Okay, Well I am having trouble playing certain chords because my hands are too small to play them, and I was wondering if you guys knew of any stretching excersizes or techniques ya'll know of in order to help me better be able to play the chord. I am playing Largo by Handel and I can't even get past the 11th measure on the right hand, and like the 6th measure on the left. Help? Is this something I just need to wait out for my hands to grow or is there something I can do to speed up the process? (hope a topic like this hasn't already been made)

Easiest way is to practice scales in octaves as a warmup everytime you play piano. A stretching technique will be cross the fingers of two hands together, and push down, thus bending your fingers outwards. That's also a good exercise to do. But in my opinion, you need both time and some practices of octaves inorder to speed up the process efficiently.

Good Luck

I don't really get what your trying to say with the finger and pressing thing but... otherwise okay. thx

um lol ya i thought so
i don't really know how to explain it either eh forget it, just stretch your hands before playing anything

If you untimately can't reach the chord, you can always pull up a note to reaching position (i.e. alter the chord structure) or roll the chord.

Seeing how is Handel, I don't know if either would be a good choice.

Well... I am not quite sure why you would play a piece that you can't in the first place...

Maybe he/she liked it. I started practicing the first movement of pathetique sonata by beethoven July. And Ive been playing the piano for 1.5 years. I never thought id finish it but i finished it last month. On vacation, i practice 5 hours a day. i finished because i really liked the piece. (didnt mean to brag:heh: )

Hm... I suppose. But generally, it just makes it more frustrating. I mean, of course don't pick songs that are so easy, but not so challenging that you can't *do* it.

Well I can play the whole song out easy, it is a rather simple song, but just the few three or four chords I can't reach. Largo is pretty much just an octive piece so naturally you are going to have to stretch but there are just those certain chords that are impossible to reach, and on one it even says to roll it but it is a large jump... Oh well thanks anyways.

@dominate: youre right. but i have a lot of patience so i didnt encounter that problem.

@Asuka: Just an advice: if youre good enough on the piano, you could try practicing chopin's etude no.4 op.12. it has a lot of streching that make you go crazy. Its also my favorite etude.

edit: heres a video if anyones interested (etude no.4). Joe Townley, a great pianist.

http://joetownley.com/joe1_300k.html

Lol. well if youi want to really challenge yourself, try playing..

Frederic F. Chopin (1810-1849) - Sonata No.2 Bb Minor, Op. 35 - Mov. 3 - March Funebre;Lento

It's very hard. Some of the chords in it are unbeliveable. But I've learn how to play them.

Some tips are..

play 2 or 3 notes with one finger (side of it. mostly the thumb)

"arpeggio" the chord. make it very fast, and very UNnoticible, like you hit it in one pound.**** listen to Evgeny Kissin, he does this VERY well. the best pianist ive heard.

Ginastera's Sonata Fourth Movement- The ending page's chords will really needs some muscle. And stretching.

the Sonata no.2 sounds like a funeral march. maybe the source of what is heard in funerals?

And yes.. the 3rd movement is the most famous melody.. although forgotten, when people hear it, its obvious..

try playing it sometime (ill scan my sheet music in a bit..)

If you can roll a chord cleanly, I suggest that. I teach 6 year olds that can't reach a full octave yet and that sometimes works just fine with them... if not, I rewrite one of the notes a bit so it is reachable. When you get to really advanced music, it's not uncommon to have numerous chords that are 10 notes apart and unless you are a guy with huge hands, rolling it would be the only choice. ^_^

Or, if you don't have anything in the other hand while you are playing the chord, you could split it up.

@maestro: oh, dont bother. i could download it on sheetmusicarchive.net . But thanks anyway :) .

you play it yet?

If you can roll a chord cleanly, I suggest that. I teach 6 year olds that can't reach a full octave yet and that sometimes works just fine with them... if not, I rewrite one of the notes a bit so it is reachable. When you get to really advanced music, it's not uncommon to have numerous chords that are 10 notes apart and unless you are a guy with huge hands, rolling it would be the only choice. ^_^


lol.. cant reach an octave, sometimes i go over an octave.. and sounds horrid, unless its like 9-10 keys, it sometimes works out... but when i do octaves, theres something saying to me, MAKE THEM NOTICED!! lol

yes, im playing the 1st half of the 1st page