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PIANO KEYBOARDS – ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL! PIANISTIC HEALTH FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Abstract and Figures
The width of piano keys became standardised approximately 120 years ago, based on the needs of European male pianists. Only recently has piano keyboard size come into question, as more pianists experience the benefits of reduced-size keyboards.
There is strong evidence that small-handed pianists are more likely to suffer pain and injury than those with larger hands. Many pianists, particularly women and children, are unable to reach their full potential with the standard keyboard.
The lecture/demonstration will include statistics, literature review, live and recorded performances, and a rationale for encouraging the use of smaller piano keyboards.
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... • Review of literature on the relationship between pain and injury and hand size, and perceptions of pianists using ESPKs (Boyle & Boyle, 2009;Booker & Boyle, 2011). ...
... • Summary of results of major international piano competitions; history of the piano keyboard; analysis of the 'barriers' to change (Booker & Boyle, 2011). ...
... The fact that the modern piano keyboard was standardised over a century ago to a size that is 'large' in a historical context, based on the needs of certain European male virtuosos (Parakilas et.al., 1999; summarised by Booker & Boyle, 2011) suggests that, purely because males tend to have significantly larger hands, the current keyboard is likely to be more suited to males than females. However, in Section 8, we also show that there is a significant proportion of males for whom the keyboard is too large, not to mention young pianists. ...
Hand span data was collected from 473 adult pianists and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods, focusing on differences according to gender, ethnicity and level of acclaim. For comparative purposes, similar data was collected from 216 non-pianist university students and 49 children and teenagers. Gender differences are consistent with those found in earlier studies and ethnic differences are also significant but smaller in magnitude. Highly acclaimed solo performers tend to have bigger hand spans than others. 'Small hands' are defined in terms of hand span metrics, allowing estimates of the proportions of pianists with 'small hands'. The conclusion is that the current 'standard' piano keyboard is too large ergonomically for a majority of pianists. ______________________________________________________________________
... For instance, dividing up the chords can increase accuracy and comfort but lose dramatic intensity in some greater music pieces (Deahl and Wristen, 2003). Observation on piano competitions over the last half century could also explain the impact of music excerpt on hand span (Booker and Boyle, 2011). As female pianists have an average hand span which is about one inch smaller than the males (Boyle et al., 2015), male usually outnumber female prize-winners in major international piano competitions. ...
... As female pianists have an average hand span which is about one inch smaller than the males (Boyle et al., 2015), male usually outnumber female prize-winners in major international piano competitions. However, this trend was not obvious when it came to Bach and Mozart competitions where the repertoire does not demand such large physical reaches, and hence is more on the same physical level for both men and women (Booker and Boyle, 2011;Boyle et al., 2015). Such results suggest, that having access to the ESPKs should be available, ensuring that piano players are on an equal footing in terms of potential anthropometric limitations at performance. ...
The availability of keyboards with reduced key width has been recently promoted as an ergonomic aid for small-handed pianists to overcome any potential physical disadvantages that may restrict their piano repertoire. However, a lack of biomechanical data exists to support whether reduced piano key size is effective in achieving this outcome. This research investigates the effect of playing on three different key width size pianos (5.5-inch octave, 6.0-inch octave and conventional size with 6.5-inch octave) on hand, arm and shoulder muscle activity levels according to the hand size of the pianists.
Results indicate that piano key size affects the muscle activity levels of selected muscles. Furthermore, this effect of different key sizes changed according to the players’ hand spans. Small-handed pianists may benefit from using smaller-sized keyboards to reduce muscular exertion during performance. This investigation provides preliminary EMG data supporting the use of different size keyboards to improve the ergonomic fit according to the dimensions of individual pianists.
... The use of adaptive accessories, such as a chin rest and/or a shoulder rest, has been proposed to be a way to improve the interface between the instrument and the player (Castleman, 2002;Okner et al., 1997). For pianists, a "one-size-fits-all" keyboard has been the available industry standard with respect to the size of the keyboard in modern piano manufacturing, teaching and performing (Booker and Boyle, 2011;Donison, 2000). However, recent demographic evidence proposes that this standardised piano keyboard discriminates against many pianists, especially the female players, who have relatively smaller hand sizes (Boyle et al., 2015). ...
... However, recent demographic evidence proposes that this standardised piano keyboard discriminates against many pianists, especially the female players, who have relatively smaller hand sizes (Boyle et al., 2015). Controversies persist in best methods to ergonomically fit the instrument to the player among players and pedagogues of both these instruments, and no reviews to date have been conducted to determine whether a collection of evidence to support ergonomic ideals exists (Booker and Boyle, 2011;Homfray, 2007;Lacraru, 2014;Thomsen, 2011). ...
This systematic review aimed to evaluate whether muscle activity and playing-related musculoskeletal disorders are associated with musicians’ anthropometrics and their instrument size or set-up during violin and piano performance. Studies were retrieved systematically from six databases on 1 April 2019 combined with hand searching results. The Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS tool) was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the included papers. A total of twenty articles were identified. Most included studies focussed on either the adjustment of the shoulder rest in violinists, or the hand size in pianists. However, methodological quality was inconsistent. The electromyography data reported by the included studies were not appropriately processed and interpreted. Studies generally reported the use of a shoulder rest changes muscle activity and smaller hand size is correlated to increased playing-related musculoskeletal disorders incidence. However, no conclusions can be drawn due to heterogeneity and low quality of methodology in the available literature.
... From a biomechanical perspective, anthropometry is important when learning a skill. Interestingly, with the exception of research on hand span and ergonomically modified keyboards (Booker & Boyle, 2011;Boyle et al., 2015;Chi et al., 2020;Deahl & Wristen, 2017;Farias et al., 2002;Lai et al., 2015;Wagner, 1988;Wristen et al., 2006;Yoshimura & Chesky, 2009), anthropometry has been overlooked in existing biomechanics research on piano performance and music pedagogy. Factors suggesting a need for more attention to anthropometry include these: (a) the keyboard is immobile and of fixed dimensions, (b) pianists must play notes according to directives in the musical score, and (c) anthropometry is largely a fixed variable for each pianist who must individualize positioning and repositioning the body to facilitate how fingers address the keyboard during performance. ...
Piano performance motor learning research requires more “artful” methodologies if it is to meaningfully address music performance as a corporeal art. To date, research has been sparse and it has typically constrained multiple performance variables in order to isolate specific phenomena. This approach has denied the fundamental ethos of music performance which, for elite performers, is an act of interpretation, not mere reproduction. Piano performances are intentionally manipulated for artistic expression. We documented motor movements in the complex task of performance of the first six measures of Chopin’s “Revolutionary” Etude by two anthropometrically different elite pianists. We then discussed their motor strategy selections as influenced by anthropometry and the composer’s musical directives. To quantify the joint angles of the trunk, shoulders, elbows, and wrists, we used a VICON 3 D motion capture system and biomechanical modeling. A Kistler force plate (1 N, Swiss) quantified center of gravity (COG) shifts. Changes in COG and trunk angles had considerable influence on the distal segments of the upper limbs. The shorter pianist used an anticipatory strategy, employing larger shifts in COG and trunk angles to produce dynamic stability as compensation for a smaller stature. Both pianists took advantage of low inertial left shoulder internal rotation and adduction to accommodate large leaps in the music. For the right arm, motor strategizing was confounded by rests in the music. These two cases illustrated, in principle, that expert pianists’ individualized motor behaviors can be explained as compensatory efforts to accommodate both musical goals and anthropometric constraints. Motor learning among piano students can benefit from systematic attention to motor strategies that consider both of these factors.
Recommendations: Detach notes as needed—join with pedal. Release bass and inner voices early as needed. Insert dynamic fluctuations within a long fortissimo passage. Maximize the bass through long pedals. Use stronger fingers. Supplement action of the fingers with a forward and upward motion of the forearm. Use the thumb and fifth finger exclusively for octave passages. Omit notes from successive large chords. Use staccato touch for selected notes in arpeggio. Keep hand compact. Use “rebounding” motion. Insert moment of rest between every chord. Use the damper pedal to create a legato sound. Keep the hand pliable. Control shape and size of forearm rotation. Redistribute long fortissimo octave passages between the hands. Redistribute notes between the hands. Use the thumb to express a tenor melody. Break fingerings into small units that require more hand shifts. Refinger to eliminate stretches. Redistribute notes to eliminate stretches between interlocked hands. Redistribute notes to allow for ease in trills. Conclusions: Do not recommend exercises or devices that purportedly strengthen fingers or increase hand span. Give specific feedback. Be cautious of repertoire that contains stretches just barely within reach of the hand. Be flexible and experiment to find effective solutions to technical problems. Strive to return to “anatomic neutral” at the hand and wrist as often as possible. Take any complaint of pain or fatigue seriously. Encourage healthy practice habits. Educate students about inherent problems of small hand size. Encourage experimentation. Cultivate an appreciation for different styles of performance. Support the seven-eighth-sized keyboard as a viable option to standard-sized keyboards. Invited Paper presented at the Music Teachers National Association Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, March 20, 2002
Last year at the Performing Arts Medicine Association annual symposium in Aspen, one of the topics focused on was piano performance-related injury. I was invited to attend the symposium and give a talk on the issue of hand size and keyboard size as they may relate to injury. Although my mission to bring about the adoption of a second smaller standard size for the piano keyboard has been primarily motivated by the idea that there is great loss of potential achievement and enjoyment at the instrument for the smaller-handed pianists of the world, the idea that injury may be a greater risk for smaller hands seemed like one more reason to promote the concept. In recollecting my experience as a full-time student in a piano performance program, instances of tendinitis and other repetitive strain injuries were practically exclusively the problem of smaller-handed pianists (mostly female, of course), and it seemed to be generally accepted by students and teachers alike that this was a greater risk for these players. Yet this information is completely anecdotal, and to my knowledge, no conclusive experimental study had proved this to be true. It just seemed obvious to everybody and nobody required proof.
The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate the educational background, practice habits, and incidence of injury among piano students from a liberal arts university in Washington State. A survey was completed by 16 of 25 piano students aged 18 to 24 years. Results of this study revealed that many participants did not receive or use injury prevention education. The prevention principles with the most reported use were proper posture and body mechanics and decreasing the length of practice when fatigued. The average amount of time spent practicing per weekday was 117 minutes. Fifteen (93%) of the participants sustained 27 playing-related injuries, and ten (62%) reported more than one injury. Twenty-one percent reported that their injuries restricted their participation in everyday activities. The results of this study suggest that aspiring musicians may not be receiving injury prevention education and/or not applying injury preventive techniques to practice. More research needs to be devoted to examining the introduction and application of injury prevention concepts among young musicians.
Two hundred professional pianists and students with hand pain (35 men and 165 women; 102 right, 62 left, and 36 bilateral; with a mean age of 26.3 years) attributed to overuse while playing the piano were investigated. The diagnoses were divided into six groups: tenosynovitis or tendinitis (56 cases), enthesopathy (49), muscle pain (38), neurological disturbance (28), joint pain (24), and neck or scapular pain (5). Tenosynovitis or tendinitis included de Quervain's disease (29), flexor tenosynovitis (17), and tendinitis of the extensor digitorum communis (6). The enthesopathy group consisted of lateral epicondylitis (27), medial epicondylitis (7), olecranon pain (4), and distal pain of the flexor carpi radialis or ulnaris (8). Muscle pain was seen in the digital extensors (12) and flexors (5) of the forearm, the thenar muscle (8), the hypothenar muscle (6), and the interossei (6). Finger joint pain was noted in the proximal interphalangeal joint (15), metacarpophalangeal joint (6), and first carpometacarpal joint (1). Neurological disturbance included focal dystonia (18), cubital tunnel syndrome (8), and carpal tunnel syndrome (2). Seventy subjects stated that they were practicing some specific keyboard techniques at the onset of their overuse trouble; octaves (30 cases) and chords (22), which require hyperabduction of both the thumb and the little finger, accounted for 74% of these techniques.
David Nabb's interview of Maarten Visser on page 159 of this issue and Brenda Wristen's article on the 7/8ths keyboard from the March issue are two recent examples of articles on musical instrument ergonomics. Ergonomics, literally the study of work, is defined as "the applied science of equipment design intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort." When I was an undergraduate student at Tufts University in the 1970s, my engineering roommate studied "human factors engineering" (but never applied it to music, as far as I know). In 2006, a Google search for "ergonomic musical instruments" yields over 1 million websites; a search for "musical instruments" yields 16 million websites.
The keyboard spans (i.e., octave spans) of old keyboard instruments was compared with those of modern pianos to explore whether the relationship between keyboard span and hand span is a contributory factor in overuse problems among pianists. The distance on the keyboard between the left side of the C4 key and the right side of the C5 key was measured in 120 old keyboard instruments, including 26 harpsichords, 8 clavichords, 7 spinets, 4 virginals, 75 pianofortes, and 20 square pianos, manufactured from 1559 through 1929. The oldest harpsichords and pianoforte showed a keyboard span equal to that of the modern piano. In late 18th and early 19th centuries, the span diminished by 3 to 6 mm on average. In the later 19th century, the keyboard span returned to the 188-mm modern size. Unfortunately, almost all famous piano pieces composed in that 100-year period use a small keyboard, and this fact is compatible with the paradoxical situation that many modern pianists struggle with difficult piano techniques on a modern keyboard, which is broader than the old type that the 18th and 19th-century composers used.