Prague Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 I know this varies on the hand size and the size of the keyboard. But, all things considered, what is typical amongst the average player? An octave and a 9th? 10th? Are there any known players who can reach an octave and a 5th? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masone81 Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 I can get an 11th with a note in the middle. Like Db - Bb - Gb in the left hand. My hands are not that big but I've been playing "stretching" exercises since I was seven, so I have a good reach. Mason Roses are red Violets are blue All my base Are belong to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RudyS Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 woo that is a big stretch. I can get a octave and a 10th, though not very easily. Rudy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrdman Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 Originally posted by Ohtar: woo that is a big stretch. I can get a octave and a 10th, though not very easily.Just a tenth in my case. What I find more important is the ability to walk them and to hit them cleanly while striding. Both these things took me a lot of work and are a regular part of my practice. Also once I had got to the point of being able to reliably span a tenth I found that the ability to play octaves with 1 and 4 and 1 and 3 came along with it and that is real useful for playing funk bass lines. Its real useful in the right hand too - makes certain Joplin passages much easier, for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 With my left hand, I can reach most major and minor tenths, usually with another note in the middle. For the most difficult situations, I can usually arpeggiate the whole mess very rapidly, so that it's almost imperceptible. With my right hand, I have a slightly smaller span, about one semitone smaller than with the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusker Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 9th or 10th depending on the material. Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prague Posted November 8, 2004 Author Share Posted November 8, 2004 Is an octave and a fifth ever done by anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearded yeti Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 Originally posted by Prague: Is an octave and a fifth ever done by anyone?Shaq. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moj Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 Rachmaninov From allmusic.com "Indeed, the pianist's hands became the stuff of legend. He had an enormous span he could, with his left hand, play the chord C-E flat-G-C-G ..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masone81 Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 Yeah, I thought about mentioning Rachmaninoff. I also heard he could play an octave with pinky and thumb and reach is second finger OVER his thumb and play the 11th! Don't try this at home! Mason Roses are red Violets are blue All my base Are belong to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted November 8, 2004 Share Posted November 8, 2004 Oscar Peterson could play walking tenths. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffLearman Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 Anyone who can do an octave and a 10th should be in the Guiness records! I have rather normal sized hands and not particularly long fingers -- my hands are proportional to my size 9 1/2 shoes and no way I could ever palm a basketball. (No white guys / shoe size jokes, please, let's keep it above the belt!) I can play walking major 10ths, which I do for example on the head for Stolen Moments. Not easily, but I can do it. I'm self-taught, so I haven't been doing any rigorous exercises, but I've certainly worked on my reach by playing songs that use it. Thelonius Monk looked like he could play a pretty long reach, if I saw what I thought I did watching the documentary "Straight, No Chaser" (highly recommended for jazz piano enthusiasts, btw.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RudyS Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 Originally posted by Ohtar: woo that is a big stretch. I can get a octave and a 10th, though not very easily.okay, that of course is a big lie...i meant a tenth. Rudy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sven Golly Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 Originally posted by Dave Horne: Oscar Peterson could play walking tenths.He still can, what with him still being with us (and still playing). I was privileged enough to meet the man back in '90. He shook my hand, and I swear that it was like shaking hands with someone wearing a baseball glove. Absolutely MASSIVE hands. SG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 Originally posted by Sven Golly: Originally posted by Dave Horne: Oscar Peterson could play walking tenths.He still can, what with him still being with us (and still playing). I was privileged enough to meet the man back in '90. He shook my hand, and I swear that it was like shaking hands with someone wearing a baseball glove. Absolutely MASSIVE hands. SGI used past tense because I understand that he had a stroke and performs basically just using his right hand. I do not know that information directly but only from reading about his performances from this forum. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sven Golly Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 Originally posted by Dave Horne: I used past tense because I understand that he had a stroke and performs basically just using his right hand. I do not know that information directly but only from reading about his performances from this forum.Ahhhh, my apologies for the misunderstanding of your comment, Dave. I'm not aware of any diminishing of Mr. Peterson's musical abilities. What I would give to be 1/100th of the player that he is... wow. An immeasurable talent. Can't say enough good things about him, for my money. Cheers, SG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Horne Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 I just did a quick search on Oscar Peterson and what I have just learned is he had a stroke back in 1993 which weakened the left side of his body but he has essentially fully recovered. At any rate, Oscar Peterson has influenced my musical life greatly. When I first heard him I was unaware that anyone could play so well. He is a living legend and I had the good fortune to spend some time with a student of his many years ago who also made a lasting impression. It was after that meeting that I started working on everything in every key. Regarding my 'reach'- I can play any minor 10th without effort and can play major 10ths without effort only between same colored notes - white to white or black to black major 10ths are no problem, the others just get rolled. No guitarists were harmed during the making of this message. In general, harmonic complexity is inversely proportional to the ratio between chording and non-chording instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.