Question about Rachmaninoff pieces

[ranniks]

Generally speaking.....How much does your reach minimally have to be to play his pieces? Specifically this piece:

Just started piano 4 months ago and can reach 9ths pretty easily with my left hand and barely with my right (9th being one key more than octave hand).

The 4 finger chords in chopin prelude op 28 n4 are example where my hand is tested. My teacher does not want me to go for those octaves yet in fear of injury. He told me to wait a few months.

But about Rach?

[ranniks]

I realise this piece is above my level. But it may be on my wish list for 2014/2015 and I do really want to learn this piece. Any similar Rach pieces but easier?

[perprocrastinate]

Hand span never restricts someone from playing a certain composer's music. It may be more difficult, but it can be done. Look at Chopin's Etude Op. 10, No. 1 and his Prelude Op. 28, No. 24. It would be ideal if someone could span a 12th for those pieces, but if not, we adapt. If you're talking about playing large chords, roll them.

But back to your question, Rachmaninoff doesn't require extremely large hands to play. If you can span a ninth, you should be fine. Many pianists are not handicapped by having hand spans of only an octave.

His Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2 could prepare you for the Prelude in G minor.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Hand span never restricts someone from playing a certain composer's music. It may be more difficult, but it can be done.

If you can reach an octave with 1 4, then you should be okay for most composers.  

No but yeah, if you can reach an octave, most of Rachmaninoff should be fine for you.  It's about the flexibility.

My former piano teacher's hands are smaller than mine, but he can freaking reach the chords in the intro for the Rach 2 but I can't!  What the freaking heck?!?!?!

[perprocrastinate]

My former piano teacher's hands are smaller than mine, but he can freaking reach the chords in the intro for the Rach 2 but I can't!  What the freaking heck?!?!?!

Long fingers.

[outin]

Just started piano 4 months ago and can reach 9ths pretty easily with my left hand and barely with my right (9th being one key more than octave hand).

The 4 finger chords in chopin prelude op 28 n4 are example where my hand is tested. My teacher does not want me to go for those octaves yet in fear of injury. He told me to wait a few months.

Be patient... when I started to play the chords in the 28/4 seemed huge and caused tension. Now that I took up the piece again after 14 months of lessons they seem very easy. And my hands are smaller than yours. I have revisited some other pieces from last year as well and all those reaches seem to have disappeared
Might take a few more years to get my right hand octaves in shape, but I'm determined...

[pianoplayjl]

A tenth and it should be OK. I know a person who only had a span of a ninth and had to drop the Elegy from op 3 simply because their hand was too small. That leaves me free to play this piece anytime I want I guess.

JL

[p2u_]

Generally speaking.....How much does your reach minimally have to be to play his pieces?

It would seem that you need big hands, but my experience from extensive teaching/training/retraining is different. For the record: I have huge hands, but my wife, who has small hands and can also play this piece rather well says that it's not the size that matters; it's what you do with them. (c)

I have found that pianists that do close to impossible things on the instrument do generally NOT have big hands. I would also say that people with small hands generally have more difficulty keeping "relaxed", while people with bigger hands often have trouble keeping the hand structure together, which can just as easily lead to tendonitis.

Paul