is completely doable.

i had thought bernhard had a discussion thread on small hands techniques... but i can seem to find it

[nordic72]

Thanks,

Yes, I can hit an octave so I guess I don't need to despair. For my LH Cm I am now training 4-3-1 in order to get closer to the 5-3-1. That said, regardless the size of the hand and for a triad with small intervals it seems more appropriate to use the fingers that have the shortest length size difference (ie LH 4-3-2 and RH 2-3-4). Is there any logical reason why you should use your pinky?

For a C7 of course, I can't any alternative to 1-2-3-4 but the fingers are spread and the hand is in a flat position.

[nystul]

It sounds like you are trying convince yourself that the pinky is no good for chords, but your reasoning doesn't make sense.  Having smallish hands should make it even more natural to use the thumb and fifth for a triad, instead of splitting your third and fourth fingers.  The pinky being shorter certainly cannot be an issue if it is going to be playing a white key anyway as in the Cm triad.  Even on black key it is usually not an issue in reality.  I know we all have different hands, but I cannot imagine 531 or 135 being such a difficulty.  If you flop your hand on the keys those fingers are already where they need to be.

[jeffkonkol]

If you can hit an octave, you really dont have that small of hands.  Don't psyche yourself out and also be aware that with time and practice your hands will gain flexibility which will make stretches even easier for you.  Avoid actively stretching the hands yourself, but let it come naturally.