# Pianists/Musicologists, Please: "Stretching A Tenth"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pianists-musicologists-please-stretching-a-tenth/571173>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 12, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pianists-musicologists-please-stretching-a-tenth/571173 "2011-02-12T23:32:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pianists-musicologists-please-stretching-a-tenth/571173/41 "2012-06-02T01:32:59Z")

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I’m a bassist, but I’ve just tried it on my wife’s piano.  
Left-hand: 10th easy, 11th hard (couldn’t use it)  
Right-hnad: 9th easy, 10th praying

13th!!! you’ve got to be kidding.

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pianists-musicologists-please-stretching-a-tenth/571173/42 "2012-06-02T13:02:15Z")

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I personally don’t find it being that big a deal not being able to play a tenth. At least, I can’t play one in my left hand. IN fact, I never even knew I was supposed to be able to. That explains why so many people use that 1-5-10 pattern. I always assumed they did the same rocking motion I have to use.

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**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pianists-musicologists-please-stretching-a-tenth/571173/43 "2012-06-02T14:09:44Z")

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I’m a pianist, and with care I can play white-note 10ths in my left hand, with my right hand a 9th is all I can reasonably manage. I have tiny hands and fingers. It does mean that some repertoire and techniques are out for me, but in my line of work it’s usually fine to use alternate methods for acquiring a certain sound.

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**Author:** ![Labor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Labor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labor)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pianists-musicologists-please-stretching-a-tenth/571173/44 "2012-06-04T17:28:06Z")

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I could reach a tenth back in college when I thought I was a pianist. 10ths are no big deal.

I’d be very suprised to find anything bigger than an octave in Bach, Mozart or Haydn.

Mozart didn’t need to he had a great time following all the rules and making great music.

Haydn didn’t need to, he was too busy writing 104 symphonies and 86(?) string quartets in addition to all the choral music and teaching Mozart.

Bach was too busy perfecting counterpoint.

They wouldn’t stoop to such a trick as a tenth.

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