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What is Your Hand Span?

i can reach both of those positions and i'm only 5'8-5'9 feet tall!

but, i strecthed my left hand every day for one year. i just measured it and its about 1/2 inch longer than my right. is this an anomoly? i'm naturally left handed-though i write with my right hand.

hopefully the kind muscians here won't mind answering this question? ;)

jv'

by jazzvirtuoso on 02/25/2006, 00:39

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that hand stretching exercise really works. it's like yoga for the hand. after doing it for about half a year now (and not even regularly), my left hand span is about a 1/4 inch wider than my right. i can reach major 10ths comfortably in the white keys (f to a, etc). in flat keys like eb, it's more of an effort, but still possible.

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by JHMurray on 02/25/2006, 03:33

i confirm that stretching exercises for left hand work very well. i didn't do any stretching but i play since a couple years james p.johnson and fats waller stride piano and it works great for stretching left hand : you don't need to play those pieces fast , it's better being precise and slow rather than fast and with a lot of errors imho.

my hand is quite large and i can easily reach 10ths and 11ths in all keys without stretching my hand and without pressing other keys with pinky and thumb fingers. i can also add 5th and 7th (minor or major) in all keys too , though the most difficult chord to reach for me is b-f#-a#-d#(d# octave higher) . i can also reach a/b-type voicings in drop2 form (lowering the 2nd note from the top 1 octave lower) with my left hand only . with a bit of stretching i can also reach c-bb-f# but i cannot reach 12ths without pressing other keys with thumb and fingers.

my left hand is 1/2 inch larger than right one. being more precise , each finger is almost the same in both hands, but when i stretch and overlap my hands my left-hand thumb and pink fingers seem more "horizontal" than right-hand ones . with some exercises for long time i am pretty sure right hand will reach the same span as left hand , though i don't need so much such exercise for my right hand.

ste

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by on 02/25/2006, 04:57

i've been stretching my left and right hands for years. i always do a quick left hand stretch before a solo gig... if i don't, well, it takes some concentration just to hit a regular 10th. after i stretch it, though, then any white note major 10th is easy. i still can't hit the d-f# 10th, that's the way it goes, i guess.

the "limitation" has helped me develop other areas of my playing, such as a pseudo-modern-stride thing where i can easily jump the left hand around however i want.

still wish i could hit the d-f# 10th. the walking 10ths sound is wonderful, but just barely out of my reach.

If I'm not back in 24 hours, call the president.

Scot is available for skype jazz piano lessons (and google hangouts, phone call, etc...)
Use the contact link at the top of the page.

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by Scot Ranney on 02/25/2006, 07:22

john mehegan makes a distinction in the third of his "jazz improvistation" books
(see   https://www.musicroom.com/se/id_no/02705/details.html  )

between three sizes/types of 10ths.  the first two types are within a normal - whatever that is - male handspan, the third type which we seem to be talking about here are not.
i sub-classify this third type:
1.when my pinky is on a white key eg d, i can reach a black key f# (or b to d#).  however if this type has two extra notes eg. a e g# c#, i have to slightly spread the chord.
2.when my pinky is on a black key, d flat, it is a stretch for me and requires perfect hand alignment to hit the f with my thumb without hitting the e also (or a flat to c).  it is the 'over a white key with the thumb' that causes the problem of course.

my left hand is also bigger than it would have been normally, because i stretch it.  the span is also about half an inch larger than my right.  never had need to stretch the right, on reflection, 9ths are the largest span i play with that hand.

any opinions of the mehegan "jazz improvisations" books?  i have volumes 3 and 4, bought back in the 1980's.  i play some peterson ballads where there are tenths of course, but currently am mostly playing shearing, where normal hands are probably better suited to the close block chord style.
i keep dipping into volume 4 which stresses the development of chord forms a and b, but never really got to grips with understanding them properly...

andy

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by AndyD on 02/25/2006, 13:22

a concise explanation of bill evans' "rootless chords" system.
https://www.jeff-brent.com/lessons/rootless.html

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by 7 on 02/25/2006, 14:04

so, i'm tall (6'7" but shrinking). i span most 10ths with ease. lh span is 9 7/8 or so. rh is full 10. i think i need to stretch my lh some!

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by sdm on 02/25/2006, 17:05

hmm, didn't keep the "foot" marker for some reason. probably edited it out. well, that eith 6'7" (six foot, seven inches) or 79" (seventy nine inches).

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by sdm on 02/25/2006, 17:09

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What is Your Hand Span?

There are 7 comments, leave a comment.

by JHMurray on 02/25/2006, 03:33

by on 02/25/2006, 04:57

by Scot Ranney on 02/25/2006, 07:22

by AndyD on 02/25/2006, 13:22

by 7 on 02/25/2006, 14:04

by sdm on 02/25/2006, 17:05

by sdm on 02/25/2006, 17:09

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What is Your Hand Span?

There are 7 comments, leave a comment.

by JHMurray on 02/25/2006, 03:33

by on 02/25/2006, 04:57

by Scot Ranney on 02/25/2006, 07:22

by AndyD on 02/25/2006, 13:22

by 7 on 02/25/2006, 14:04

by sdm on 02/25/2006, 17:05

by sdm on 02/25/2006, 17:09

Reply to Thread

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

"Latinesque"

LJP Jazz Piano Blogs

Most Recent Discussions

Articles

Top Sheetmusic Picks

Jazz piano education is cool.

Rock on. Follow your passion.

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