If you haven't seen it yet, Narrow Keys has announced preorders for Athena.

At Narrow Key Pianos, we're excited to introduce the Athena Digital Piano, featuring narrow keys designed for easier, more comfortable, and expressive playing for those with smaller hands. With its 5.5" octave, Athena ensures that everyone can fully enjoy the beauty of music.
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Our founders, Linda Gould and Kathy Strauch, are passionate pianists who faced these challenges firsthand. Over five years ago, they united with a vision to make music more accessible, partnering with a leading keyboard factory to create a high-quality, affordable instrument.
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The result is the Athena Digital Piano: an exclusive, expertly crafted design that delivers premium sound and comfort, empowering you to play your best from the first note.

They seem to have put in the best action and electronics that they could source for this and they are offering 30% off if you preorder before January 9th.

It's a hefty investment, but might be worth it to help reach those 10ths.

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Beach L168, Wish, baCh, WOW Petrof, Fake Steinway, VS
TIME

I am in the purple 🙁

navindra Thanks! It’s good to know there is still hope.

    My handspan is almost 7". If I'm getting a keyboard to really fit my hands it would ideally be even narrower than 5.5 inches. I did get the mail about the Athena, but I'll pass. It would still be a compromise and a relatively expensive one. I'm in the very slow process of trying to build a narrow key controller DIY style so I'll just try to push on with that. The problem as I see it is not only the 1-5 reach but also the 2-5 reach. Not being able to play certain 6ths with 2-5 within a chord on a regular sized keyboard is a limitation, apart from octaves being uncomfortable.

    If you want to try out what different sized keyboard widths feel like before buying there are 3d printable model files available for download on the PASK site. https://paskpiano.org/resources-and-links/ I scaled the smallest one down to 126 mm(4.96") width in the slicer and printed at that size. That seems about the right size for me and would make it possible to reach a tenth for the first time ever.

    Also, I couldn't order it even if I wanted to, as it currently only sells in the USA and Canada.

    Slightly OT:

    iternabe Awesome chart. My both hands are ~8.9, but I can only play 10ths at the edges. I wish my fingers were longer, but thinner, as I have some trouble playing white keys near the fallboard without pressing the other white keys accidentally.

        WieWaldi I wish my fingers were longer, but thinner, as I have some trouble playing white keys near the fallboard without pressing the other white keys accidentally.

        That's my problem too. See, I have pretty large hands (I can reach a 10th easily even playing some keys in between) but chords that have to be played in between black keys and cramped positions with adjacent white and black are very uncomfortable for me. A keyboard with narrower keys than standard would not be playable at all for me.

          WieWaldi I can only play 10ths at the edges.

          How often do you find that a problem? Asking since I'm trying to settle on the dimensions for my DIY project.

          Sincerely,
          CanOnlyPlayOctavesOnTheEdge

              candela I try to avoid it, so I happens not often. But not being able to play an octave easily, would be a [censored].

                  Small hands is not always an excuse 😃

                  That said, I think I have large hands for a female... (8.5" both hands)... AHHH another complex to add to the growing list 🤓

                    WieWaldi I try to avoid it, so I happens not often.

                    Thanks for the reply! Yes, that has been my thinking as well, that it's not extremely crucial to play comfortable tenths considering how relatively rare they are, if it comes at the cost of not easily getting between the black keys or having to make the black keys extremely narrow, at least as long as eights and ninths are comfortable. Only having to stretch the hand to the absolute limit very occasionally probably isn't likely to cause significant damage.
                    Also, there seems to be an ongoing inflation in desirable hand span. My mom, who took piano lessons in the 1940s and '50s but rarely plays anymore, genuinely wondered why anyone would need to reach more than an octave...

                      Youtube alg is amazing, sometimes:

                        Sophia That said, I think I have large hands for a female... (8.5" both hands)... AHHH another complex to add to the growing list 🤓

                        Sophia! Try exclaiming, "My, how lucky!" instead... 😁

                        *
                        ... feeling like the pianist on the Titanic ...

                          WieWaldi

                          Let me put a warning here.

                          Stretching your hands to play wider chords on the piano is not without risks, especially for us who are a bit older. Overstretching can strain the tendons and ligaments in the hands, which may become less elastic over time, increasing the likelihood of discomfort or injury. Additionally, the joints in the fingers, especially those at the base, can experience stress, which is a concern for individuals with conditions such as osteoarthritis.

                          The muscles in the hand and forearm may also tire more quickly when holding wide stretches, potentially leading to overuse injuries like tendinitis. Repeated stretching without proper technique or adequate rest can exacerbate these issues, and older adults, who often recover more slowly from minor strains or inflammation, may find themselves more prone to chronic problems. Finally, excessive stretching could contribute to conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome or other repetitive strain injuries, which can reduce dexterity and cause persistent discomfort.

                          *
                          ... feeling like the pianist on the Titanic ...

                              Animisha Thanks for the warning - appreciate it. 😊

                                Animisha Thank you for writing this! I was thinking to say something similar but you were quicker.

                                It's also a fact that professional pianists with small hands are much more likely to become injured than others, despite having developed very good technique and maintained good warm-up routines over the years, being aware of the risks. So there is no getting around that hand size also matters and can't be stretched away. If it hurts, stop and heal!

                                I applaud the initiative to launch products like the Athena so more people can play pain free and with just normal injury risks. Musical instruments are only that: tools to make music. It makes so much more sense to make them fit the player than the other way around. Especially for their personal instrument where people spend the bulk of their practice time.