June Q&A: Octave Scales, Small Hands and More

[@imedicineman]

Thanks for another great lesson, Allysia. And thank you for your How to Practice Piano... and Like It eBook; I have used it as part of teaching my 8 y/o (with small hands) Granddaughter to play piano. I have tried a number of strategies with her since I am a retired clinical educator and not a professional piano teacher. She particularly likes the app Simply Piano on the iPad. She gets to play along with some of her favorite popular music / backing tracks and gets immediate feedback on her progress. Slowly but surely, we'll move to the classics and, hopefully, sooner than later, a real piano teacher. Thank you again for all that you do. Keep up the good work.

[@chericeri]

I am such a memoriser, I'm absolutely useless at sightreading and once I've learnt a piece I don't even look at the music while playing it. My teacher was expressing her concerns over it the other day though so I'm definitely going to try and improve my sightreading!

[@erdiazmail]

The same here!

[@musicfarmlife8104]

SAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM 2 hrs later MMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEE

[@officialWWM]

There's nothing wrong with memorising...you get the same result...

[@virnaalbasi2313]

@@officialWWM Unless you are specifically asked to sightread a piece during exams...

[@officialWWM]

Virna Albasi yeah, I'm not doing exams, so that will literally never happen to me.

[@shortfingerpianist6175]

I also have difficulties reaching octave in my right hand. But since I started learning piano 9 months ago, I noticed that my hand span have already improved a bit. I hope that with time I'll be able to play an octave more easily, not only on the edges of the keys.

[@shortfingerpianist6175]

@@user-kj8hg It actually got better. I can now reach an octave without much difficulty, although it gets tricky if other fingers have to play some notes in between as well.

[@sooofisticated0499]

What is helping me with sight-reading is watching those video's on you tube with the sheet music and trying to follow along as you listen to the song.

[@MarsLos10]

I started playing the guitar several years ago, and now it's the second year I'm taking piano lessons. So my left hand is way more flexible than the right, even though I'm a right handed, I struggle playing an octave with my right hand, but for the left, piece of cake xD it's kinda ridiculous, my right hand is pretty fast at playing 16th notes, but can't reach a single octave! meh

[@Kost3k]

Chopin actually had small hands (well, average may be a better word). He apparently used pianos with narrower keys.

[@victorwhite8356]

Kost3k well I think he could reach a tenth, which is pretty much, and he had really flexible fingers

[@cross-eyedliszt5183]

Víctor White. definitely could reach a tenth but could break 13ths (arppegiate)

[@victorwhite8356]

Cross-Eyed Liszt then I have Chopin's hands lmao

[@cross-eyedliszt5183]

Víctor White. Sameee 😁😁😁😃😃😎

[@GiacomoPhilipp92]

the keys they had were smaller, too. @@victorwhite8356

[@amitnowominski6970]

Hi, thanks for sharing this video with us. I've been following your videos in the last few days. As for today's video- practicing in parts of a whole sentence is generally good, but some could encounter difficulties on building this up all together once again.

[@DonnaHarrisMusicStudio]

This video is a nice look forward for me as I will be learning staccato scales soon for grade 6 ABRSM. It's also nice to take a look at the octave scales for the future.

[@erdiazmail]

I Love You! You are the best teacher!

[@randompianist3210]

Can you do a brief history of Franz Liszt please?

[@marisinikatsouli2030]

My question is about stage fright. Yesterday I had to play a piece in a small concert, I had mastered this piece so I was feeling ready to give a good perfomance. But at some point I messed up, completely forgot how the piece goes, and started again from the beginning. Happened the same thing again, I gave up, and went backstage to calm down, because my whole body was trembling. It was an awful experience and I don't wanna go on stage again, but I have to. Please help! What should I do? How can I overcome this fear?

[@marisinikatsouli2030]

P.S. I'm 20 years old and playing piano for 2 years. This was my 4th time performing, the other three were also not so good because of my anxiety but at least I finished without stopping and starting all over again.

[@cross-eyedliszt5183]

Marisini Katsouli. Your best bet is to practice performing. Something that is not often done. play for friends,family anyone willing to listen before the Concert. also you could record yourself in one take and listen back. listen for where you made mistakes and when your memory lapsed and work on those areas and the areas where your memory lapsed work on memorizing them better by tying them to a specific though or feeling in your hands when you play it for example "now this is a G7" you'll learn to associate that thought with the pattern your playing and it'll jog your memory. at least that's what i do😊

[@marisinikatsouli2030]

I'm so glad these things help you, because I've tried them all and I still messed up xD But thank you for willing to help me, I appreciate it :D

[@jerebenitez8542]

Still haven't reached a stage where I can play in front of people, but have you tried basking? If you have a keyboard lying around, or if you can borrow one, that might help. (No idea whether this works though, but it's what I'd do if I was in that situation)

[@cerenh.6242]

I've just found your channel and I really liked it. You're just so cute as a piano teacher. Even if your speech is sometimes a bit hard to understand for me because it's fast I think I'll keep on watching your other videos. Thank you for all :)

[@_introvertivy_166]

a few years back, I could only reach a 6th(I'm a kid), but now, I can reach a ninth. for small hand people like me, just practice. I improved a lot, just by practicing a lot.

[@applejuices]

Your hand just grew

[@mercuryli3872]

Piano keys indeed were narrower in the 18th Century in Chopin's time. In fact piano keys weren't as wide as they are today until the beginning of 19th Century when manufacturers started making wider keys for virtuosos of the day like Franz Liszt. If you've got small hands like me (I can only reach to an octave), a lot of advanced level repertoire is literally unreachable. But few people know that narrower keys are available today!!! Check out www.paskpiano.org/need-for-narrower-keys.html for more information. Sign our petition if you also want manufecturers to make different sized keyboards!! Also check out this video to see a D.S. (David Steinbhuler) 5.5 keyboard (an octave is 5.5 inches as opposed to the 6.5 inches "standard") kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJ-cXpZuo5WEadU

[@michaelfuria4257]

ABSOLUTELY!

[@88steps81]

I found out this topic only recently and I'm strong advocate of this project. I can't believe that it's so badly promoted and I intend to be one of the "evangelist". Hopefully more and more people will know that there is an alternative to huge hands!

[@prawinrai628]

I really like ur videos and the way u explain things properly..... Also ur thumbnails r really funny

[@isasock2346]

Um hello. Could you please tell me how I can eliminate pain and tension while playing piano.

[@biffii5568]

Pain should never happen, however tension is what we spend years trying to eliminate, there is no magic pill.

[@SeanShannonPianist]

question: my piano teacher would like me to take my first piano exam (grade 3) with the riam board (royal irish academy of music) but i would prefer to do abrsm. how can i talk to her about this?

[@PianotvNet]

I would ask her reasons for going with the RIAM (it might be what she's familiar with), and tell her your own reasons for wanting to do ABRSM. Maybe she has really great reasons for wanting to go with RIAM! But most teachers are pretty flexible and understanding, so just have a conversation about it. :)

[@lilleravn]

Hello! Can you perhaps do a brief history on Debussy and Ravel? :)

[@Miicrowahvei]

You use wonderful colors in your thumbnails.

[@Centuska]

question: Despite being the "Father of Waltzes" ... why is Johann Strauss II not as well known?

[@switchlaserflip9243]

How long have you been playing piano? I've only been playing for 4 months but arpeggios seem a lot easier for me.

[@haleyanderson2258]

I'm taking private flute lessons instead of piano lessons because I have an audition coming up so it's not like I can just switch to piano again.

[@christiancortes4400]

I'm trying to learn to play Handel's sarabande from suite no.11, and the piece is andante con moto. So how do I give a piece movement?

[@silverbroom02]

That awkward moment when you suck just as much at sight reading as you do memorization. Haha Are there exercises one can do to try to increase flexibility or hand span?

[@mieguishen]

My 8-year old kid has small hands. To play an octave, he has to position his hand in such a way that the fingers are literally clinging on to the edges of the piano keys (with his wrist hovering at the level that is below the surface of the piano key). Is it recommended that he continue to play it this way or simply to avoid playing octaves until his hands get a little bigger? My concern with playing it this way might cause him to develop poor techniques that would be difficult to correct in the future. Not sure if my concern is unfound.

[@danieleverton9227]

Please make the caption available so that I can translate. ; )

[@lengotin]

u r awesome thanks

[@patrickbirner6573]

So how would you practice to be a better sight reader?

[@WaitingInMyColdCell]

If you are a beginner you can try mobile apps like Music Tutor.

[@yalikejazz8439]

Patrickann777 Practice everyday, starting with easier pieces and working up from there. The pieces should not be too easy nor too hard.

[@haleyanderson2258]

Hello. I'm really really struggling with piano technique and I don't know how to get better at it. I'm not taking private lessons right now but it's really hard for me to practice technique on my own.

[@danielcarstairs9311]

Does having big hands make people better at piano, or does playing piano cause peoples hands to get bigger?

[@kimberly1661]

Long fingers can make playing piano easier.

[@ana610]

When I was in music school and couldn't reach an octave my teacher told me to only play bottom note.. but that was for any random octave in a piece. And if piece had many octaves in it (especially one after another) we avoided it all together...

[@Toastwig]

When should i start to memorise pieces? I have been learning for 7 months of so (adult beginner here) and I've just been progressing through the adult faber books. The pieces are so short and I progress so quickly spending time memorising something I'll move past in a week or two seems weird. But i should start learning to memorise right? Any advice?

[@beingchloe4649]

how to get rid of tension and pain in arms/hands/wrists?

[@jr2470]

Don't know if you will get this, but I found I had to loosen my wrists to relieve tension. I was playing Mozart's Rondo alla Turk and the octave section was making my hands tense up. I found that if I played from the wrist instead of the arm it really helped (I also had better accuracy on the jumping octaves). Watch this video for a good explanation and visual. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKvJaXdnhbJ5ras

[@ValkyRiver]

If you have small hands, only narrow keys can fully remove this tension

[@pukulsrod3070]

I've been playing for 8 yrs, and can only stretch an octave :(

[@ethanmiller1143]

Instead of doing octave scales I just play the beginning of polonaise in f sharp minor

[@michaelfuria4257]

You have the prettiest eyes. Your video instuctionals are excellent.

[@christopherpadilla491]

why are your fingers red?

[@thatguyfromthere1168]

christopher padilla Because she is white, like me

[@PianotvNet]

Ha ha! That, and I think I was chopping beets the day I recorded this video.

[@CantOutOusbiTheOusbi]

But couldn't you just not move ur wrist when you do arpeggios? Doesn't that slow you down?

[@JoeRamsayMusic]

Check out this cool mod so anyone can play left-hand 10ths and more: cutlerkeys.com/

[@clarkebynum4623]

Octaves, thinking of it as fingering as opposed to blocks or a hand shape you can get much faster octaves and smoother octaves with less "pokes"

[@dcunited710]

I find playing thirds and sixths with one hand a more challenging than octaves in legato.

[@cross-eyedliszt5183]

Eddie Younis. You should try quadruple thirds ...

[@ailenbernardi2969]

spanish subtitles 🙏🏻

[@SlushyCheese]

Can you do daily vlogs? I love your personality its so cute :) i wanna se wedding pics :D

[@user-kh9ki3kq8m]

is it just me that thinks octave scales are pretty easy??

[@biffii5568]

sorry i just assumed 😂 😂 😂 😂. oooh Canadians.

[@chowturtlezpabus]

Rachmaninoff.

[@MrSadasddsa]

I wonder what if Donald trump decides to learn the piano

[@haleyanderson2258]

MrSadasddsa He'd say that the piano is making the media unfair lol

[@mihawkdrakule3869]

He will build a wall

[@ValkyRiver]

The piano world is just ignoring narrow keys…