octave technique

[Kapellmeister27]

i just have simple question.

my hands are of moderate size (can span a tenth, but mostly long fingers)
when i play octaves, though, especially on the black keys and i use my 3rd or 4th finger, my whole hand tends to tilt a little bit.  i creat about a 90 degree angle between my 2nd finger and my thumb and the center of this angle is roughly perpendicular to the piano lid.  it doesnt seem to strain my hand, but i was just wondering if this is an okay hand placement or if i am doomed to get injured and need to play with a hand that is more centered.

[lostinidlewonder]

Why would u want to use 1,2 to play octaves or 1,3,  maybe if you have to play an octave then play a group of notes above/below the octave in RH/LH. If the music calls for it then use it. Otherwise 1,4 and 1,5 are most natural for octaves for most people.

[Kapellmeister27]

i still use 4 or 5 to play the note, its just that my other fingers tend to go theat direstcion in general, like as if a was wearing a mitten

[pianonut]

dear kappellmeister,

you know, it amazes me how very technical people can ask simple questions, too.  you probably don't play piano a lot, but know about conducting or something.  not knowing a lot about conducting, but a little about piano, i would say, YES you will get a cramp.  BUT - if you mitten the middle three fingers, you'll probably relax your hand more, lower it, and find playing much easier.

you also could practice lightly placing your thumb on C,  middle three on EFG (

[pianonut]

oops.  accidentally pushed the wrong button.  anyway, C   FGA and C would work, better probably.  You could hold down FGA and practice playing low C and high C alternately.  compare to holding down EFG and see what works.  I happen to have a short pinky.  It all depends on your hand.

[pianonut]

dear kappellmeister,

once you find a comfortable position with the middle fingers, then you probably want to practice "the wave."  this my own pedagogical stuff, i think, but it works for me.  "wave" your way up the keyboard.

[pianonut]

dear kappellmeister,  i suppose that my way works better for staccato octaves than legato.  probably the fourth finger would achieve that legato effect better, as you already stated, but there is that "catch" of keeping the hand flatter.  just to practice hand positioning, i would work first on the white keys only and see if you can flatten your hand and just keep a "wave" going. then go back to the fourth finger for black keys, but try to keep two and three a bit more towards the thumb.