


Chair of Piano Studies
SMU Meadows School of the Arts
Pianist, teacher, music director
harmonypianostudio.com
Professor of Music - Piano
St Olaf College, Minnesota
Have hand spans smaller than the 8.5 inch minimum that standard keyboards expect.
Also fall below the comfortable reach threshold for a standard 6.5 inch keyboard.
Minimum hand span needed to play a conventional 6.5 inch keyboard from Yamaha or Steinway with real comfort.
Hand span often needs to be at least one quarter larger than the octave just to reach 8ths, 9ths, and 10ths without strain.
Decades of peer reviewed research explain why standard keyboards hold most pianists back.
The Donison Steinbuhler standard appears in research and teaching at leading institutions.
Research and advocacy around scaled keyboards in music education and injury prevention.
Use of alternative sizes inside curriculum and performance programs.