oscar's hand size

[deric]

Did Oscar Peterson have large hands?  I'm working on Over the Rainbow -his xscription.  There are a few places that require a long spread.  One is from f below c on the left hand up to b flat.  So that's finger 5 on the f and thumb on the Bb.  I'm about a half step short and even that takes a lot of streching.  I don't have small hands.  They are average. 

[nystul]

On rare occasion you come across this F-Bb or A-C# type reach.  I guess a lot of adult males can span that straight up, but probably most could not?  Surely not many women or children could.  It's not worth worrying about to be honest.  Just roll off the bottom note and you can get it pretty easy.

[ajspiano]

On rare occasion you come across this F-Bb or A-C# type reach.  I guess a lot of adult males can span that straight up, but probably most could not?  Surely not many women or children could.  It's not worth worrying about to be honest.  Just roll off the bottom note and you can get it pretty easy.

it is if you want to play like oscar - he regularly busts out a walking 10ths bass line. It's a standard way he harmonises a bass line while doing single note fingerwork improv over the top. Amazing pianist.

[deric]

Thanks for your helpful replies!  It was bothering me trying to figure out what was going on.  In another case on a Phillip Keveren arrangement of Just the Two of Us one figure requires me to cover two notes with the side of my thumb.  That's the FG below the C finger2 and F finger1 on the right hand.  It's the only way I can do it but it works just fine.  That one took a while to realize. 

[freejazzlessonsdotcom]

Oscar had huge hands.  If you can't grab all the notes in his chords you have a couple options.

1. Roll the chords...meaning use the pedal and quickly bring you hand off the bass note to the higher notes in the chord.  Essentially, breaking the chord in 2.

2. Reduce the chord  Often times playing the same bass note an octave higher will sound good and fit well under the average person's hand.  Also, the 2 most important notes of a seventh chord is the 3rd and 7th.  As long as you have those the harmony will always be implied.  Everything else is icing on the cake