After 6’4″ Big Mike sits snugly in front of my Baldwin grand–his knees crushing in on him, he’s thoroughly prepared to avoid a set of land mines that trigger a wrong note implosion.
Normally when his mega-sized third finger depresses a G, wedged between framing black notes, he’s at HUGE risk to strike TWO notes instead of ONE. In this testy keyboard terrain, an unwanted Gb joins the pity party, channeling a dissonant minor second that poses a threat to all surrounding notes. (especially if they belong to a five-finger Eb MAJOR position)
But MIKE has it all figured out. He can maneuver around G, by pulling his hand out of danger, making the bumpy ride over the keys virtually non-existent. With an artful rotation in full swing, he’s armed to confront and eradicate any traps in the making.
If you don’t believe me, here’s the Big Guy in action!
International Online Piano Teacher, blogger, recording artist, composer, piano finder, freelance writer, film maker, story teller: Grad of the NYC H.S. of Performing Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, NYU (Master of Arts) Studies with Lillian Freundlich and Ena Bronstein; Master classes with Murray Perahia and Oxana Yablonskaya. Studios in BERKELEY, California; Member, Music Teachers Assoc. of California, MTAC; Distance learning by Skype and Face Time with supplementary videos: SKYPE ID: shirley kirsten
Contact me at: shirley_kirsten@yahoo.com OR http://www.youtube.com/arioso7 or at FACEBOOK: Shirley Smith Kirsten, http://facebook.com /shirley.kirsten; https://www.facebook.com/skirs.7/ TWITTER: http://twitter.com/arioso7
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3 thoughts on “When big hands and fingers play unwanted notes”
Big hands might be a disadvantage initially, as you put it, but they are infinitely useful when it comes to power and reach while playing intervals of an octave or larger. My hands are small, so I have that problem, and I sometimes I just wish they were bigger !! 🙂
Yes, you are so right. I was just focusing on a small aspect of the playing universe that is not often shared.
Two or so years ago I posted a big hands/little hands discussion that emphasized the importance of flexibility in playing, not hand size. Big Mike who was largely self taught before he started lessons, shows that kind of flexibility. He is making great progress and particularly adores the music of Bach.
Big hands might be a disadvantage initially, as you put it, but they are infinitely useful when it comes to power and reach while playing intervals of an octave or larger. My hands are small, so I have that problem, and I sometimes I just wish they were bigger !! 🙂
Yes, you are so right. I was just focusing on a small aspect of the playing universe that is not often shared.
Two or so years ago I posted a big hands/little hands discussion that emphasized the importance of flexibility in playing, not hand size. Big Mike who was largely self taught before he started lessons, shows that kind of flexibility. He is making great progress and particularly adores the music of Bach.
https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/piano-technique-the-big-handlittle-hand-controversy-videos/