Adaptive Strategies for Small-Handed Pianists

by Lora Deahl, Brenda Wristen

Adaptive Strategies for Small-Handed Pianists brings together information from biomechanics, ergonomics, physics, anatomy, medicine, and piano pedagogy to focus on the subject of small-handedness. The first comprehensive study of its kind, the book opens with an overview of historical, anatomical, and pedagogical perspectives and redresses long-held biases concerning those who struggle at the piano because of issues with hand size. A discussion of work efficiency, the human anatomy, and the constraints of physics serves as the theoretical basis for a focused analysis of healthy movement and piano technique as they relate to small-handedness. Separate chapters deal with specific alternative redistribution, refingering, strategies to maximize reach and power, and musical solutions for technical problems. Richly illustrated with hundreds of examples from a wide range of piano repertoire, the book is an incomparable resource for piano teachers and students, written in
language that is accessible to a broad audience. It balances scholastic rigor with practical experience in the field to demonstrate that the unique physical and musical needs of the small-handed can be addressed in sensitive and appropriate ways.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

Published November 24, 2017

Reviews

[David Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like to read books on piano technique. I have been playing since I was very young, but just for my own pleasure and education. I am always trying to learn more about the piano. Although this book is aimed at pianists with small hands, all pianists can learn from this book. My own hands are not small, but not large either. By the measurements in the book, my span is slightly wider than average (about a 10th). But I have narrow hands with long, thin fingers. In addition I can't reach between my 3rd and 5th fingers as much as I think I should. My hands have also contracted as I have gotten older. There are chords I could reach in my youth that trouble me now. Finally I developed a contracture in my R 5th finger that required surgery, and I can't seem to spread that finger laterally now as well as before. The message is everyone's hands are differently shaped. Women on average have smaller hands. Older people lose flexibility in their hands. So the technical difficulties addressed by this book are very commonly encountered by pianists of all shapes and sizes.

The book starts out by attempting to 'unshame' the small handed pianist. Much of the advanced piano literature is aimed at the large-handed and that's just a fact of life. It's interesting though that the size of the keys has changed over time, and that much of the literature was written for a smaller keyboard (and was easier to play on those keyboards). Although reduced size keyboards are available, for practical purposes it seems we are stuck with the large keyboard that is the standard today. In the past often dangerous stretching exercises were advocated. The authors are very conscious of the potential for injury and repetitive stress disorders, so they take a different approach. Through the course of the book, every workaround for small-handedness I have ever heard of and many workarounds I never knew about are presented. There are exercises that I haven't completely worked through demonstrating the concepts of the book. There are lots and lots of musical examples, which are very helpful in demonstrating the principles of the book.

I recommend this book for pianists with hands of all sizes!