Why We’re Doing This

Playing the piano
doesn’t have to hurt

Pianist playing
"I often witness pianists place their hands for the first time on a keyboard that better suits their hand span. How often the pianist spontaneously bursts into tears. A lifetime of struggling with a seemingly insurmountable problem vanishes in the moment they realize, 'It's not me that is the problem; it is the instrument!' Following on that, the joy of possibility overwhelms them."
Dr. Carol Leone

Dr. Carol Leone

Chair of Piano Studies
SMU Meadows School of the Arts

Pianist playing
"I can play for much longer and continue to play every day. I don’t get frustrated from the pain and from being limited in my playing."
Jen McCabe

Jen McCabe

Pianist, teacher, music director
harmonypianostudio.com

Pianist playing
"My favorite story is from a piano performance major, who couldn't believe that playing the piano didn't have to hurt. The instrument restored her joy for piano repertoire. She had been preparing to change over to harpsichord due to keyboard size issues. I will never forget the day she first played a Chopin ballade on the DS5.5. She literally could not stop beaming."
Kathryn-Ananda Owens

Kathryn-Ananda Owens

Professor of Music - Piano
St Olaf College, Minnesota

The Hidden Barrier

87%of females

Have hand spans smaller than the 8.5 inch minimum that standard keyboards expect.

87%
Too small
Comfortable
24%of males

Also fall below the comfortable reach threshold for a standard 6.5 inch keyboard.

24%
Too small
Comfortable
8.5"
The Threshold

Minimum hand span needed to play a conventional 6.5 inch keyboard from Yamaha or Steinway with real comfort.

25-30%
Larger Reach Required

Hand span often needs to be at least one quarter larger than the octave just to reach 8ths, 9ths, and 10ths without strain.

Published Research

Decades of peer reviewed research explain why standard keyboards hold most pianists back.

Hand size and performance related injuries
Applied Ergonomics, 2021
Pianists with smaller hands show reduced muscular effort and lower perceived strain when they move to 5.5 inch octave keyboards instead of standard size.
Read full study
Gender differences and career impact
Susan Tomes
Studies note that internationally acclaimed women pianists tend to have larger hands, which aligns with a repertoire that often expects very wide reaches.
Read article
Benefits of ergonomically scaled keyboards
Survey of reduced size users
Players report relief from pain, faster technical progress, and greater comfort when they move to keyboards that match their hand span.
Read full study
Performance quality improvements
PASK findings
Shorter reaches and reduced wrist travel on compatible keyboards are linked to better control and lower risk of overuse injuries.
Learn more

Academic recognition

The Donison Steinbuhler standard appears in research and teaching at leading institutions.

Stanford University

Research and advocacy around scaled keyboards in music education and injury prevention.

Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute

Use of alternative sizes inside curriculum and performance programs.