Piano Forum

I was recently lamenting that my fingers could not be just a bit longer, thus facilitating significantly greater ease with certain pieces. Although I suppose I can't complain about having especially small hands, I also can't help but realize that another few millimeters would be a major coup. So, I was curious to see what kind of hands everyone else here was working with (especially curious if I have larger palms and shorter fingers than many).

I can span some 10ths, can just barely stretch out those intro chords in Rach 2, but with discomfort. A quick measure gives right around 9in span, with my palm about 3.75in wide, with middle finger about 4 1/8in tip to knuckle measured on the back of the hand.

The Taubman/Golandsky "Technique School" is based on the Morphology/Kinesiology of the Human Hand.  This, (which they have never acknowledged) came from the late 19th and early 20th Century writings of Tobias Matthay, who wrote extensively about tactile "Key Depression" and also "Forearm Rotation."

In terms of so-called ""Small Hands," they spend an immense amount of time talking about the difference between stretching and their "Walking Hand."

Additionally, Malvine Bree (20 year Teaching Assistant to Theodore Leschetizky,) wrote extensively on the said technique of Rolling Chords/Arpeggiation in her 1905 Book, for which Leschetizky penned the Introduction.  This was in addition to her instruction on what is now referred to as the "Breaking of the Hands," which is was the very common practice of playing of the left hand slightly ahead of the Soprano melody in order to accentuate a particular melodic line.

So, when Alfred Cortot refers to the "Small Hand," in his published detailed commentary on the Brahms Paganini Variations, I guess one should consider this as part of a legitimate "Pedagogical Discourse."  This, is in addition to his Youtube recordings of the Chopin A Flat Major Ballade.

Therefore (in my opinion), two and two is four.

Specific to this Post, when one  matriculated at the Piano Forte  in the 19th Century (and later the Hammerklaver) most of those engaging in instruction at the Piano were so-called "Aristocratic Females."  And, most of them were under 5 feet in height and had very small hands (Cortot reference).

Most importantly, they had Composer/Pianist teachers (especially Frydrik Chopin), as well as other notable teachers like Clara Schumann, Brahms, and many others.

Therefore, (once again) my Thesis' Predicate is not exclusive to the so-called Male or Female "Small Hand,"

That is: (according to Cortot, Earl Wild, Josef Hoffman, et al)

1)  "NO ONE" learned and/or performed any piece of music strictly according to the score. They did so based on an "redistribution of Chord Fingerings (stated in Earl Wild's Memoir), as well as additional arpeggiation, when required, per the Hand Morphology of the individual Pianist..

2)  This included the Centuries Old practice of spreading/arpeggiating/rolling a chord as an expressive performance practice, which was accepted universally Pre- the Keyboard playing of J.S. Bach.