Are there any hand stretching exercises i can do to help me be able to reach octaves easier?

Question

i need to be able to reach octaves on the piano easier in a few of the pieces i am currently working on. i can reach an octave fine, but when i need to play a series of them quickly, my fingers aren't stretched enough to play it easier...did that make any sense? are there any exercises i can do both on and off the piano? thanks! :D

Answer 1

Hey artsy!

I've been experiencing the same type of problem as you except I needed to be able to reach 9ths comfortably. I know what you mean about consecutive octaves - it's very difficult and normally we have difficulty in doing so because we haven't needed to stretch our hands and maintain the gap in every day life. If you practice some of these exercises you should be well on the way to mastering the octave. The important thing for you to remember is not to strain your hand or you can forget about playing even consecutive fifths if you do any serious damage. You know the composer Schumann? He made a contraption to increase his hand span and ended up in agony, his career as a concert pianist ruined!

On the piano: It's important to warm up first. Play some scales and arpeggios to make sure your hands are feeling comfortable. Then, start on middle C with your right hand. Hold down middle C with your thumb, then stretch to the C an octave above it and play that C twice, while holding down middle C. Then, go up a semitone to C sharp. Play C sharp with your thumb, then stretch to the C sharp above with your fourth finger (this can be a bit tricky to get used to!) and play that twice. Go up the rest of the scale in the same manor, using finger five for white notes and finger four for black. You should feel that your hand is being challenged. After you've finished the exercise, loosen your hand and shake it about in order to relax it because it's just been stretched.

Do the same with the left hand - finger five on C. Hold it down and press the octave above twice with your thumb. Finger four on C sharp and thumb on the C sharp an octave above. Continue the chromatic scale for an octave and remember to shake your hand afterwards.

Now, try and play the scale of C major in octaves with your right hand only. Take it slow to begin with and you can increase the pace when you become more confident. Do the same with your left hand. Try some other keys a different day. Remember when you come across two black notes to use your fourth finger instead of the fifth so that your hand is gradually stretching. Then, try and do C major as legato as you can by alternating fingers one and five with one and four. Do the same with the left. Do the same with other keys.

Don't spend too much time doing this and remember to loosen your hands after doing the exercises.

This worked with me.

Off the piano: Spread your hands out on a flat surface. Use your other hand to gently increase the gap between each finger and while doing this raise the back of the pressured hand slightly but make sure that your fingers stay on the table. You should feel a bit of pressure in the tendons between your fingers, but don't force it - you don't want to be in pain, just feel ever so slightly uncomfortable. Do the same with both hands and then shake them, like you did after playing the piano.

Maybe try a few scales in octaves after doing this exercise off the piano. It's not mandatory, however.

If you ever feel pain after doing it, you must stop doing the exercise or try it in a milder dose. Pain is bad!

My old Concert Pianist piano teacher taught me these exercises and they really helped me.

Good luck to you and should you need any more help, don't hesitate to contact me!

Answer 2

I've played the piano, keyboard, organ etc. for years and don't know of any "exercises" you can do off a keyboard. I played as much as six hours a day for 30 years. I still have the same problem you are describing but it's because I simply have a small hand and my fingers are not that long.... I'll never be able to reach an octave any easier unless medical science comes up with "finger extensions."

Answer 3

Sure, you can lightly pull the pinky and pointy finger apart. All the fingers, in various combinations. But you want to be very careful, because you can ruin your hands for playing by doing it. Warm them up well first. Work them into and out of a fist, pull them together and apart with just muscles, for about 5 minutes.
When you stretch, don't yank. Pull steady. A great technique for stretching normal muscles and tendons is to stretch and hold for one second, then relax slightly for one second, repeat. The reason for this is after a bit, your muscles contract against the stretch, so you relax before your muscles do that.
It all doesn't mean diddly if your muscles can't make your fingers go as wide as you can stretch them. One seemingly odd way to counter act this is to actively pull your fingers together with the muscles of that hand, while you stretch it out with the other. In other words, you are getting strength out on the limits of your reach.
Do this all gentle, or you'll tear a tendon and be out of playing for up to months.
And just keep playing all those pieces. Warm up good first, and play them over and over again. That is really probably the best way.
One famous composer a long time ago rigged up a linkage thing to make his ring finger go up and down while he was sleeping, in order to get better strength on it. Ruined his hand, could never play piano again.

Answer 4

I've been playing for about 10 years now, and i have the smallest hands you can get. But as far as i know, there are no 'hand stretching' exercises, just play a lot of pieces that make you stretch and you'll soon get used to it. For me, i have to re-finger the whole piece so i can reach all the notes. I wish i had bigger hands =(

Answer 5

Piano Hand Exercises

Answer 6

yes it made sence and there are exercises u can do off and on the piano. playing the piano as u kno requires a lot of practise which is y u have to continue'stressing ur hands'.continous clawing of your fingers as if you want to catch something.


make sure u practise for atleast 4hrs everyday.in 2weeks u will c the impact.then dont allow ur pam rest on the piano will playing,although its hard sometimes to notice not even with a very melodious piece,, just try!the last and important is that see ur self playing those high keys.YOU must be able to develop ur mental skills to that.it helps alot.


with good thinking, constant practise and simple precautions u are there.for now u can play pieces with high keys u know,then try strectching ur hands conviniently so that your hands will be ready to catch the remaining ones that are proving hard.
i also play the keyboard but i have deviated to guitar.playing musical instruments like keyboard is enough to make u relax.dats if u allow the spirit to flow with the mind but any man who leaves this world without knowing how to play the guitar ......
hope u play hymns, its lovely.

Answer 7

Yes, but read up on how Schumann ruined his piano career by trying to get his hands to stretch first before you try anything. - in response to Max W, it was Schumann

Answer 8

Don't make the same mistake Robert Schumann made...

Answer 9

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