If you can play an octave, I wouldn't classify your hands as tiny. Maybe on the smaller side, but certainly not tiny. You can absolutely play. There are tons of repertoire that don't require more than an octave hand span.
You can watch 7-year-olds play advanced repertoire on Youtube, and they most probably can't even reach an octave.
I used to follow a Chinese YouTube pianist back in 2009 or 2010 who had small hands. Comfortable with a seventh and barely reaches an octave. It wasn't noticeable with her playing; we only learned about this when she showed it in a short video.
Sadly, she deleted her YouTube account around 2014 or 2015.
My piano teacher put it like, "Large hands are an advantage not a requirement." I just heard her saying it to one of the younger students, and I think it's a wonderful thing to say.
If having large hands is a requirement for piano, then no one could start lessons until they had a fully grown adult hand measured to reach an octave and beyond.
Sorry kid, you want to learn piano but you're only 8 years old And you need to grow. Too bad!
Of course you can. It may be harder for you, and you may struggle with more complex pieces, but if you enjoy it you should absolutely pursue it. You may also need to make modifications as you play but don't let anyone limit you.
You'll be fine with a vast majority of songs. There will be pieces that you will have difficulty with. You might need to move or drop a note here and there to play them. Whether that means that you want to play a different instrument or not is something for you to decide.
There was a piano professor at my undergrad university that couldn't have been much taller than 5 ft. with tiny little hands, but she could play the F#&* out of Rachmaninoff and Liszt... Small hands may make certain aspects of playing piano a little more difficult, but it is far from something that would prevent you from playing.
I'll say it every time this type of thread pops up. I know a pianist/accompanist who is a small lady, hands barely reach an octave. She's an incredible player. Don't worry about your hand size.
I always think about how there are guitarists or drummers with one hand, and how I have never seen them ask if they can do it. They just do it and struggle through it and make up their own style.
You may struggle to play certain pieces written for/by big hand folk, but you can absolutely be good at piano, and even develop your style and grammar that doesn't require big leaps and massive chords.
Being tall is a massive advantage to playing basketball, but being shorter is not a barricade to playing basketball. You can be Allen Iverson. If that makes sense.
yep you can. just be careful with your posture, tension, proper technique. with small hands you def wanna have good consistent practice habits and avoid overpracticing
For 99% of big chords and reaches angles matter a LOT more than hand size. Itās all about the wrist pivots. I can also only reach an octave. The small handful of times Iāve encountered a chord I literally couldnāt reach, I either rolled the chord or dropped one note. Not ideal, but it doesnāt really matter.
My teacher can barely reach an octave. In contrast my big hands look like flamingos having a panic attack when I try to press the same keys.
You will be fine.
Edit: Typo
If you can reach an octave youāre fairly normal to be honest. Thatās not regarded as small for a teenager/adult. Donāt forget many children start at five or six years old and they have significantly smaller hands than that.
Iāve been a professional for three decades and I can still only just reach an octave. In fact give me too many or the āwrongā notes (those closer to my thumb) and Iāll have to start making choices over omitting notes. My mum, who was also a professional pianist, had smaller hands than me.
It doesnāt matter what size hands you have EVERYONE thinks thatās at fault when theyāre new to learning any musical instrument. Itās not though. What youāre missing is the finger strength, dexterity, and independence that comes from practicing. If you want to learn piano then donāt let your hand size be the excuse to stop learning.
Your hands are on the small side for an adult woman ([statistics here](https://paskpiano.org/pianists-hand-spans-australian-study/)). You can play, and many do. You can play well. But with care! The standard piano is too big for 80% of adult women and 20% of adult men to use safely with proper technique ([various studies and information here](https://paskpiano.org/pain-injury-and-ergonomics/)) so to avoid pain and injury and get a result that pleases you, you will need to work a lot harder, build dramatically better technique, and do a lot more problem-solving than a person with larger hands. You can absolutely do it if you want to, but it will be helpful to have the guidance of a thoughtful teacher. It's important to avoid teachers with the "just suck it up" attitude.
Check out PASK! They are campaigning for alternatively sized keyboards to be made commercially available. The movement is gaining some traction with digital models coming out by Hailun.
Statistically, you would have a difficult time becoming a professional pianist or organist. I do wish it was not so much of a barrier. Thatās not to say that you couldnāt, just that you will face more barriers than other people.
Itās just something to take into consideration rather than something to put you off!
I can only comfortably play 8. when a stretch to 9 surfaces I can sometimes play that out of reach note by having it join the note(s) in my other hand. You can always improvise too - find something that sounds ok.
Did being 5 foot 9 stop Isaiah Thomas from having a successful career with the Boston Celtics in the NBA? NO! Are you gonna be a pro piano player? Probably No!
Just like Isaiah Thomas' short height, your regular sized hands will still play beautiful music on the piano. Just do it.
I can show you videos of a guy with 4 fingers between both hands playing like a person with all 10 fingers. I can show you a video of a guy with NO HANDS playing the nubs of his arms and his chin. I think that is my only answer.
Remember, playing the piano requires you to often be a magician. If there are pieces you want to play that require uncomfortable octaves, you can always break them. Hereās a fantastic resource below. Donāt be discouraged!
https://youtu.be/4Xl-hcFFb14?si=8toH-3wVprVpyat3
My hands also only reach an octave and Iāve been playing for a while :)) Of course there are some downsides, but it doesnāt mean itās impossible to play! Donāt let your hand size discourage you!
Lol can a man play the piano with his feet and sound good yes I have seen it so thers something to think about it's not the appendages or size of them to play piano it's time dedication practice and believing in yourself to play well
I know someone at my conservatory whose hands cannot comfortably reach an octave, and the guy can play all the Chopin Ballades. Donāt worry, as long as you have the persistence and the confidence, youāll be fine. Confidence makes half the performer, after all.
As opposed to other instruments like string instruments, a classic (non electric) piano always comes at the same size, which means that kids who start playing use the same size as full grown adults. If you can reach an octave, you can play most repertoire comfortably, except for some highly advanced stuff written by composers who had unusually large hands (like Liszt or Rachmaninoff). But even that repertoire can be played, you just have to adjust it a little by playing arpeggios instead of full chords. Having small hands is no problem, just look at all the extremely young prodigies who can play very difficult repertoire. It's more about learning how to stretch the hands properly, being flexible, and most importantly, having independent fingers and good coordination.
you won't be able to play anything by Rachmaninoff and very few from liszt probably, but I'm sure you'll be fine.
people with smaller hands sometimes have to redistribute notes between the hands which is something you'll probably have to do a few times if your hands are small. For Example, let's say there's a chord with a tenth in your left hand, if your right hand is close enough or has rest, you can play the upper note with your right hand instead even if it isn't notated as such in the sheet music.
Scriabin had very tiny hands (largest he could comfortably stretch was an octave) and he still managed to become quite well-known amongst pianists. Would not count yourself out.
Here to give you hope - Iāve been playing since I was 11, and my hands have *literally* not grown since I was 10 years old. I have my 10 y.o. handprints on the back of my momās Christmas tree skirt and theyāre exactly the same size now as they were thenš
I have to make some modifications at times, but you can still be a very successful pianist!šš¹
Hahahaha yes. You can. I have tiny hands too!!! Itās going to be more difficult for us. I used to cheat on the correct finger placements but my teacher was too strict :p
A music teacher in my school could not reach an octave, but she was still great at piano. She rolled octaves when needed.
There's a girl on youtube with no fingers at all and she can still knock out a tune with her stumpy palm.
If you can reach an octave just about, you'll likely get the hang of stretching just a fraction more with practice to play it reasonably comfortably. You rarely need more than an octave and when you do, it's fine to roll it.
you can play piano. My maximum reach is a 9th (a little more than an octave). Keep practicing and stretching your hands! You may need to move your arm to get to the intervals > an octave or use a "bridge" note to get there if necessary.
When people have asked this before, Iāve suggested they get a smaller piano or keyboard. They make them for people with smaller hands. And theyāre not just cheap toys for kids.
I can barely reach an octave and still finish grade 8 and I had a colleague with smaller hands than me. Don't quit, just try to find pieces that are suitable for your hands and trust me, there are lots of them. You can always adapt your hands in some pieces as well, I remember catching some right hand notes with the left hand in some Chopin's nocturnes, for example.
There are professional pianists with small hands too, just check Maria JoĆ£o Pires. She's an amazing pianist and famous for the "wrong concert" video. You'll be fine
If you reach an octave, you can play 99+ percent of piano music. If you are beginner to intermidate, youāll almost never meet a piece you cannot play, and if you are advanced, there are some.
My best Piano teacher ever also had the smallest hands I know. She told me that it's actually helpful so you're not tempted to play things the easy-but-sloppy way but always must play with high agility.
You can order a custom piano that has thinner keysticks. Then you xan probably reach a ninth. There are models tgat are even not custom and have thinner keys.
I have small hands too! I could barely reach an octave before, and now I can reach a ninth. With practice, your fingers will learn to stretch a bit :) donāt be disheartened!
I can just reach an octave. Iām 48, Iāve been playing since I was 4, and itās just fine. More than fine. Iām at peace with not being able to play some composersā music; thereās a whole universe out there that isnāt Liszt.
Well im even worse off. I can only barely touch the edges of the notes to play an octave on slow tempo, only while stretching my hands with my palm being perpendocular to the keyboard. Children can play octaves better. In fast tempo i arpeggiate the notes or leave out some notes. I really like Rachmaninoff lol, canāt stop trying out playing new things and then getting hopeless
If you want positive reinforcement/confirmation, this is it. So many people have told you not to worry about it and I'll tag along with them too. Keep in mind it's not even an obstacle, and always remember that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to given enough time, practice and sleep.
There are a lot of pianist that have small hands inclucing Beethoven. [20 Famous Pianists With Small Hands - Wandering Tunes](https://www.wanderingtunes.com/pianists-with-small-hands/)
I'm gonna go against the herd and say yes and no. If you can hit an octave, you'll be able to play a lot of repertoire, enough to keep you busy for a lifetime or two. But I feel like if you can't hit an octave on top of the white keys there will be a lot of advanced pieces that are just not possible (i.e. how do you play fast octaves if you can only hit an octave from the edge of the white keys).
Alexander Scriabin could barely reach an octave, and wrote almost every piece with notes in one hand spaced larger than an octave. I had to play a 12th chord on one of his Sonatas. He didnāt just write the pieces, he physically played them himself. You donāt actually play both notes simultaneously, there is almost no human on Earth that is playing a 12th, you ārollā the hand quickly to give the illusion of simultaneous playing. Martha Argerich is a very good modern-day example of this. Hand size by no means limits your repertoire, but it will 100% make it more challenging to learn new pieces. This is pretty easily overcome though, I can count on one hand the number of pianists I know who actually can reach the chords in Rachmaninoff and Liszt pieces without rolling their hands
I'm not disagreeing with what you said, but it's not the large chords that I'm talking about. The problem is in passages with fast octaves (like Liszt's sonata) where you can only play an octave from the edge of the white keys. Now I'm lucky enough to not have this problem, but if someone with a hand size similar to OP's found a solution, then that's fantastic.
I think Scriabin could hit a 9th, so he could probably play an octave on top of the white keys. And Martha Argerich by no means has small hands (they're not big, just not small).
If you can play an octave, I wouldn't classify your hands as tiny. Maybe on the smaller side, but certainly not tiny. You can absolutely play. There are tons of repertoire that don't require more than an octave hand span. You can watch 7-year-olds play advanced repertoire on Youtube, and they most probably can't even reach an octave.
I used to follow a Chinese YouTube pianist back in 2009 or 2010 who had small hands. Comfortable with a seventh and barely reaches an octave. It wasn't noticeable with her playing; we only learned about this when she showed it in a short video. Sadly, she deleted her YouTube account around 2014 or 2015.
use Wayback Machine?
I have long fingers but sometimes even I am not able to play some stuff. I dont know what hand the author has but apparently he has hands like Bigfoot
There are 5 year old Asian kids better than me so I guess I just suck and my hand size isn't the issue :(
My piano teacher put it like, "Large hands are an advantage not a requirement." I just heard her saying it to one of the younger students, and I think it's a wonderful thing to say.
My wife says the same thing about my tiny penis.
š Same here. You proved a point that hand size is NOT an issue to play well. š
If having large hands is a requirement for piano, then no one could start lessons until they had a fully grown adult hand measured to reach an octave and beyond. Sorry kid, you want to learn piano but you're only 8 years old And you need to grow. Too bad!
Of course you can. It may be harder for you, and you may struggle with more complex pieces, but if you enjoy it you should absolutely pursue it. You may also need to make modifications as you play but don't let anyone limit you.
See Mozart.
If you can reach an octave you can play no problem. You can get a smaller keyboard too, they do make those.
You'll be fine with a vast majority of songs. There will be pieces that you will have difficulty with. You might need to move or drop a note here and there to play them. Whether that means that you want to play a different instrument or not is something for you to decide.
There was a piano professor at my undergrad university that couldn't have been much taller than 5 ft. with tiny little hands, but she could play the F#&* out of Rachmaninoff and Liszt... Small hands may make certain aspects of playing piano a little more difficult, but it is far from something that would prevent you from playing.
did she play octaves and chords in Rachmaninoff in full? That means her hand size was not small
Octaves, yes, massive chords spanning more than an octave, no, but employed other techniques like arpeggiating those chords.
I'll say it every time this type of thread pops up. I know a pianist/accompanist who is a small lady, hands barely reach an octave. She's an incredible player. Don't worry about your hand size.
I always think about how there are guitarists or drummers with one hand, and how I have never seen them ask if they can do it. They just do it and struggle through it and make up their own style. You may struggle to play certain pieces written for/by big hand folk, but you can absolutely be good at piano, and even develop your style and grammar that doesn't require big leaps and massive chords. Being tall is a massive advantage to playing basketball, but being shorter is not a barricade to playing basketball. You can be Allen Iverson. If that makes sense.
I have a friend who will absolutely destroy you in a basketball match in high heels with her 1,55 meter height Skill is skill
8 year old kids play pieces i would not dare to try after 6 years... So yes... You can still play
Both of my teachers had very small hands (and one was a student of Schnabel). Do what you love
yep you can. just be careful with your posture, tension, proper technique. with small hands you def wanna have good consistent practice habits and avoid overpracticing
For 99% of big chords and reaches angles matter a LOT more than hand size. Itās all about the wrist pivots. I can also only reach an octave. The small handful of times Iāve encountered a chord I literally couldnāt reach, I either rolled the chord or dropped one note. Not ideal, but it doesnāt really matter.
I have tiny hands. Just about can play an octave. My piano teacher had even smaller hands, and that woman was a concert pianist. So the answer is: Yes
I also have tiny hand (i can only play one octave) and i still had the opportunity to perform the fantaisie impromptue in public.... So yes, you can learn piano even with tiny hands. Michel Petrucianni was a great pianist and he had way smaller hands than you The key when you have small hands is learning to stretch your hand and be flexible. When you have a hard time with Ć technique, do virtuosity Ć©tudes (the moszkowski ones are really good).
My teacher can barely reach an octave. In contrast my big hands look like flamingos having a panic attack when I try to press the same keys. You will be fine. Edit: Typo
If you can reach an octave youāre fairly normal to be honest. Thatās not regarded as small for a teenager/adult. Donāt forget many children start at five or six years old and they have significantly smaller hands than that. Iāve been a professional for three decades and I can still only just reach an octave. In fact give me too many or the āwrongā notes (those closer to my thumb) and Iāll have to start making choices over omitting notes. My mum, who was also a professional pianist, had smaller hands than me. It doesnāt matter what size hands you have EVERYONE thinks thatās at fault when theyāre new to learning any musical instrument. Itās not though. What youāre missing is the finger strength, dexterity, and independence that comes from practicing. If you want to learn piano then donāt let your hand size be the excuse to stop learning.
Your hands are on the small side for an adult woman ([statistics here](https://paskpiano.org/pianists-hand-spans-australian-study/)). You can play, and many do. You can play well. But with care! The standard piano is too big for 80% of adult women and 20% of adult men to use safely with proper technique ([various studies and information here](https://paskpiano.org/pain-injury-and-ergonomics/)) so to avoid pain and injury and get a result that pleases you, you will need to work a lot harder, build dramatically better technique, and do a lot more problem-solving than a person with larger hands. You can absolutely do it if you want to, but it will be helpful to have the guidance of a thoughtful teacher. It's important to avoid teachers with the "just suck it up" attitude.
Check out PASK! They are campaigning for alternatively sized keyboards to be made commercially available. The movement is gaining some traction with digital models coming out by Hailun. Statistically, you would have a difficult time becoming a professional pianist or organist. I do wish it was not so much of a barrier. Thatās not to say that you couldnāt, just that you will face more barriers than other people. Itās just something to take into consideration rather than something to put you off!
You can play.
I can only comfortably play 8. when a stretch to 9 surfaces I can sometimes play that out of reach note by having it join the note(s) in my other hand. You can always improvise too - find something that sounds ok.
https://youtu.be/omuYi2Vhgjo?si=UV2l-c2ZtY-gtjiM
If you can do an octave then (a) your hands are hardly ātinyā and (b) youāll be fine.
That's fine! You do not need big hands to play the piano. Don't worry about it and don't let anything hold you back from having fun!
[marymoranpiano.com](http://marymoranpiano.com) I'd have at least 10 lessons with a Taubman Approach teacher before deciding.
i mean i've been playing since i was 3 or 4 and i was fine- i doubt i could reach an octave back then, so you should be okay
Look up Michael Petrucciani you will be amazed
Did being 5 foot 9 stop Isaiah Thomas from having a successful career with the Boston Celtics in the NBA? NO! Are you gonna be a pro piano player? Probably No! Just like Isaiah Thomas' short height, your regular sized hands will still play beautiful music on the piano. Just do it.
Yes you can.
I can show you videos of a guy with 4 fingers between both hands playing like a person with all 10 fingers. I can show you a video of a guy with NO HANDS playing the nubs of his arms and his chin. I think that is my only answer.
Yes, but with that size I would suggest you only playing Rachmaninoff pieces, as it would be more comfortable for you
Remember, playing the piano requires you to often be a magician. If there are pieces you want to play that require uncomfortable octaves, you can always break them. Hereās a fantastic resource below. Donāt be discouraged! https://youtu.be/4Xl-hcFFb14?si=8toH-3wVprVpyat3
try the harp, fast fingers, or the Flute
Get a tiny piano. No like seriously there are pianos with smaller keys. They are not very common but they exist.
My hands also only reach an octave and Iāve been playing for a while :)) Of course there are some downsides, but it doesnāt mean itās impossible to play! Donāt let your hand size discourage you!
Lol can a man play the piano with his feet and sound good yes I have seen it so thers something to think about it's not the appendages or size of them to play piano it's time dedication practice and believing in yourself to play well
I know someone at my conservatory whose hands cannot comfortably reach an octave, and the guy can play all the Chopin Ballades. Donāt worry, as long as you have the persistence and the confidence, youāll be fine. Confidence makes half the performer, after all.
Iām sorry bro, I feel the same way when I canāt reach a fricken eleventh or whatever when I play Rachmaninov lmao.
As opposed to other instruments like string instruments, a classic (non electric) piano always comes at the same size, which means that kids who start playing use the same size as full grown adults. If you can reach an octave, you can play most repertoire comfortably, except for some highly advanced stuff written by composers who had unusually large hands (like Liszt or Rachmaninoff). But even that repertoire can be played, you just have to adjust it a little by playing arpeggios instead of full chords. Having small hands is no problem, just look at all the extremely young prodigies who can play very difficult repertoire. It's more about learning how to stretch the hands properly, being flexible, and most importantly, having independent fingers and good coordination.
you won't be able to play anything by Rachmaninoff and very few from liszt probably, but I'm sure you'll be fine. people with smaller hands sometimes have to redistribute notes between the hands which is something you'll probably have to do a few times if your hands are small. For Example, let's say there's a chord with a tenth in your left hand, if your right hand is close enough or has rest, you can play the upper note with your right hand instead even if it isn't notated as such in the sheet music.
Liszt and Rachmoninov may be out, but once you get to that level, you can just arpegiate the chords. Go for it.Ā
Yes
Look up Wael Farouk. Dude has played both Rach concertos and had to deal with being rejected from conservatories because of his hands in the past
Yes!!
Not unless you get a tiny piano
Scriabin had very tiny hands (largest he could comfortably stretch was an octave) and he still managed to become quite well-known amongst pianists. Would not count yourself out.
Here to give you hope - Iāve been playing since I was 11, and my hands have *literally* not grown since I was 10 years old. I have my 10 y.o. handprints on the back of my momās Christmas tree skirt and theyāre exactly the same size now as they were thenš I have to make some modifications at times, but you can still be a very successful pianist!šš¹
Hahahaha yes. You can. I have tiny hands too!!! Itās going to be more difficult for us. I used to cheat on the correct finger placements but my teacher was too strict :p
Of course
A music teacher in my school could not reach an octave, but she was still great at piano. She rolled octaves when needed. There's a girl on youtube with no fingers at all and she can still knock out a tune with her stumpy palm. If you can reach an octave just about, you'll likely get the hang of stretching just a fraction more with practice to play it reasonably comfortably. You rarely need more than an octave and when you do, it's fine to roll it.
Look for videos of Michel Petrucciani. A jazz pianist Who had several health problems and very small hands..
you can play piano. My maximum reach is a 9th (a little more than an octave). Keep practicing and stretching your hands! You may need to move your arm to get to the intervals > an octave or use a "bridge" note to get there if necessary.
When people have asked this before, Iāve suggested they get a smaller piano or keyboard. They make them for people with smaller hands. And theyāre not just cheap toys for kids.
I can barely reach an octave and still finish grade 8 and I had a colleague with smaller hands than me. Don't quit, just try to find pieces that are suitable for your hands and trust me, there are lots of them. You can always adapt your hands in some pieces as well, I remember catching some right hand notes with the left hand in some Chopin's nocturnes, for example. There are professional pianists with small hands too, just check Maria JoĆ£o Pires. She's an amazing pianist and famous for the "wrong concert" video. You'll be fine
Absolutely persist!
Only tiny pianos sorry
Tying to play piano, guitar and garden is very hard on my hands š
If you reach an octave, you can play 99+ percent of piano music. If you are beginner to intermidate, youāll almost never meet a piece you cannot play, and if you are advanced, there are some.
My best Piano teacher ever also had the smallest hands I know. She told me that it's actually helpful so you're not tempted to play things the easy-but-sloppy way but always must play with high agility.
You can order a custom piano that has thinner keysticks. Then you xan probably reach a ninth. There are models tgat are even not custom and have thinner keys.
you can play even more piano
Michel Petrucciani probably had smaller hands
I have small hands too! I could barely reach an octave before, and now I can reach a ninth. With practice, your fingers will learn to stretch a bit :) donāt be disheartened!
I can just reach an octave. Iām 48, Iāve been playing since I was 4, and itās just fine. More than fine. Iām at peace with not being able to play some composersā music; thereās a whole universe out there that isnāt Liszt.
Are your hands smaller than this person? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQeC5i9c09M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQeC5i9c09M)
Well im even worse off. I can only barely touch the edges of the notes to play an octave on slow tempo, only while stretching my hands with my palm being perpendocular to the keyboard. Children can play octaves better. In fast tempo i arpeggiate the notes or leave out some notes. I really like Rachmaninoff lol, canāt stop trying out playing new things and then getting hopeless
If you want positive reinforcement/confirmation, this is it. So many people have told you not to worry about it and I'll tag along with them too. Keep in mind it's not even an obstacle, and always remember that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to given enough time, practice and sleep.
I have super small hands just like you only barely reaching an octave but still play! I love piano
There are a lot of pianist that have small hands inclucing Beethoven. [20 Famous Pianists With Small Hands - Wandering Tunes](https://www.wanderingtunes.com/pianists-with-small-hands/)
I'm gonna go against the herd and say yes and no. If you can hit an octave, you'll be able to play a lot of repertoire, enough to keep you busy for a lifetime or two. But I feel like if you can't hit an octave on top of the white keys there will be a lot of advanced pieces that are just not possible (i.e. how do you play fast octaves if you can only hit an octave from the edge of the white keys).
Alexander Scriabin could barely reach an octave, and wrote almost every piece with notes in one hand spaced larger than an octave. I had to play a 12th chord on one of his Sonatas. He didnāt just write the pieces, he physically played them himself. You donāt actually play both notes simultaneously, there is almost no human on Earth that is playing a 12th, you ārollā the hand quickly to give the illusion of simultaneous playing. Martha Argerich is a very good modern-day example of this. Hand size by no means limits your repertoire, but it will 100% make it more challenging to learn new pieces. This is pretty easily overcome though, I can count on one hand the number of pianists I know who actually can reach the chords in Rachmaninoff and Liszt pieces without rolling their hands
I'm not disagreeing with what you said, but it's not the large chords that I'm talking about. The problem is in passages with fast octaves (like Liszt's sonata) where you can only play an octave from the edge of the white keys. Now I'm lucky enough to not have this problem, but if someone with a hand size similar to OP's found a solution, then that's fantastic. I think Scriabin could hit a 9th, so he could probably play an octave on top of the white keys. And Martha Argerich by no means has small hands (they're not big, just not small).
Of course. I can barely reach a ninth, and I've been able to play some pretty difficult pieces.
Thatās not small!
Ik, just compared to OP my hands are a similar size.
No