Camila de Oliveira: Beyond the Octave: Rethinking Piano Accessibility

Beyond the Octave: Rethinking Piano Accessibility captures the essence of my research on piano ergonomics. For over a century, the conventional piano keyboard has remained unchanged, imposing significant limitations on accessibility for pianists with smaller hands, particularly women. This constraint has rendered much of the nineteenth-century repertoire challenging, as these musicians struggle with octaves, large chords, and wide finger spans. My photo illustrates this disparity: my right hand plays a tenth on a 7/8-sized keyboard, while my left hand manages barely an octave on the conventional size. This visual representation emphasises the need for different sizes of piano keyboards to accommodate varying hand sizes, ensuring that all pianists can fully engage with the rich musical heritage. By advocating for more inclusive keyboards, my research seeks to break down barriers and explore the benefits of playing on a keyboard that fits one's hand size.