Presenter: Rhonda Boyle

Co-author: Robin Boyle

APPCA July 2009

Hand Size and the Piano Keyboard

� ‘There are two great secrets in the world of piano playing. The first is how much easier the instrument is to play with larger hands and the second is how impossible it can be with smaller hands.’

� ‘If one can divide the world into roughly two constituencies; a smaller half and a larger half, one can see that the larger half never really knows what the difficulties of their small-handed counterparts are, and the smaller half never really finds out how much easier all the difficulties are with larger hands.’

Christopher Donison 1998

Today’s presentation covers:

� Review of data on hand size in relation to piano keyboards

� Review of epidemiological and other literature on pain and injury risk for small-handed pianists

� Published personal accounts on the benefits of reduced-size keyboards

� Results of a survey of adult pianists using these keyboards – conducted by the authors

� Potential areas of improvement (based on my initialexperience) – with examples from the piano repertoire

� Conclusions and suggestions for further research

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Review of data on hand size in relation to piano keyboards

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Males v Females – Hand span data

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Steinbuhler and Wagner found an apparent significant greater hand span for males compared to females

MalesFemales

Further, there is an apparent significant variation in spans among males and among females

Males v Females – Wagner, Steinbuhler

Steinbuhler (2004) and Wagner (1988) found similar differences for hand spans (inches).

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Steinbuhler WagnerMale Female Male Female

Respondents 66 90 110 104Minimum 7.7 7.0 7.8 7.2Maximum 10.2 8.9 9.9 9.3Arithmetic mean 8.9 7.9 8.9 8.1Median 8.9 7.9 8.9 8.1First Quartile 8.5 7.5 8.6 7.8Third Quartile 9.3 8.2 9.3 8.4

About 75% of

males were ABOVE this

About 75% of females were

BELOW this

On average, male hand spans were about ONE INCH greater

Two hypotheses

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Hypothesis 1:

That the average hand span of an adult male is approximately one inch greater than

for females

Hypothesis 2:

75% of females have hand spans smaller than the 75% of males with the largest spans

One inch?

75% of Females? 75% of Males?

Hand span v maximum stretch on white keys

Name Gender Total hand

span (inches)

2-5 finger

span (inches)

Hand ratio [2-5

span/total span]

Maximum interval played

Rhonda F 7.00 4.70 0.67 8 - on edge, not comfortable

Pat S F 7.40 6.00 0.81 8 - comfortable

Pat M F 7.60 6.00 0.79 9 - on edge

Janet F 7.60 6.00 0.79 9 - on edge

Hiroko F 7.60 6.30 0.83 9 - on edge

Deborah F 8.00 6.10 0.76 9 - on edge

Barbara F 8.00 6.70 0.84 9 - on edge

Jennifer F 8.10 6.80 0.84 9 - on edge

Stephen M 8.20 6.10 0.74 9 - barely comfortable, 10 - on edge

Darryl M 8.20 6.60 0.80 9 - barely comfortable

Maire F 8.40 6.20 0.74 9 - comfortable, 10 - on edge

Mickey M 8.50 6.10 0.72 9 - comfortable, 10 - on edge

Louise F 8.80 7.00 0.80 10 - on edge

Lester M 8.80 7.20 0.82 10 - on edge

David M 8.90 7.50 0.84 10 - on edge

Max M 9.00 6.40 0.71 10 - on edge

Ray M 9.00 7.40 0.82 10 - on edge

Robert M 9.20 7.30 0.79 10 - on edge

Rohan M 9.50 7.00 0.74 10 - comfortable, 11 - on edge

Zones for comfortable playing

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Approximate hand span zones for

comfortable playing of a given interval

Seventh Octave Ninth TenthFemales Males

� A 7/8 keyboard enables players to play one extra white note

� What would be the effect on individuals and the population at large of an extra note?

Impact of one extra white note

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75% Females standard keyboard

75% Males standard keyboard

Estimated that females could play the same

range as males on the standard keyboard

‘You need to allow yourself at least a couple of days with a DS keyboard to begin the journey of discovery of exactly what it is that you have been missing, and the unnecessary obstacles you have been facing all of your life.

Trust me when I tell you that it is lot more profound that merely "stretching" a distance between any 2 digits.’

….email from Christopher Donison, 31 Dec 2006

Review of epidemiological and other literature on pain and injury risk for small-handed pianists

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Hand size and piano-related pain & injury

� Most of the literature linking hand size to piano playing is in the field of performing arts medicine

� Studies in 1980s-1990s are mostly about a mix of instruments; more recent work on pianists

� Mix of clinical studies; surveys of students and teachers

� Females more affected by pain and injury, and hand size nominated as a risk factor for pianists

� Bragge review (2005) – limitations of previous work e.g. lack of statistical significance testing

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Hand size and piano-related pain & injury

� Further studies since 2005 – using multivariate analysis – established hand size as a statistically significant risk factor for pianists

� Clinical studies – suggest that octaves and large chords are associated with pain and injury

� Biomechanical and ergonomic research -identified risky wrist and hand motions –females more susceptible

� Brenda Wristen (US) – small-handed pianists at greater risk – large chords, octaves and arpeggios force small hands out of ‘anatomically neutral’ position14

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New research using reduced-size keyboards

� Small-handed pianists defined as having a 1-5 span of 8 inches or less – approximately 50% of female pianists

� Wristen et al – used electromyography with small-handed pianists - indicated greater comfort as well as accuracy on the 7/8 keyboard – expert assessments agreed with pianists’ perceptions

� Yoshimura & Chesky – current research using motion cameras and sensors to capture pianists’ movements – computer animation measures speed, force and velocity of each key-stroke – hand size linked to pain

Published personal accounts on the benefits of reduced-size keyboards

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Reduced-size keyboards: Personal accounts

Observations by professional pianists/academics in North America, including Carol Leone (Texas) and Christopher Donison (British Columbia), include:

� Ease of adjustment and swapping between keyboards

� Reduced hand position changes and more logical fingering

� Less rolling of chords and pedalling to mask notes not held

� Chords, octaves much more ‘under the hand’ – less stretching

(cont)

Reduced-size keyboards: Personal accounts

� Faster learning – especially for technically difficult sections

� Improved legato and musical line; legato octaves possible

� Increased power

� Improved voicing of chords and balance

� Easier memorisation and sight-reading

� More time to spend on musicality rather than getting the notes

Results of a survey conducted by the authors of adult pianists using reduced-size keyboards

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Survey of players of reduced-size keyboards

� Questionnaire survey by email – early 2009

� Adult pianists who play a 7/8 or 15/16 keyboard

� Aim was to gather information about their experiences

� Focus on musical and technical benefits, in addition to relief from pain and injury

� 14 responses received

� Results published in this paper

Survey of players of reduced-size keyboards

� All respondents were female, many were piano teachers, academics, some professional performers

� Hand spans (1-5) – from 7.1 to 7.9 inches

� 50% had significantly increased their practice time

� Most adjusted to the reduced size within hours

� Most could adapt a piece learnt on the conventional keyboard within a day or one practice session

� Most reported positive feedback from others

� 13 reported previous pain and/or injury – most problems had disappeared

� Most had increased their repertoire – generally incorporating more Romantic works

� Respondents rated improvement for 22 skills as: ‘Negative’, ‘Nil’, ‘Slight’, ‘Considerable’ & ‘Dramatic’

Survey results – Skills surveyed

� Sight-reading� Time to learn new repertoire� Scale passages� Legato playing� Holding down notes as

intended - not releasing early/masking with pedal

� Leaps� Fast passages of octaves or

large chords� Broken octaves� Broken chords/arpeggios� Changes of hand position� Awkward/non-ideal fingering

� Double thirds� Double sixths� Trills & similar ornaments� Ease of memorisation� Accuracy� Overall feeling of security� Time taken to master

technically difficult passages� Feeling of power where

needed� General tone quality� Balance� Evenness of rhythm and

tone

Respondents were surveyed on 22 pianistic skills:

Survey results – Improvements reported

� All respondents rated degree of improvement as ‘Considerable’ or ‘Dramatic’ for:-– Ability to hold down notes as intended– Feeling of power where needed

� 13 out of 14 rated degree of improvement as ‘Considerable’ or ‘Dramatic’ for :-

– Fast passages of octaves or large chords

– Time taken to master technically difficult passages

� Wide variation in responses for some skills

� Level of improvement was similar regardless of hand size (no relationship found between hand size and the number of ‘considerable’ or ‘dramatic’ improvements)

Survey examples of improvement in skills

Trills and similar ornaments

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Negative Nil Slight Considerable Dramatic

Broken octaves

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Negative Nil Slight Considerable Dramatic

Evenness of rhythm and tone

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Negative Nil Slight Considerable Dramatic

Overall feeling of security

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Negative Nil Slight Considerable Dramatic

Survey – Other feedback

� Overall benefits reported –

– ability to play larger repertoire

– octave passages and large chords

– performance excellence

– Relief from pain, tension and stretching‘My small hand size is no longer a handicap or the main criterion in

choosing a piece of music to play.’

‘For me, the most enjoyable aspect of playing on the reduced-size keyboard is how it felt: finally I was playing on a piano that was the right size for me. It was if I had been trying to walk around inshoes that were a size too big and then at last I got a pair that was the right size.’

� Disadvantages of smaller keyboards – mostly practical issues, such as playing elsewhere

Potential areas of improvement –some examples from the piano repertoire

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Fast octave-based passages

Chopin Scherzo no 2 in B flat minor

Beethoven Fantasie opus 77

Broken octaves

Broken chords

Beethoven Fantasie opus 77

Stability of rhythm & tone control

Mozart Sonata K570

Holding down notes as intended (9th)

Chopin Nocturne opus 15 no.2

More compact hand – greater security & faster learning

Chopin Preludes

- no. 3 in G major

- no .18 in F minor

More compact hand – greater security & faster learning

Beethoven Fantasie opus 77

Awkward fingering & changes in hand position

Chopin Scherzo no 2 in B flat minor

1 1 1 1 5 5 1 1 2 12

1

1 1

LH LH

Fingering/improved legato

Brahms Intermezzo opus 117 no. 1

Rolled chords (LH) and complex RH

Chopin Prelude no 10 in C# minor

2-5 fingering/less hand movement/increased speed and security

Chopin Etude opus 10 no 5

2

2 2

2 222

Conclusions and suggestions for further research

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Conclusions and Further Research

�There is significant variation in human hand spans, in particular:

� Most females have hand spans smaller than most males

� On average, adult females may have a 1” smaller span, equivalent to about one white key

� There is an apparent significant variation in spans among males and among females.

� Some ethnic groups may have hand spans significantly smaller than others

�Research is required to quantify the extent of differences in hand spans (and other relevant characteristics) according to gender, ethnicity and also age.

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Conclusions and Further Research

�A one-size-fits-all keyboard does not allow many pianists to reach their full potential –

� Pain and injury linked to small hand size – based on evidence from different fields of study

� Pianistic benefits for those using smaller keyboards appear to be wide-ranging – technical, musical, repertoire choice

� More than 50% of females plus some males likely to benefit from playing reduced-size keyboards

�Availability of reduced-size keyboards means research can be conducted to determine how hand size directly influences pain & injury, performance excellence, repertoire choice, etc.40

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Final words

� Humans have many options available in most aspects of their lives

� Different sizes are available for shoes, skis and tennis racquets

� Violinists and many other musicians have a choice of instruments to best fit their size

� Pianists have a choice of piano maker and model, upright v grand, piano size

� At piano competitions, contestants often have several pianos to choose from

� But keyboard size is not a practical choice for anyone

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The 7/8 keyboard and action

Thank You

Relevant websites

� www.steinbuhler.com

� http://chrisdonison.com/keyboard.html

� www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2005/1001-perfectfit_piano.htm

� web3.unt.edu/news/story.cfm?story=9708

� www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-piano-injuries-unt-research,0,2330879.story

� www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Forum/1/topic/022437/Number/0/site_id/1#import

� http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/musicpresentations/1