Author: EaubeauHorn
Date: 2008-12-17 16:05
I just measured my handspan, thumb to pinky, as seven inches. If I push down on it with my other hand, I can get it out to 7 3/4 inches, but that wouldn't be useful for anything. My glove size is 6 1/2.
I had the same problem with the LH Eb key, and what I did was apply a concept from classical guitar hand position. (or regular guitar, same thing.) People generally will put their index finger on the guitar first, and then when they get to the pinky (all four fingers down) they can't reach the fret; their pinky is straight out and "pointed at" the fret but they can't reach the fret, and their index finger is quite curved. Their hand position looks like a violinist's. The solution is to put the pinky on first, curved and comfortable, and then work backwards to the first finger, keeping them all on the keys; you will end up "pointing" your first finger a little bit, and your wrist will be rotated differently than it is if you ignore your pinky when you put your first finger on first. This hand position, which looks more like a cellist's, will allow you to play the instrument without having to modify it.
The coordination problems and awkwardness will be worked out through practice, which doesn't of course depend on your actual hand position.
For my right hand, I made a little cardboard cube: just pieces of cardboard all folded onto each other to make about a 3/4 inch cube, held together with a rubber band. I just pull the rubber band up a little bit and attach the cube to the thumb rest, which lowers my thumb into a better position for me to hold the instrument. That saved me the cost of a new thumb rest, and my arm doesn't feel as strained. My thumb is also in a much better position for access to the pinky keys.
MA
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