MY JOURNEY
My journey starts with the discovery of Clive Pinkham, a piano manufacturer in the UK way back in 2017. I was on the market for a new piano and I had made enquiries with Mr Pinkham regarding building a piano with narrow keys. After many months of back-and-forth conversation, I eventually decided not to go ahead with the build as it was outside of my budget. I opted instead for a Kawai K600. That piano has served me very well over the years, but I started to develop pain in my right hand through countless hours practicing pieces with octaves and other large stretches. Soon I was returning back to the idea of a piano with a narrow octave.
22nd June 2022
I recently read a very interesting article on pianos and discrimination on the EVC music website by Murray Mclachlan. It seems that Chethams school of music in Manchester, of which Murray is head of keyboard, has acquired a 5.5-inch octave keyboard for one of their Yamaha grand pianos. This is the first time, to my knowledge, that a recognised school in the UK has acquired such an instrument. This is so exciting! I contacted Murray about it and unfortunately there is currently a delay in the pianos arrival, so I may have to wait! In the meantime there are a couple of piano teachers in the UK who own narrow-key pianos that I could go and visit.
21st January 2023
A colleague of mine recently told me he had seen and tried out the narrow-key piano at Chethams, so I got back in touch with Murray and he has invited me to a special day they are having to introduce the piano to the students at Cheethams next month. How exciting! It seems they will only have the piano on loan for a year, after which it will go back to the USA.
11th February 2023
Well the day finally arrived where I would get to try out a narrow-key piano for the very first time! It was such a lovely day. I was only sad that it had to end. A delightful surprise was meeting Mami Shikimori who was presenting the talks and demonstrating on the instrument. Check out her wonderful videos on Youtube. The circumstances were a little strange in that I was sitting in on a series of presentations so I didn't get any time alone on the instrument, however I was invited to play and demonstrate passages to the pupils. It was interesting seeing their bemused reactions to playing familiar pieces on the narrow-key piano (or "baby" piano as one of them called it!). It really isn't easy at first to switch back and forth between the regualr size and the narrow size, but I'm sure it would get a lot easier with a few hours of practice. A wonderful addition to the day was being invited to stay to listen to a lecture by Barry Cooper, a well-known Beethoven scholar.
I didn't get long try the piano myself, but I did get to play demonstrate some Chopin extracts to the students on both a regular 6.5 inch octave instrument and the 5.5 inch, so I can make some brief comments. I would have loved to have had some time on my own at the piano to really test drive it with some of the repertoire I had taken with me, but It was a busy day and everything had to run to schedule. From the short time I had on the instrument it certainly does seem to make a big difference on large stretches and especially on octaves, which felt so comfortable on the 5.5 inch. How wonderful it is to play octave passages without having to stretch the hand at all, and with no discomfort or pain! It suddenly becomes clear how pianists with larger hands can play octaves and big chords with a sense of ease and relaxation.
I managed to snap a few photos of my hands on the piano. On the regular 6.5 inch octave piano (see below) my fingers are under strain when playing an octave, and even more when playing a 9th. The tendons and creases on the back of the hand are pronounced. The fingers are at a sharp angle to the line of the forearm.
6.5-inch octave piano:
5.5-inch octave piano:
The 5.5 inch piano allowed me to adopt a more omfortable, relaxed hand posture with a natural curvature of the fingers (especially noticeable on fingers 1 and 5). The tendons are less noticeable, although partly that is also to do with the change of lighting in the image. On a regular 6.5 inch octave piano my maximum stretch is a 9th. I can reach a 10th if I really, really push it to the point of extreme discomfort. On the 5.5 inch however, a 9th is easy. A 10th is playable and I can even stretch an 11th with some effort!
Playing through the infamous left hand consecutive octave passage in Chopin's A-flat polonaise, I found that I could finally adopt a more sensible fingering, making use of fingers 3 and 4 as well as finger 5. Since the distance between the notes is narrower, I found that I could reach the notes quicker and therefore the whole thing finally felt playable. It was a brief but tantalising snapshot of the possibilites such a keyboard could open up. The right hand arpeggiations in Chopin's Op.10 No.11 etude where also much easier and involved far less lateral movement of the arm.
12th February 2023
At the event at Chethams, Mami gave me a hand span measurement sheet. I have just tried measuring my hand using the sheet and it is very revealing. It allows you to compare your hand span, plus the span between individual fingers, to the average spans obtained from a survey. According to this sheet my 1 - 5 span is a mere 6 percent of men's hands! No wonder I have been struggling with stretches! I have very similar readings for fingers 1 - 2, 1 - 3 and 1 - 4, but curiously my 3 - 4 span is around 75 - 80 percent. I did not expect that! On closer inspection it seems that the comparison between mens and womens spans are much closer in the bottom half of the table (the 2 - 3, 3 - 4, 4 - 5 spans etc.). Please do email me at tonyfountain81@gmail.com if you would like a copy of the sheet.
10th June 2024
I have decided to have a go at building my own wooden 'dummy' narrow keyboard so that I can get an idea of the feel of narrow keys, whilst saving up to purchase a real narrow-key piano. You can use a dummy keyboard to test your hand span for different octave sizes, but you can also try silently 'playing' familiar passages of music. This, in turn, helps you to make an informed decision on whether or not you feel you would benefit from a narrow-key instrument, and if so, which size would be the best fit. I was initially going to order a 3D model version from etsy, but I was dubious as to the accuracy of the models, especially with regards to the gaps between the black keys. To this end, I have been in communication with David Steinbuhler who has kindly provided me with precise measurements for gaps between the black keys and the widths of the black keys, so this has given me confidence to build my own. I will probably write up the project as a separate page on this website for those who are interested in giving it a go.
24th July 2024
The other day I had the priviliage of trying a 5.5 inch piano for the second time, this one built by Steingraeber. I found the contact through the PASK webiste. It involved a fun day out in London and then the afternoon at the owners house trying the piano. I took with me a LOT of repertoire (too much really to carry around London on a hot summer's day!), specifically repertoire with large stretches, but also some pieces that I struggle with in terms of rapid hand, finger and arm movements. This time I had a good few hours to try the piano out, but the circumstances were still not ideal. I was distracted by the (admittedly lovely) company of the owner and his parents. It turned into a bit of a concert, rather than me really thinking hard about what the differences where in relation to a standard 6.5 inch piano, but it was still hugely worthwhile and so enjoyable. Here are a few of my observations from the day:
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I made a lot of mistakes that I would not usually make. This is understandable, given the size difference of the keys. Most of the mistakes happened when stretching octaves, which again is understandable. You really have to re-program your brain since a lot of learning the piano is learning by feel, both in terms of how much to stretch out the hand for a given interval, and also how far to move the arm laterally to cover certain distances, or simply judging where notes are spatially. Some people have said they can adjust in a matter of minutes or hours, but for me I think it would probably take days or weeks, maybe even months. That in no way puts me off getting a narrow-key instrument, as I would certainly be up for the challenge
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Just about everything felt more relaxing to play! What a joy to play demanding repertoire without really ever having to anticipate a demanding stretch of the hand
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My widest finger (finger 3) could fit between the black keys, but it was a tight squeeze, to the point of feeling uncomfortable. I am so used to easily sliding the fingers between the black keys to gain the best position that this became quite distracting. For this reason I am now leaning towards the idea of a 6-inch octave keyboard, or something between 5.5 and 6 inches. A 6-inch keyboard would also feel a lot closer to the octave distance I am used to , so I am thinkng this would involve less adjustment time.
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In terms of improving fluency and speed, at this stage it is difficult to tell. As I mentioned, I was distracted by the people present, watching me and commenting. I really enjoyed it, but I didn't get to really concentrate on my playing. I think, perhaps, it does improve fluency, but at this stage any gains in fluency are cancelled out by mistakes made because of adjusting to the key width.
13th January 2025
As I'm sure you are fully aware, Linda Gould and team have announced production of the new and improved NK5.5; what they have named the Athena stage piano (www.narrowkeys.com/athena). It is such a leap forward from their original prototype model and now comes with built in speakers, which is a huge advantage as it makes it much simpler to set up and use out of the box. It also looks beautiful. I have reserved the keyboard with the 30% discount and am so excited to receive delivery of it later in the year ( I hope!). Ideally I would prefer a keyboard with a 6-inch octave, but I'm not complaining as this is such a milestone in the history of keyboard manufacture. Hats off to Linda and the team for getting this project underway. I'm sure it will be a success!
26th February 2025
I was browsing the PASK website the other week and came across a manufacturer that I have heard of, but not yet contacted; namely Kaduk (aka Fairkey Direct). They retrofit acoustic pianos with narrow keyboards and, looking at their website, it seems they have really given a lot of thought to the process, giving the customer a lot of choice in terms of customising the keyboard and finding the precise key width that works best. The first step in their process is to download a key tester file for 3D printing, which you can download directly from their website (http://fairkey.direct). You then upload the file to the website of a 3D printing company (just simply drag and drop) and it allows you to view and rotate the device, and then you can order the 3D model to be printed and sent to you. The key tester seems to be a tool for finding your preferred key width / gap between the black keys. The price for building a keyboard for your acoustic piano is very reasonable. This unforunately puts me in a bit of a dilemma - do I fork out a couple of thousand for the new Athena keyboard, or do I spend a bit more for a keyboard from Kaduk to be fitted to the piano I already own? Decisions, decisions! At least I have options....just a few years ago none of these options existed...I have to remember that!
17th April 2025
I have now ordered the 3D printed key tester measuring tool. I have also decided not to go ahead with the Athena keyboard (although somehow I think I am going to regret that decision!) as this keyboard retrofit option is looking like a better choice for me, mainly due to the level of customization. Their are a number of choices for the quality of the plastic used in the printing process, but for a simple key tester such as this the cheapest option should be absolutely fine. I'm looking forward to trying it out. It could take a few weeks though to be delivered.
22nd April 2025
If I have learnt anything from the process of trying to acquire a narrow key piano, it is firstly to be (very) patient, and secondly to knock on as many doors as possible, keeping all options open. Of course, if money wasn't an object I would already have my narrow-key piano by now. I would most likely go for a new Steingraeber 6-inch model upright, and I am certainly not ruling this out, but it is an expensive choice. A much cheaper alternative for a brand-new instrument is the Hailun HU1 piano. I have contacted just about every piano shop in the UK I can think of, including the main Hailun dealership, but alas it seems that very few shops sell Hailun instruments over here, and for those that do I have had no luck in contacting them, despite many attempts. I have also tried contacting Hailun directly several times over the last few months, but once again with no reply, that is until the other day! I had a reply directly from the factory and it seems they do have a number of models that could potentially be available with narrow keys, such as the HL121A, the V123 (Vienna line), the H3P, H5P and H33P. The big problem here, with having the piano shipped direct from the factory, is of course the import taxes and the Brexit situation here in the UK. It could be a bit of a nightmare! If I was going with the Hailun option I would much rather go through a dealer.......nothing is ever straightforward!
3rd May 2025
The key tester arrived the other day from the 3D printing company (see below). It is an interesting looking device and I am trying to figure out how to use it. It consists of a series of blocks with gaps in-between. Clearly the gaps are the white keys, so the blocks must be the black keys. They are all slightly different widths and there are lots of letters and numbers. No instructions came with it, but this is my best guess so far; you place your widest finger in the gaps as if you are pressing down a key all the way to the key bed. Some gaps are too narrow for the finger to fit, whereas others are wider and more comfortable. Each gap has a number and each block has a letter. All the gaps wider than number 8 feel comfortable to me.
4th May 2025
I think I have figured out the key tester now. You place your widest finger in each of the spaces between the blocks on the key tester. If it doesn't fit all the way to the bottom, and / or if it lifts up the key tester when you try to take your finger out, then that gap is too tight and you move onto the next one. The first gap where my finger fits all the way to the bottom and lifts out freely is number 7, although for me gap 7 still feels like a bit of a squeeze.
Each block on the tester represents a different black key width and each one has a letter, A through to M. For me, sizes K, L and M feel a little too thin, although it is difficult to say exactly how it would feel without a piano in front of you built to these specificications. Sizes A through to E are all a little wider than the standard 6.5-inch octave piano, so I don't really see the point of going for those, which leaves me with a choice between sizes F through to J.
At this stage you can simply take the narrowest gap you feel comfortable with and note down the number, and then find the black key width you would be most omfortable with, and note down the letter. That gives you a code, say 8G, that Thomas can input into his computer to create a 3d model 'dummy' keyboard from. Once you have the step file for the 3d model keyboard you can then have it printed by a local 3d printing service.
3rd June 2025
Yeah! The step files for the 3d model keyboards have arrived in my inbox! Now all I need is an online platform to view the models as I would like to measure the octave sizes so that I can order one that is closest to 6-inches. I've tried a few different online websites already, but unforunately none of them allow for measuring within the viewer. I will have to email Thomas again to see what he recommends.
11th June 2025
Thomas recommended Autodesk for measuring the 3D models and it works a treat! This is a fantastic free online platform that makes it easy to view 3d models from all angles and to measure distances between specific points. There are controls for tweaking the position of the measuring lines so that you can be absolutely certain it is parallel (using the x, y and z axis). I have measured the octave sizes for all the 3d models Thomas sent to me. I then extrapolated the data to produce a table of the octave sizes for all of the remaining options provided on the key tester. I have included a sample below:
The great thing about the kaduk system is that you are not limited to 5, 5.5 or 6-inch octaves. There are many more sizes available in-between, as you can see from the table, and you have a number of different options for any given octave size. By 'options' I'm talking about the two variables; the gap between the black keys and the width of the black keys. Both of these factors determine the size of the octave. Notice that as the black key width gets smaller, so too does the size of the octave. So, how do you go about determining the best size for your hand using the kaduk system? Here are my own thoughts:
1. Start with the key tester.
The key tester is made up of blocks representing the black keys with spaces in between representing the white keys. Each block and each gap is a different width. The tester has been designed so that the gaps are equivalent to the depth of a white key pressed down to the key bed. This is a great idea, as the dummy keyboard models I made for myself do not allow for pressing the keys down, which makes it more difficult to gauge the gaps between the black keys. Black keys are usually tapered and are therefore wider at the base, which means the gap between them is narrower at the base than at the top.
Place your widest finger (usually finger 3) in the first numbered space on the key tester (number 1). The first question to ask is "does my widest finger fit all the way to the bottom"? In my case the answer is no for gaps 1 through 5, so that narrows down my options. At this point you need to ask yourself "when I lift my finger out, does it lift the key tester with it?" You will eventually reach a gap where you can insert and remove your finger without lifting the key tester. The remaining gaps will be wider still, so you will most likely end up with several options that will feel comfortable. For me gaps 8 through 12 are all options.
Next, determine your preferred black key width. Each block on the tester represents a different black key width and each one has a letter, A through to M. As I mentioned previously, sizes A through to E are all a little wider than the standard 6.5-inch octave piano, so I don't really see the point of going for those.
Putting all this information together, I have narrowed down my options to gaps 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 and black keys F, G, H, I and J, giving me a possible 25 options. That may still seem like a lot, but given that there are a total of 156 possible combinations on the key tester, 25 options doesn't seem so bad. And besides, I have to remind myself that having more options is really a luxury!
To make life easy, at this stage you could simply take the narrowest gap you feel comfortable with and note down the number, and then find the black key width you would be most omfortable with, and note down the letter. That gives you a code, say 8G, that Thomas can input into his computer to create a 3d model from.
2. Your preferred octave size
I knew I wanted a keyboard with around a 6-inch octave, so personally this was always going to determine my choice. Using the table above you can see that there are a number of combinations that result in an octave size of 6 inches, or very near to 6 inches. I have managed to narrow down the 25 options I had earlier to just three; 9G, 9H and 10I. From this point you can upload the step file to a 3D printing website (I used Craftcloud) and order the 3d models to be sent to you for comparison. Once the model arrives I will let you know how I get on.
18th June 2025
The 3d model keyboard arrived in the post the other day. I went for the cheapest option with regards to materials, and as a result the finish is not that smooth, but it is fine for its intended purpose, which is simply gauging the feel of the keys. The keyboards would be great tools for demonstrating to others, although I think if I were to do that I would pay more for it to be printed with a smoother finish. The great thing about these 3d models is that a few of the white keys and one of the black keys is 'pressed down' so to speak to give you a more realistic feel for the spacings between the keys. This is a nice touch.
The next step is to measure up my piano......and that is a bit daunting! I think I need to get back to Thomas to book a time to go through this part of the process. When all the measurements have been made, Thomas will then input the data into his program, which will then tell him whether or not my preferred option (in terms of key width) will work for my piano.
20th June 2025
Well the day arrived for measuring the piano. I did this via a zoom call with Thomas, which was a big help. Although Thomas says that this is an easy task, it does require some familiarity with dismantlling parts of the piano action in order to really get in to some tight corners to make the measurements. You also have to be very precise with the measurements. A pair callipers a good to have on hand. An hour later and I managed to make most of the measurements. I finished the rest a few days later. Since I had dismantled a lot of the action, including removing the keys, this meant that my piano was out of action for a few days, which was a bit frustrating, but it did give me a chance to clean and dust the inside of the piano. Fortunately, I do find the piano action fascinating, so it was intriguing taking it apart, and eventually putting it all back together. I would advise caution though, if you are not familiar with the process. Once the measurements have been made, you can then upload them to an Excel worksheet provided by Thomas and then email the sheet. Job done. From that point, Thomas will input the data into his program and that should tell him whether my desired keyboard width wil work for my piano.