Dear Mr. Chappell:

I am teaching an adult student with very big hands. For example, it is easier and more comfortable for him to play a fifth using 1 and 3 than it is using 1 and 5. Should I try to have him conform to standard fingerings? Any words of wisdom you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

— Teacher

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Dear Teacher:

That is a fascinating question. It kind of splits down the line of “things every pianist needs to be able to do” versus “accommodating individual characteristics”.

The real answer is to be able to do anything. So, from that standpoint, he should be able to use any fingering and any hand position. After that is established, he can choose to do whatever he wants to.

Have the student play all intervals with all pairs of fingers. So, play all 12 minor seconds, all 12 major seconds, all 12 minor thirds, etc., in ascending and descending chromatic order (example: minor seconds: C-Db, C#-D, D-Eb, etc.) with the following fingering combinations: 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, 3-4, 3-5, and 4-5. It’s rigorously methodical and therefore potentially tedious, so perhaps you should assign a couple of intervals per week if that would make the going smoother.

Also have him play various 5-note combinations all fingered as right hand 1-2-3-4-5 and left hand 5-4-3-2-1, with different distances between the keys such as: chromatic (example: C-C#-D-D#-E), major and minor diatonic (C-D-E-F-G or C-D-Eb-F-G); whole tone (C-D-E-F#-G#); diminished 7th chord (C-Eb-F#-A-C); augmented triad (C-E-G#-C-E); and quartal (C-F-Bb-Eb-Ab), and have him transpose them to all 12 positions. If he can play the groupings both as chords and as ascending/descending single note patterns (or even other creative patterns for that matter), it would be good also.

Now that I’ve dreamed that up for you, I think I’ll start having all of my students do it.

— J.C.