5 Tips For Playing BIG Pieces With SMALL Hands - Plus Bonus tip

[@NN-rn1oz]

Your channel has now become my favorite regarding piano technique! I hope you will also give tips on performance anxiety in the future.

[@duryi6399]

Hello, I have got a problem, when I am playing repeated octaves/trills/tremolos, I feel tension in my tendons of my middle fjnger, how should I practice those things?

[@liesje.sadonius]

You're a great teacher! Thanks so much!

[@michaelhuss3851]

Really appreciate this video! I kind of started doing the scissor technique automatically when I practiced Chopins first Ballade. Especially the Coda just isn't playable any other way. I would love a deep dive into chord playing!

[@PIANO_LAB]

Glad it was helpful!

[@DavidMiller-bp7et]

He does have a full length tutorial on playing big chords. Look for it in his older videos.

[@rozalielevant2425]

In addition to scissor- technique in Coda you mentioned, you have to be aware of momentarily release of the two of the three notes in the chords in RH. Thus, in the first unit in RH - B- flat-D-G, please, place the hand with loose opened fingers, very tilted( that will create “scissors “, but, still, be aware about good underwrist support- balance.). Then instantly release D and G, while making slight rotation by your thumb towards the 2nd finger, do legato to F- sharp. That would be felt, as you were connecting only two SINGLE notes. The trajectory of the moving thumb to F-sharp in an arch. Movement of the forearm, delivering finger is described by the author of the video. Legato, that the author mentioned, has a term-“acoustic legato”, which for me, personally, is the only way to “ connect “ the notes ( plus pedal, obviously).

[@DavidMiller-bp7et]

The pedal covers a multitude of disconnection sins.@@rozalielevant2425

[@antoniusjensen5571]

Hope that you will continue to make videos. They are great og really helpful!

[@danielreyesmusic]

hey craig, i hope you’re doing well! i’m very grateful for yourself youtube channel, i wish i had see these videos sooner. i’ve been struggling with tension on my left hand for about 10 years. i suspect tendinitis or carpel tunnel, i just saw a video where you said you had the same issue, i was curious as to your recovery from tendinitis?

[@mariavidineeva2524]

Nice! Very useful

[@cablenelsonbabygrandpiano842]

Very good video!!! Beautiful!!! Thank you very much!!!

[@rodnaskel2123]

Hi Craig! As an amateur pianist who recently began studying with a teacher, I'm enjoying your lessons and general philosophy of playing piano, your ideas about the existence of different techniques (which are used by different teachers) but having the same goal of achieving tension free playing is incredibly useful to understand all these countless videos about the right and wrong ways of playing piano What do you think of Pianokeys Academy channel? I'd love to know your opinion on his ideas! He has a video abou Chopin's op 10#1 too, would love to hear what do you think of his tips and methods

[@DavidMiller-bp7et]

Of all the suggestions mentioned, the foolproof method is to roll the chords, if reach becomes impossible, which requires some specialized work; I've heard it done well and it sounds very good. I would certainly do it if need-be. I do it on a few 10th chords I can't reach. If the composer/arranger didn't write it in, write it in yourself. Be unique!

[@rathnakumarithandrisannidh186]

Bro I am curious how to play a keyboard with THUMB, MIDDLE , AND LITTLE FINGERS . Could you please suggest me

[@scronchman0146]

Could you make a video on how to play soft without it interfering with the arm weight mechanism? also how to play soft and fast.

[@kianholden7387]

I’ve tried the scissor technique you do around 6:55 to play a C major 8 (C E G C) and I can’t reach the high C with my 5th. I can reach octaves if I play at the edge of the keyboard, but when I reach my 2nd to the E key, my pinky doesn’t reach far enough to play the high C. Any tips?

[@larghedoggo9607]

I am not sure how long have you learned the piano, it sounds your hands are relatively small that you can only do octaves on edge. By that means, I am not sure if your hands have already fully expanded. If it's that case, give up your bottom note on right hand or give up your higher note on bass.(or omit any notes that cause you issue, it might not effect that much musically) My hands are also small(9th in the edge), I complain all the time as well But such expanded chords are not everywhere don't worry. Just pick piece carefully.

[@MilAS829]

Hey I also have relatively small hands. If you want to include every note you can simply just roll it but very gently so you’re not tensing up. Piano lab mentions this in one of his recent videos. Doing this gently over time and even with small hands you’ll be able to roll pretty big chords and actually make it sound good.

[@DavidMiller-bp7et]

That could be a solution, certainly any note that is otherwise doubled somewhere else, to keep the harmonic progression. I guess eliminate the least useful notes.@@larghedoggo9607

[@PIANO_LAB]

@kianholden7387 I do have some tips. Thinking I might make a follow-up video answering your (and others) question(s).

[@DavidMiller-bp7et]

This is customized teaching: meeting the needs of those with special considerations. Virtually no one needs to be excluded from piano progress and mastery. Great response.@@PIANO_LAB

[@danielmeb84]

Im finding it really hard to play the same chord fast (almost like spamming) without tension especially when the chord has black and white notes or you have to get to the new chord. Any advice?

[@alexgoriatchenkov]

To play fast, have to play Slow so many times till will Feel can playing faster. It takes time always...

[@BandClarinet3]

You should say at the beginning what you consider to be small hands. You can reach a ninth. I can reach a white key octave, but I have to be in front of the keys, not over them. Then say what is medium, average, or “common”. In my opinion, you don’t have small hands

[@DavidMiller-bp7et]

Scissor is actually somewhat easy for me, due to an abnormality, small %age of population, clinodactyly, a condition where some fingers curve away from the thumb, toward 4-5 side; in my case 2 + 3 on both hands, all other fingers straight; not radical but noticeable in some applications. We are all snowflake designs. Let's celebrate our individuality.