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The 7/8 Piano Keyboard: An Attractive Alternative for Small-Handed Players

University of Nebraska-Lincoln, bwristen{at}unlnotes.unl.edu

M. Susan Hallbeck

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

This study examines whether the use of a 7/8 keyboard contributes to the physical ease of small-handed pianists in comparison to the conventional piano keyboard. A secondary research question focuses on the progression of physical ease in making the transition from one keyboard to the other. For the purposes of this study, the authors stipulated having a hand span of 8 in. or less as defining a "small-handed" pianist. Objective data measures were obtained through the use of surface electromyography (muscle activity measurement) and electrogoniometry (angle measurement). A questionnaire instrument was also used to examine the perception of participants as they experienced playing the 7/8-size piano keyboard in direct comparison with the conventional keyboard. Although objective data findings from this study are somewhat ambiguous, it is clear from the questionnaires that the majority of small-handed participants preferred the 7/8-size keyboard over the conventional one.

Key Words: 7/8 Piano • small hands • hand size • keyboard • piano • ergonomics

Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Vol. 28, No. 1, 9-16 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/8755123309344162


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