Fingers getting stuck between black keys
Steve Burt
begun to experience a new problem.
When playing a chord (or a sequence of notes or chords), I have to move my
hand forwards to play the black and white notes together. So far, no
problem.
But when I do this, my fingers (mainly second and third, which are the
biggest) don't fit between the keys!
Sometimes they actually get stuck, and have to be freed by twisting my hand
sideways slightly.
Sometimes I end up pressing down the adjacent black keys (which jam against
the sides of my fingertip).
What's the solution to this? My hands are not particularly large, so I'm
sure others have had the same problem.
Do you need to turn the fingers sideways slightly? If so, how do you do it
and keep things smooth?
Any advice appreciated.
TIA
Tysteel34
that if your fingers are too wide to fit in between the black notes, you should
angle the hand and fingers so that you won't have to confront the piano square
on. That way the fingers slot in within rubbing the adjacent keys.
Paul Hirose
"Unless broad-tipped fingers are of an unusual thickness I do not
consider them an obstacle in the way of good piano-playing; the less
so, as the white keys - whatever shape the fingers may have - should
never be struck between the black ones, but only in the midst of the
open space."
(from "Piano Playing with Piano Questions Answered", second section,
p. 20, in the Dover Publications reprint)
So where's this "midst of the open space," if it's not between the
black keys?
With my small hands I don't have the original poster's problem. I play
between the black keys whenever the passage falls most easily to hand
that way. In many cases, I don't see how it can be avoided.
For example, in the second bar of Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" the left
hand plays an Eb G Db chord, which I finger 4 2 1. I'm self-taught, so
someone give me a clue - do "real pianists" play that G natural
without going between the black keys? It doesn't seem possible.
--
Paul Hirose <ewwb4...@earINVALIDthlink.net>
To reply by email delete INVALID from address.
F. Kuik
> For example, in the second bar of Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" the left
> hand plays an Eb G Db chord, which I finger 4 2 1. I'm self-taught, so
> someone give me a clue - do "real pianists" play that G natural
> without going between the black keys? It doesn't seem possible.
>
You don't need to. Btw .. if you play it 421 then the second finger is like
45degrees turned around its length axis (at least with me) this would make
is slightly easier.
I dunno :) I'm not a "real pianist" anyway :)
just have fun
Floris
Daniel G. Emilio
If your fingers are actually getting stuck, then I assume that
technique isn't the issue and you have a physical limitation. There
are certainly physical limitations that will prevent one from
participating in any physical activity. But, if I was in your
situation, and no other solution presented itself, I would probably
look into the possibility of having my black keys shaved on each side
to allow additional room. We know that there are 3/4, 1/2 and even
1/4 size violins to accomodate small hands, so I don't see any reason
that a piano technician couldn't take the keyboard apart and have the
black keys machined down equally on both sides and then refinished.
Gary Rimar
news:fdd71043.04010...@posting.google.com...
With all due respect, I highly disagree with this position. Sorry, but what
is TIA supposed to do when he goes to someone else's house to play the piano
for a party? "Oh, sorry, I can't play your piano because you're keys
haven't been shaved"? "Well, I don't see any hair on them, what are you
talking about"?
I personally don't have the problem that TIA experiences. I'm also making
an assumption that TIA is playing a full-sized acoustic piano, or at least a
digital with a full-sized keyboard. If that's not the case, then the simple
answer is to go get a real instrument. If, however, the instrument is
full-sized and there is still an issue, TIA is going to have to learn to (a)
hit black notes on the very tips, (b) keep a high hand arch, (c) bend the
fingers that are striking the white keys more so they don't get stuck
between the black notes, and (d) accept that there are some pieces that are
not going to be played as written if at all. Angling/rotating the hands on
the is an alternate, but that causes other problems (i.e., carpal tunnel).
Best of luck.
Gary
Steve Burt
"Gary Rimar" <m...@garyrimar.com> wrote in message
news:PsKdnRJiJsy...@comcast.com...
Yes, it is a full sized upright acoustic. No, modifying it is not an
option - anyway, it wouldn't help if I played a different piano.
My wife can't understand what the fuss is about - her fingers fit fine
between the black keys.
My fingertips are the broadest parts of my fingers, which is why they get
stuck, I guess. I don't have the elegant tapering fingers of the ideal
pianist, I'm afraid.
Angling the hand and the fingers helps, and it is sometimes possible to fold
a finger back and play the white note on the main part of the keyboard.
I guess it's just a matter of learning the proper techniques - thanks again.
ptooner
"Paul Hirose" <ewwb4...@earINVALIDthlink.net> wrote in message
news:3FFDC5E0...@earINVALIDthlink.net...
> I've never understood what Josef Hofmann said:
>
> "Unless broad-tipped fingers are of an unusual thickness I do not
> consider them an obstacle in the way of good piano-playing; the less
> so, as the white keys - whatever shape the fingers may have - should
> never be struck between the black ones, but only in the midst of the
> open space."
>
> (from "Piano Playing with Piano Questions Answered", second section,
> p. 20, in the Dover Publications reprint)
>
> So where's this "midst of the open space," if it's not between the
> black keys?
>
Seems like Horsepuckey to me. I don't usually get into fingering
discussions, I think them more appropriately left to the teachers - but I
agree with you that there is no reasonable way to play without playing some
notes between the black keys. Nothing is impossible, I suppose, but I
don't see me playing forward on the basketball court at 5'11" and I don't
think anyone whose fingers won't fit between the black keys is going to make
much of a pianist. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.
gerry
Cc88m
use flat finger position for black keys and very curled position for white
keys. This second approach is not as hard as it sounds, once you learn to
quickly switch from one to the other and to do so independently with any
finger; ie, to be able to quickly curl one finger while all the others are
straight. An ideal combination might be flat finger and the spider position.
C. C. Chang; more on piano practice at
Mark Eisenman
at daniel...@earthlink.net wrote on 1/8/04 9:00 PM:
But, if I was in your
> situation, and no other solution presented itself, I would probably
> look into the possibility of having my black keys shaved on each side
> to allow additional room. We know that there are 3/4, 1/2 and even
> 1/4 size violins to accomodate small hands, so I don't see any reason
> that a piano technician couldn't take the keyboard apart and have the
> black keys machined down equally on both sides and then refinished.
This advice seems odd.
Assume that it was done.
Then assume that at some point this player decided to be a professional
pianist. Maybe because he's is actually pretty good.
So, now he can't play any piano but his own.
Wow. That's a real problem.
Also, who would ever buy this mangled piano if this person ever decided to
sell when upgrading to a better instrument?
Which of course, he'd have to have altered as well!!
Mark
Daniel G. Emilio
On second thought, and after having read the comments, I would
probably retract my advice unless someone utterly couldn't play
otherwise. It is certainly a last resort for someone who really wants
to play but cannot otherwise.
Florian Offermann
which would make his fingers more slim. But i doubt that he's able to play
piano anymore...
"Paul Hirose" <ewwb4...@earINVALIDthlink.net> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:3FFDC5E0...@earINVALIDthlink.net...
Tom Shaw
in picking a pocket?
TS
"Florian Offermann" <florian....@gmx.de> wrote in message
news:bu1nkt$l7r$01$1...@news.t-online.com...
dnc
> which would make his fingers more slim. But i doubt that he's able to play
> piano anymore...
>
Dave
totalcharge
"dnc" <dnc...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3d30943f.04011...@posting.google.com...
El Rayo-X
Someday, probably after we've been to Mars, there will be a virtual
piano, which will consist of a holographic keyboard and pedals
projected onto any convenient surface which will also support a sensor
that detects your finger and foot locations and velocities and feeds
them into a digital processor that will route it's output through any
of several options, speakers, recorder, computer, elevator, whatever.
Of course you will be able to adjust the key spacing. Consider that
even the best acoustic piano is only an approximation of the ideal
instrument and that as technology advances, the realization of the
ideal may well be something other than a "real" piano.
Carlos
>
> Someday, probably after we've been to Mars, there will be a virtual
> piano, which will consist of a holographic keyboard and pedals
> projected onto any convenient surface which will also support a sensor
> that detects your finger and foot locations and velocities and feeds
> them into a digital processor that will route it's output through any
> of several options, speakers, recorder, computer, elevator, whatever.
> Of course you will be able to adjust the key spacing. Consider that
> even the best acoustic piano is only an approximation of the ideal
> instrument and that as technology advances, the realization of the
> ideal may well be something other than a "real" piano.
But that would take some of the fun away. I still like the idea of playing a
purely mechanical thing, invented 300 years ago.
H. Emmerson Meyers
"Carlos" <garcia...@ya.com> wrote in message
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