Hands

[outin]

Inspired by another thread

Most pianists seem to have very pretty hands. Do you have pretty hands?

Mine are not...very skinny, prominent knuckles and especially lately when I play it's almost like looking at an anatomy book, I can literally see every tendon move and on top of that the veins. My fingers are not pretty either, more like spider leg like...

Even when I was young I had hands like this, they were never "soft" looking

[chopin2015]

let's post pictures!

[outin]

You start, I need to find the camera first...
Maybe we should have the PS prettiest hands -competition?

[49410enrique]

i have nice calluses from all the heavy strength training (weights) and gymnastics elements practice i do. does that count? so as far as 'hard workin'' hands go mine r prolly pretty cool. i wouldn't call them pretty i have some crazy scars from when i sliced my palm open in two places (it was crazy looking it looked like i had a butterfly steak for a right hand, i forgot how many stitches i needed but it was  bunch). then i top of my lh i puncturred two deep holes at the base of the middle finger where it meets the hand, those are crazy looking, i could see the bone. blood didn't gush or anything it just sorta keeping seeping/oozing out. crazy thing is i dont actually remember these hurting so much, maybe shock and adrenaline blocked it all.

i really should take better care of myself, i'm always injuring something from my shoulders all the way to my finger tips

[chopin2015]

MMMM after practice, when my veins are nice and active. So...in 6 hours. See ya then!

[outin]

i wouldn't call them pretty i have some crazy scars from when i sliced my palm open in two places (it was crazy looking it looked like i had a butterfly steak for a right hand, i forgot how many stitches i needed but it was  bunch). then i top of my lh i puncturred two deep holes at the base of the middle finger where it meets the hand, those are crazy looking, i could see the bone. blood didn't gush or anything it just sorta keeping seeping/oozing out.

I guess it's better not to ask how you managed to do all that...not playing piano I hope

[outin]

One more weird thing about my hands... my pulse is visible in my wrists...It is sometimes a bit disturbing 

[49410enrique]

I guess it's better not to ask how you managed to do all that...not playing piano I hope

Extrapianicular shinanigans

[outin]

Extrapianicular shinanigans

I actually tried to google 

[perprocrastinate]

My hands are sucky.

They're not ideal for playing the piano AT ALL.

Sure, my fingers are long and thin, but they're afflicted with a case of hypermobility.

Why me?

[outin]

My hands are sucky.

It took me a while before I realised what you meant 

I have hypermobile joints as well, but I get this finger joint locking/snapping thing less and less, now almost only on my left 4th, which is my weakest finger.

[chopin2015]

Oh yeah here's my tats. Um...I just wish my pinkie was longer and a 6th finger would be nice. That's it. Ok.

https://s1263.photobucket.com/albums/ii638/chopchop15/?action=view&current=arms_zpsb6e25bbb.jpg

[outin]

Your hands are the prettyest so far
And nicely decorated....

[j_menz]

My hands have their own agent, and so I'd have to pay to photograph them.

[chopin2015]

My hands have their own agent, and so I'd have to pay to photograph them.

Can you tell us about your hands?

[j_menz]

Can you tell us about your hands?

I have two. I'm rather attached to them.

[chopin2015]

I have two. I'm rather attached to them.

Can you tell us something about how you take care of your very special hands?

[outin]

At least my hands are not hairy

My arms are though 

[chopin2015]

Oh hair on your hands is good! For orientation?  LOL

[outin]

Oh hair on your hands is good! For orientation?  LOL

You think? So it's the lack of hair that makes it's so difficult to find my way in jumps 

[lloyd_cdb]

Ugly, veiny, tendony hands.  Surprisingly, my right hand is oddly similar.

[outin]

My right one claims to be prettier, but it had to hold the camera...

[chopin2015]

hehe I have a huge vein that runs all the way up my forearm of the left arm(very masculine?) OMGosh outin, do you have double jointedness?

[chopin2015]

what if our thumbs were on the outside and out pinkies on the inside!!

[lloyd_cdb]

what if our thumbs were on the outside and out pinkies on the inside!!

Étude de la main droite 

[outin]

hehe I have a huge vein that runs all the way up my forearm of the left arm(very masculine?) OMGosh outin, do you have double jointedness?

Actually I do, is it so obvious?

[outin]

what if our thumbs were on the outside and out pinkies on the inside!!

What if we had two of each, on both sides of the palms? We could play any passage with either hand with the same fingerings 

[chopin2015]

Actually I do, is it so obvious?

yes, the tips of your fingers bend inwards at the joint. P.S. nice pinkie!

[outin]

yes, the tips of your fingers bend inwards at the joint. P.S. nice pinkie!

I guess I haven't even thougth about it... My teacher always tells me to check my fingertips, they do tend to give in. The tip of my middle finger also bends towards the 4th so I have to be careful with it.
The pinky has done a lot of gymnastics, it was quite weak in the beginning and did not straighten...

[chopin2015]

I have this problem in one of my hands, I think the right, luckily. It is really strong and the tips do not bend when I do not want them to, my left hand does not have this problem even though it is not as strong so it works out. I suggest a strengthening ball or putty for your fingertips? Maybe? I do it on my left hand just to keep it in shape.

[outin]

No exercise will shorten ligaments that are loose and I am not sure there are much muscles on the figertips?
Actually paying too much attention to my fingertips caused me much tension (because the tips are curled with forearm muscles). I think have found balance now, the teacher has stopped complaining

[Bob]

One time I had someone tell me I had nice hands.  Then they said they also thought they might have a hand fetish. 

Awkward moment there.

[lloyd_cdb]

One time I had someone tell me I had nice hands.  Then they said they also thought they might have a hand fetish. 

Awkward moment there.

How long a pause and how did the conversation continue? I <3 awkward moments.  I think it might be a fetish...

[ted]

My fingers all seem much closer to the same length than most people's are. Aside from that an unremarkable hand.

[Bob]

How long a pause and how did the conversation continue? I <3 awkward moments.  I think it might be a fetish...

A few seconds.  Change the subject, hide my hands somehow.

[49410enrique]

...hide my hands somehow.

like this?


hmm we'd still have the problem of hiding the other hand. well if someone else is in reach. problem solved .

[Bob]

Behind my back.  I believe the other person had their foot in their mouth.

[49410enrique]

Behind my back.  I believe the other person had their foot in their mouth.

i've heard of that! super 'old school'

[chopin2015]

My fingers all seem much closer to the same length than most people's are. Aside from that an unremarkable hand.

I really enjoyed listening to you play!!!

[ted]

Thank you chopin2015, it is always nice to make a musical connection. I think my contemporaries regard my music as the product of a sort of retarded adolescence. However, when it comes to the creative aspect of music there is no point in trying to be anybody except yourself; that's one truth I have learned in sixty-five years. 

[chopin2015]

That recording you posted in the birthday thread was beautiful and great! I hope I can be as fluent as you on the piano some day! P.S what kind of piano is that in your picture? Thanks!

[ted]

A 5' 10" rebuilt Weinbach. I bought it new in 1971, wore out the action over thirty years and had it rebuilt in 2005 rather than buy a new one. Although no longer new, its sound has always had a warm, rich quality which I have not found in new pianos in the shops. Its touch is heavy but I prefer that for control. I am hopeful that it will now see me out.

[outin]

like this?


[/img]

So can you do that?

I can't, my mouth just isn't big enough 

[outin]

i've heard of that! super 'old school'

This one I can do with no trouble at all! 

[outin]

My fingers all seem much closer to the same length than most people's are.

There's actually a scientific study about the shape of pianists hands with spesific statistics of different ratios of the hand:
https://music.unt.edu/pianoresearch/reference/Wagner.pdf


It was really interesting...at least for a stat nerd like me

[ted]

That is an interesting article with most of the results confirming intuition. I would guess that perhaps the generally larger span results for left hands are because most people tested were probably right-handed and their left hands were not constricted as much over years by habitual gripping.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

You might be able to see it: I broke my left pinky a while ago.

[outin]

You might be able to see it: I broke my left pinky a while ago.

Wow, your hands are really pretty 

[unholeee]

A 5' 10" rebuilt Weinbach

that's what we have here - the tune is so fickle in regards to the weather though.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Wow, your hands are really pretty 

What I would give to have Valentina Lisitsa's hands...

 

Now those are pretty hands!