Small Hands, Hand Span and the Piano

Abstract: Pianists of smaller physique have been grappling with the issue of hand span. Throughout history, pedagogues and pianists have attempted to develop special techniques, exercises and stretches to widen the hand span. Most of these techniques would currently be deemed risky and dangerous to the point of ending a pianist’s career. With the advances in scientific research particularly in the fields of music medicine, ergonomics and biomechanics, new experiments have lead to new insights regarding this issue. This lecture aims to provide insight into the world of the small-handed pianist and the adaptations of playing and pedagogical techniques for this particular group. The lecture will focus on research performed in the 21st century with a brief account of historical approaches and methods.

-----------
This was the topic of my doctoral lecture. It's a great feeling to have one more requirement behind me. There were a few things I learned while researching this topic. I had to learn some of the finger gymnastics exercises and etudes which were described by other researchers. I had lots of fun learning the origins of the Vulcan salute and found a way to greet my audience with "Live long and prosper!" LOL.

In response to the question from the floor concerning the risk of injury in practicing finger independence and extension exercises: (Note: My hand span is 7.5 inches from thumb to fifth finger. You shouldn't try these without a teacher unless you have very sharp observation skills and great mental control as well.)

I found the finger independence exercises of Pischna, Philipp and Dohnanyi interesting. I would advocate playing the first few exercises in which the hand remains in fairly compact position (5 or 6 key-span) but would not pursue the ones which stretch or abduct the fingers constantly (octave, full diminished chords, etc). I have also tried these on the table top away from the piano keys. This reduced arm/finger tension when I returned to the piano with the same exercise.

As for the other exercises which develop stretch between fingers, I played them while observing the angle of my wrist and thumb. Most of the stretches span an interval of a 4th or 5th. I noticed that when playing these exercises, my arm had to follow my fingers carefully and I had to compact the hand or return the wrist to neutral as quickly as possible. Wrist deviation & split section neutralization is part of the game here which cannot be avoided. (Just like the Chopin Etude op. 25 no 1 in A-flat major.) I just played them at no particular rhythm or tempo, not practicing them and stopped once I felt discomfort.

I do not think one necessarily needs to master these exercises to reap its benefits. These gave me keen awareness of the structure of each finger and its relation to the wrist. I also found that a combination of a doing stretching exercises (Adele Marcus & Alicia de Larrocha) and the Josef Gat finger gymnastics improved my coordination overall. If for nothing else, my friends were very entertained by these exercises. Both Marcus and de Larrocha cautioned that these stretching exercises could be dangerous if abused. I had less trouble playing the finger independence and extension exercises, since my mind was prepared. The brain is amazing in its ability to adapt.

As a teacher, I do not think etudes and finger exercises should be prescribed as a cure all. I heard this being said about etudes: it is like medicine, you take the correct dose as too much would kill you! Scales and arpeggios are just as dangerous. I have heard cautions about practicing Hanon but for me, adapting those exercises, playing them as musically as possible and finding a way to play them at ease has been beneficial to me. I realized there were parts of my fingers which I had not utilized prior to this. I discovered I have fairly good finger joint mobility which I now intend to develop further.

I rest my case.

see more crazy cat pics

Facebook and LOL Cats

Both waste time... but these just make my day

Quote

Josef Lhevine: Try practicing for beauty as well as practicing for technic. Technic is worthless in your playing, if it means nothing more to you than making machines of your hands. ... They play often ... with most commendable accuracy, but with very little of the one great quality which the world wants and for which it holds its highest rewards - Beauty. (p. 39, Basic Principles in Pianoforte Playing)
How true! A piano is being tortured somewhere right now.

Josef Hofmann: Technique is a chest of tools from which the skilled artisan draws what he needs at the right time for the right purpose. (p. 116, The Art of the Piano)

Last Week of Feb: A Marathon

I am wondering where did the month of February go. The flu robbed most of the month and I'm still not 100% well. I am on my second course of Tamiflu and looking at the prescription bill eat away my scholarship money. It has been a hectic month trying to keep everything together and getting well. I thought I was caught up on all my stuff as a teacher and of course, mid-term grades had to be due. I spent most of Friday staring at my computer entering 130 grades.

Other than learning to walk in my freedom, the good news is that my lecture topic was approved by the graduate coordinator. No nitpicking :) I had prayed for a topic because I was so stuck and the same night, an idea hit me. I went online the next day, did some research and submitted all my interlibrary loan requests. All the articles came within the week and all the books I needed were at Gorgas. This is frankly amazing! The better part is I have six of sixteen pages of text as of Saturday. I am waiting to hear back from the rest of my committee members before scheduling the lecture. I intend to give this lecture sometime within the next two weeks. After which, it's one down two to go.

"Dance to the Music" will be this Friday. It will be my official first dance recital. I found an outfit which is a little out of character (Meg, you'd be proud!). If I'm wearing a spaghetti strap dress on stage, the audience better be paying ;) I'm involved with a group swing dance routine. Since my partner has been so busy, we have not been able to practice together. Gosh, the jokes about this are still going around and they are rather funny. Hopefully we'll practice soon. As for Friday, I'm the official tech person during the day. For the dress rehearsal, I did get my hair and makeup done in 10 mins, so I'll stick to the record. I've got to figure out how I'm going to change and get ready for the evening showcase.




Saturday is Birmingham Music Club auditions.. so it means no sleeping in. In the evening, there will be a swing dance.. so it starts all over again. The group swing dance routine will also be performed here and I think my friends will be there.

And Sunday.. maybe I won't be playing with the praise team on piano. If I get back on the tambourine, it still means getting to church at 8:30am. On Sunday afternoon, there is a recital honoring my former teacher. I should be there but my presence will not be very welcomed. If I'm exhausted by then, I'll politely stay in bed at home than force myself to stay awake at a recital.

Anybody willing to slip into my shoes this week? :) Back to writing my lecture...

My journey to freedom (5): The promise continues, the restoration begins

Some of you who visit this blog are musicians and will be wondering why there are so many posts on spiritual healing. I strongly believe my musical skills are a blessing and an anointing from God. I have tried to run away (and sometimes still want to) from being a music major but I know I need to finish my DMA to do what He wants.

I felt a call to play the tambourine again last Thursday and the word "fire" wouldn't leave me. I had to pick up some music for my students and there it was, right on the counter - a wooden, double jingle tambourine. I bought it. The ribbons would be the colors symbolic of fire. When I thought about this, I remembered I stopped playing & learning the tambourine when the bullying started in school. Although I played it occasionally, it was never quite the instrument. It's time for restoration. Last Sunday, I joined the worship team with the tambourine and danced with it. How freeing!

More and more people are coming up to me these few days, saying my name shouts praises of what God is doing in my life. I respond by saying "I know" which rather surprises them. It is a solid reminder of a promise given to me almost exactly ten years ago on my eighteenth birthday. Thank my paternal grandmother for my name. Here's the story of how my name came about: I was supposed to be born around Christmas time but ended up three weeks late. ;) "Gloria" was an obvious choice for my parents who wanted a Christmas name. My surname means "a deep lake or pond", and my first Chinese character means "to laud or praise in song/music" and followed by the character for "grace". To sum it up, my name is a deep lake/pond of grace to praise in song to the glory of God in the highest. This is God's promise to me.

Every time I give a recital, I try my best to have my Chinese name in characters on the poster. People who read it Chinese instantly know .. a Christian pianist. There is no mistaking this. Parts of the promise have unfolded, I have finished two degrees in music and if I get well soon, I can write my proposals so I can finish this last one. Through these, God will open doors. I believe God does not need to communicate with a language we can understand. When God's anointing is on the music, it will do whatever it needs to accomplish.

I don't fret much before a recital anymore, if I can help it. I try to have the recital hall to myself about an hour before. The piano will be prayed over and anointed, so will the hall. There are several hymns & praise songs I would play on the instrument - Refiner's Fire, My Shepherd will Supply My Need, My Jesus I Love Thee, Shout to the Lord & maybe another. I have found that after this session, the piano "obeys" me. It is now flowing under anointing and will respond to what I need it to do in the recital.

For anyone struggling with rejection & loneliness, the solo recital stage is a trial by fire. It has often been described by great pianists as the loneliest place in the world. Thankfully, I have managed to overcome a lot of that for the past few recitals. I can't wait for the next one (when I stop blogging & start practicing). I pray against the fear of memory slips. It's not that I will forget .. it's the worry and fear of it happening that takes away energy. The last recital series I had a prompter - move here, it's a D! LOL Sometimes I just have to let Him take over. I remember the first time I performed Bach's Italian Concerto, I wasn't the one playing and I don't know how my fingers got all those notes. I am more at rest at recitals and can fully enjoy myself. (I think God will be sending me students who will struggle with stage fright...)

In the end, I have to realize that God is the only one in the audience who really matters. This I haven't learned fully. After my former prof walked out on a dress rehearsal prior to my first DMA recital, I know the importance of what God thinks of me and who I am. My heavenly father gives me grace to fail and restores me. It is alright to miss a note, it is alright to forget. With this assurance, I've actually played better and more accurate recitals. He doesn't demand what He knows I cannot do. My best is enough. I have to keep my focus on this...