Group 3

Dagmar https://youtube.com/shorts/1iMYz35wQ9g?si=XJFd3Fr75lDwyBZE

I have small hands also, so my quick first take on a possible fingering is here.  Since I haven’t studied this piece I might come up with something better over time, though.

Gail Starr oh thank you so much

Dagmar Contact me anytime for fingering ideas!  I can barely reach an octave so I need to get a bit “creative” at times. 

Dagmar I just saw your video, I'll be happy to address your fingering. M. 14 fingering is fine. The positions for your thirds could be easier - try the attached fingering, I labelled my suggested fingering under the soprano double notes. Don't hold the lower note too long, try it as one note only and see if it's comfortable. Upload another video showing if this fingering helps?

Gail Starr I have small hands too! The thing that I thought really made a difference for me, was yoga and doing lots of downward dog.

Really feeling my palm open out flat so that I have the maximum amount of opening that I can get across my palm to help my fingers get to where they want to go. Smaller keyboards would help… I did a YouTube video once of somebody who makes them, in Germany I think.

It was something you could use at a ‘normal’ piano keyboard instead of the keyboard it came with. Very expensive as I remember.

Angela Fogg My hands are feeling much better these days, now that I have also started stretching them before I play...kind of "hand yoga", LOL?

And I'm actually on the waiting list for the Stretto digital keyboards, but their production is quite slow, so I'm thinking it may be another 1-2 years before I can invest in one.  I actually attended the Stretto Festival in NYC last summer and tried one. It was SOOOO relaxing to just play octaves without tension!

You can also get a Stretto keyboard to put inside your EXISTING piano, but I don't want to that since I need to keep my muscle memory to play anyone's piano. 

Gail Starr ah... finally my account is activate again. I somehow got blocked by accident. Thank you for you help, Gail! 

Gail Starr oh I fell in love with a DS 6.0 keyboard, too! I played it on a Steingraeber grand here in Germany, and was amazed how quickly I could adapt to the different distances. Unfortunately they are very expensive and hardly any manufacturer offers them, so I'd have to buy a regular piano and then spend thousands of Euros extra to get it modified. And I also feel like keeping a regular sized keyboard to practise on that every now and then might make me feel better. But I don't have the space for 2 pianos That's why I still hesitate.

Nevertheless, it really was an amazing feeling to play the DS 6.0, and frustrating the same time. Like "whaaat, THAT'S what piano feels to men??" Like literally EVERYTHING is easier. 

Jarred Dunn 

Hi Jarred, thanks for your kind reply! And sorry for answering so late, my account accidentally got blocked in the forums, I couldn't post, like or reply anymore. 

I tried your suggestions and they work well for me for the beginning of the passage, the last few notes feel weird though. I made another video: 

Thank you for your help, highly appreciated.

Dagmar OMG, me too!!  When I tried the Stretto, I felt my entire BODY relax.  

Unfortunately, Stretto was forced to raise prices significantly due to inflation of their production costs, but I’m going to stay on the waiting list anyway.  

I wonder if you could get one of the digital keyboards in the U.S. (someday!) and have them ship it to Germany?
 

Gail Starr Gail Starr Guess that'd be possible. But you know, I want to get a piano I really love, so I would like to have tested it before, to hear the sound and make sure I also like the feel. Plus I'd love to get a hybrid, because I have neighbours, plus I also use pianomarvel, and I also like to switch sounds sometimes.

I really fell in love with the sound and feel of the Yamaha Hybrids, but they don't even consider making a costom smaller keyboard, I asked them. So I'd need to buy a regular one, have it modified by an independent technician and then.. what.. have additional keys I don't need lie around here? sigh... So I just wait and hope that the Sirius Standard gets more popular. Steingraeber really do their best, they go on fairs and show their "respectful piano" around, there's the Stretto festival with DS 6.0 concerts etc. - but I think it's still a very long way to go :(

Hah, but by then I'll be a better piano player worth the high cost new piano haha.
BEcause to be honest, as a 5 year student, my Roland digital still is sufficient. Plus I gave "him" a name... so I could never let him go, it's like a pet/best friend XD It would feel like to give Poldi away to a shelter ;) We went through all difficulties of piano learning together, he's always giving his best and cheering me up. haha, very wacky, I know. 

Dagmar I totally understand.  I could never part with a dear family pet!