Question: I'm currently playing a piece which requires big stretches of large intervals across the keyboard. It slightly hurts when I do so, and I am wondering if I should continue to practise like this.

[![Bartok Suite op14 - Allegretto](https://i.stack.imgur.com/6cfvl.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/6cfvl.png)

My piano teacher suggests fingerings with a combination of 3 1 and 2 1 in the L.H.

Answer: 
In my piano lessons I was told the story in which famous composer Schumann permanently damaged his fingers by performing excessive stretching exercises:

> 
> (...) that Schumann damaged his finger by using a mechanical device that held back one finger while he exercised the others—which was supposed to strengthen the weakest fingers
> 
> 
> 

(From [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Schumann))

This story (I really see it as a story, I think it's historically unproven) was told to me to teach me the following things:

* Every piano player knows the situation that your fingers seem too weak or not stretched enough, that's normal on every skill level.
* It's not possible to force rapid performance boosts, especially not by enduring physical pain. Controlled practice with patience is all you can do.
* Respect your hands! Yes, you can practice finger strength or range with the right exercises, but if there is any risk in damaging/hurting them, stop.
If it truly only hurts slightly, and you're otherwise able to perform the required stretch, then try continuing that way. If the discomfort lessens, that's a good sign; if it grows worse, it's a bad sign: at the very least you need a break from practicing that music, or that passage, and possibly to change what you're doing.

If you're not able to perform the music properly, then your stretch is insufficient. It will not increase, just from trying. It could be that just throwing yourself at the stretch will increase your span by, say, millimeter over time. If you need seven millimeters, that's not nearly enough. (If you're still a child or young adult, not yet fully grown, you have a chance that way.)

It's not advisable to persist in something that hurts, in a situation where the goal is not attainable in that manner.

In the pursuit of a musical instrument, there are some pains along the way, due to the body adjusting to the stresses of acquiring new skills. There are some good pains and there are some bad ones; you have to learn to "play it by ear".

Any sudden, sharp pain is a sign to stop. So is pain that is trending for the worse day over day.

Regarding stretching, do not apply external forces to try to make your reach bigger. If the discomfort you're experiencing is just from your hand's own effort at stretching, that is a lot less dangerous than if you start forcing your fingers into stretched positions using your other hand, or some sort of tool.