Exposition

Small-handed Pianists. Psychological impact and self-efficacy (2023)

Marta Fernández
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About this exposition

The realization that the size of my hands could be a limiting factor for my piano playing came up in my mind many years ago. I developed this research when I realized that I began to focus my practice on the merely “technical” aspect and was leaving musicality aside. There is a striking shortage of publications on piano technique for small hands and even worse, there is no specific literature at all about their mental well-being. As a pianist with small hands I am confronted, among other problems, by self-interference, doubts and fears about my own ability, worries about self-image and feelings that things are out of my control. Therefore, the aim of this research was to understand the mental aspect of being a small-handed pianist. During my research, I gradually implemented new quality practice techniques into my daily routines. This research shows my learning process through recordings of me studying and analysis of my feelings experienced in performances. My aim was to gain self-efficacy and confidence, and in general to develop a growth mindset. It is indispensable for musicians to understand their insecurities, and to allow themselves to accept them. Learning to deal with the technical aspects of small-handedness is relevant. However, this research pointed out that in addition to this, self-efficacy can be boosted by working on it daily through quality practice techniques. Moreover, it showed that it helps to consider technique and musicality as a unity, rather than as separate domains.
typeresearch exposition
keywordssmall-handedness, piano, ergonomy, psychology, self-efficacy, quality practice
date21/11/2022
published19/07/2023
last modified19/07/2023
statuslimited publication
share statusshared with registered RC users
copyrightMarta Fernández Mateos
licenseCC BY-NC-ND
languageEnglish
urlhttps://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/1826186/1826187
published inKC Research Portal
portal issue3. Internal publication


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1826250 PORTADA1 @lazaroarte All rights reserved
1826547 Steinbuhler handspan statistics SteinbuhlerDS All rights reserved
1826555 hands MARTA FERNÁNDEZ MATEOS All rights reserved
1827984 Adaptative strategies (technique) Lora Deahl & Brenda Wristen All rights reserved
1827990 The Inner Game of Music Barry Green and Timothy Gallwey All rights reserved
1828053 Music Self-efficacy Scales Laura Ritchie All rights reserved
1828115 Music Self-efficacy Scales Laura Ritchie All rights reserved
1828129 Page 1 from Ritchie Music Self-efficacy Scales Laura Ritchie All rights reserved
1925956 Evolution of the Keyboard Naotaka Sakai Public domain
1926294 Steinbuhler alternatively sized keyboards Steinbuhler Public domain
1926308 Hand span in steinbuhler keyboard Steinbuhler Public domain
1926326 hands Marta Fernández Mateos Public domain
1955291 Sakai 2008 170 Naotaka Sakai Public domain
1955294 Steinbuhler 2019 manos David Steinbuhler Public domain
1955296 Steinbuhler medidas pianos David Steinbuhler Public domain
1955303 Wagner 1988 Wagner C Public domain
1965846 KC logo Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag CC BY-NC-ND
1967272 Chopin estudio op. 10 nº1 ismlp Public domain
1967289 Chopin estudio op. 10 nº2 ismlp.org Public domain
1972236 Adaptive strategies tablas Lora Deahl & Brenda Wristen Public domain
1972253 Maladaptative tendencies to avoid for small hands Lora Deahl & Brenda Wristen Public domain
1972265 Facilitatie strategies to cultivate for small hands Lora Deahl & Brenda Wristen Public domain
2135377 Prokofiev Visions Fugitives 5 Marta Fernández Mateos Public domain
2135381 Visions Fugitives (V), www.ismlp.org Public domain
2135878 IX. Commodo www.ismlp.org Public domain
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2135937 Visions Fugitivs VIII Marta Fernández Mateos Public domain
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2135976 Prokofiev Visions Fugitives 8 MARTA FERNÁNDEZ MATEOS Public domain
2136020 Prokofiev IX MARTA FERNÁNDEZ MATEOS Public domain
2136028 Prokofiev Visions Fugitives, piece IX ismlp.org Public domain
2136030 Prokofiev Visions Fugitives, piece IX ismlp.org Public domain
2136033 Prokofiev Visions Fugitives, piece IX ismlp.org Public domain
2136035 Prokofiev Visions Fugitives, piece IX ismlp.org Public domain
2139281 Etude Op. 25 No.9 Marta Fernández Mateos Public domain
2139319 Desiderable difficulties MARTA FERNÁNDEZ MATEOS Public domain
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2139722 Metaphor Visions Fugitives I MARTA FERNÁNDEZ MATEOS Public domain
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2139825 Metaphors Visions Fugitives XVII MARTA FERNÁNDEZ MATEOS Public domain
2139832 Metaphor Vision Fugitives IX MARTA FERNÁNDEZ MATEOS Public domain
2139835 Metaphor Visions Fugitives IV MARTA FERNÁNDEZ MATEOS Public domain
2140067 Experimenting Self-efficacy RITCHIE, Laura and WILLIAMON, Aaron. 2010. Measuring distinct types of musical self-efficacy. SAGE Journals. Psychology of Music. vol. 39, nº3: 328–344 . Public domain
2140078 Questionnaires on Self-efficacy 1 (1/2) RITCHIE, Laura and WILLIAMON, Aaron. 2010. Measuring distinct types of musical self-efficacy. SAGE Journals. Psychology of Music. vol. 39, nº3: 328–344 . Public domain
2140083 Questionnaires on Self-efficacy 1 (2/2) RITCHIE, Laura and WILLIAMON, Aaron. 2010. Measuring distinct types of musical self-efficacy. SAGE Journals. Psychology of Music. vol. 39, nº3: 328–344 . Public domain
2140087 Questionnaires on Self-efficacy 2 (1/2) RITCHIE, Laura and WILLIAMON, Aaron. 2010. Measuring distinct types of musical self-efficacy. SAGE Journals. Psychology of Music. vol. 39, nº3: 328–344 . Public domain
2140089 Questionnaires on Self-efficacy 2 (2/2) RITCHIE, Laura and WILLIAMON, Aaron. 2010. Measuring distinct types of musical self-efficacy. SAGE Journals. Psychology of Music. vol. 39, nº3: 328–344 . Public domain
2140108 Questionnaires on Self-efficacy 2 (2/2) RITCHIE, Laura and WILLIAMON, Aaron. 2010. Measuring distinct types of musical self-efficacy. SAGE Journals. Psychology of Music. vol. 39, nº3: 328–344 . Public domain
2140151 My hands MARTA FERNÁNDEZ MATEOS Public domain
2140153 My hands MARTA FERNÁNDEZ MATEOS Public domain

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