Me, around 5 1/2 or so (a few years before I needed to play octaves!)
Like most Asians, I took piano growing up. I pretty much lost interest by the time I was 14 not because I was bad, but because I was growing frustrated. I have really small hands, and while I can reach an octave, the constant octaves in harder pieces hurt and I was always missing notes, even in easier-to-learn pieces. Even though I knew that I would eventually get it, the fact that I was missing them when I wasn't supposed to was really annoying (and even more annoying is when the teacher gets upset that I'm not playing the right notes). I just felt that my hands were too small for the more advanced pieces that I was supposed to learn. I did continue taking lessons for another couple of years, however, but officially gave up when I was 17 to concentrate on singing (I was taking private lessons and participated in the school choir. Our choir pretty much concentrated on sacred, classical and Broadway, which is why I find the music in Glee a complete TURN OFF). I continued to take singing lessons until I finished my bachelor's degree, but stopped when I was in graduate school. I pretty much only sing when I go karaoke, and that's NOT OFTEN.Recently, I got back into piano. I had inherited the piano (pictured above. You may have seen it in more recent clothing pictures), which has been in the family for some 60 or 70 years. I had just managed to bang out Mozart's Rondo alla turca in a manner that actually resembles the piece, though the constant octaves did bother me a bit (to tell you the truth, I cheat sometimes, playing fifths instead - it gives off a better sound than only playing one of the notes). The next pieces to tackle are Beethoven's Moonlight sonata and the second movement of the Pathetique. Not too hard to read. I want to be able to play enough so that if/when I have kids, I can show them that I can actually play, rather than someone who played at one time. If I can't reach the octaves this time, so be it. I'll improvise. Screw small hands! :) Anyway, there isn't a teacher to tell me that I have to "read the book." LOL!
Anyone petite readers out there with the same issue? How did you deal with it? Did you give up at one point?