Which is more advantageous on the piano: shorter fingers, smaller hands;or longer fingers, larger hands?

Question

What type of advantages, if any, do shorter fingers and smaller hands have; what type of advantages, if any, do longer fingers and larger hands have, on the piano?

Answer 1

The exercise your hands get whilst playing or learning will help greatly in stretching fingers to play well. As someone who teaches piano myself,i think its wrong to tell someone they will be better or worse by having long,thin,fat,fingers. Any type of finger is good,as you learn naturally to be dexterous when playing and it just gives some people hang ups that they have the wrong type of hand,finger etc.
My fingers are long,but wide,my mother as myself was concert pianist,had short stubby hands,and people who have artificial hands also can play very well.
I think there are too many hang ups that people worry about these days,if you are willing and able you can play,no matter what.
So just enjoy yourself and play with whatever hands you have.

Practice makes perfect,and if you dont practice enough you wont be able to reach the full potential nor will your hands be able to move over enough of the piano keys.

Answer 2

I've been playing piano for over 20 years, and I have small hands and short fingers. It makes it difficult to play some of the chords because your hand really has to stretch. It doesn't make it impossible, but a lot harder. If I could choose, I would have chosen long, slender fingers.

Answer 3

i'm 15 and i play piano and i have pretty small hands but i'm doing grade 8 at the moment but it's really difficult because i can't play half of the pieces that i want to because my hand can only reach 1 key over an octave so i cant do some chords!! i think longer fingers and larger hands is better

Answer 4

Long slender fingers because they tend to be more agile.