Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Piano Notes: The World of the Pianist by Charles Rosen

Hi all,

I'm just back from vacationing in Vermont and while there I picked up a copy of "Piano Notes: The World of the Pianist" by Charles Rosen. I'm about 2/3 of the way through it and I'm finding it very enjoyable reading.

I loved how he explained on the opening pages that there is no ideal "pianist hands". I feel better now about my small hands (one octave only) after reading this.

Sorry, if this is a repeat topic but, has anyone read this book? Comments?

i never read the whole book but saw it in some book store and looked over a few pages of it, which seems interesting. well, i have another book - "The Great Pianists from Mozart to the Present" by H.C. Schonberg, which covers more on pianists' aspect historically rather than the concert aspect of a pianist in "Piano Notes".

like you, i can only reach one octave comfortably on both hands.

I can do a ninth, but it is no fun. I feel like I've been doing push-ups when I have to stretch that far!

Don't worry, signa and devils4ever. Big hands aren't all they're cracked up to be!

Cindy -- whose teacher has smaller hands, but whose teacher can play circles around her