(by small paws, i mean max hand span is ninth or lower). My max hand span right now is only an octave, and I'm playing a messiaen piece which has ninths in both hands (lol double ninths). How would you manage it?
I talked with Kenny Barron, a wonderful jazz pianist, and he says even he doesn't play more than ninths at a time. Just roll them. Frankly, I can't imagine more than ninths; I have big hands and I can just barely hit a ninth. Then again, I'm mainly a woodwind player, so take what I say with a grain of salt.