The modern piano is designed for adults, a fact of which most method books for children seem to be unaware. While my hand, which can quite easily reach a 10th (C to E), naturally can rest all five of my fingers on five adjacent white keys, a child with the reach of a 5th or 6th has to stretch to cover the same notes.
This is why I begin with a single-finger approach to learning the piano, gradually adding additional fingers as the student progresses. This allows the child to keep a compact hand and focus on producing a beautiful tone, keeping the entire playing apparatus free. The “traditional” 5-finger position approach to technique (to say nothing of the same approach to note reading), forces an unnatural hand position from the very beginning, causing unhelpful tension.
The five-finger method may seem to provide stability and confidence in the short-term. It’s relatively easy to understand at the beginning, but it cripples the technique over time. I’ve helped countless transfer students retrain their technique, starting with how the hands themselves should be positioned, but it takes time and is difficult for both student and teacher. Be careful who you choose as a teacher, even at the earliest stages. The first year lays the foundation for technique, and thus enjoyment, for years to come.
Joseph Kingma, DMA, NCTM
Kingma Piano Studio