How far can your hand stretch on the piano?

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  • A tenth on the white keys. A minor tenth I can do ex. C-E flat, but major tenth like E-G# I can do. And all this is easier for my left hand and takes slightly more effort in the right. I have flexible hands from practicing special exercises and never locking the wrists, but short 5th fingers. I wouldn't mind having an extra one or two centimeters of reach, but I can't fight the limitation mother nature bestowed on me.

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  • An octave playing mostly on the edge of the keys, and occasional 9th using the side of the keys to assist the stretch.

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    • Georgie C
    • Georgie_C
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I can "just" manage a 9th in each hand, but only an octave comfortably! It's a good job I tend to prefer the more "intricate" pieces in the repertoire! :)

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  • I can reach a 10th in both hands at a stretch (slightly uncomfortable and thumbs on front edge of key). A 9th is more comfortable to play in both hands

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  • I can reach a 10th on the white keys with a full stretch, but don鈥檛 like too many of them in piece. I might roll them just not to tense up and possibly cause any injury to the hand!  

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    • Graham
    • Graham
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

     Between two black notes, a tenth (but I cannot do much with the fingers in between). 

    Between two white notes, safely, a ninth; if the thumb is taking two adjacent notes (a la Beethoven), a tenth, but again the fingers in between cannot reach very much. 

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    • Michelle R
    • Michelle_Russell
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I can reach an octave relatively comfortably with both hands. I'm happy with that! Thurmond can reach an 11th in both hands, and his "goal" is to reach a 12th (he still has a few years of growing, so it is possible!). 

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  • Playing final chord of Chopin' Harp Etude and Liszt' Liebestaum III, I use RH for top three notes (Eb3-C4-Ab4) and LH for Ab2-Ab3 (Harp) and Ab3(Lieb). Same voicing with one less note from Liszt...who'd have guessed!

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    • Tanya
    • Tanya
    • 2 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Nine notes comfortably and ten most times. I鈥檓 comfortable with playing octaves using 3rd, 4th or 5th finger. Feels like a survey. 馃

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  • I can comfortably play any kind of 10th all day, but I can just barely stretch to an 11th on the white keys.

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