How to practice "left hand bass" well

[rivaldo]

Hi fellows,

I'm writing to ask your opinion of what is a good method to practice "left hand bass". I mean that songs that you make the melody on the right hand, and your left is just "one note" then "Chord", "one note" then "Chord". Like many Chopin Waltzes for example.

How do you practice this? I keep practicing it, so I can play the song, but it's very hard to play the left hand comfortable, easily, without looking at it... So I'm looking to know if there are other ways to practice this kind of thing.

Thanks,

Riva

[xamy]

I'm not a teacher but I have played two Chopin Waltzes and know exactly what you mean. I had problems hitting the right notes with LH, especially the single note played with the little finger. I just had to be patient, learn the left hand alone first, and take it slowly with the right hand. Also brake the piece up into little bits say 4 bar sections. Another way is to stop on the note that cause you trouble, pause and then play it. Prepare mentally before playing it. This might sound strange but it works. You just need to be patient and persevere a bit. You will find that once you get the first bits, you will learn the rest quicker. Good luck.

By the way this is what my teacher told me.

[donjuan]

Ahh yes, one trick you may or may not find helpful:

So, if the pattern goes 'low single note, chord, chord', etc like in a waltz, try playing the low single note with the 3rd finger instead of 5th finger (as you may intuitively approach it with)  For some reason, it is just easier to find the note you want when you use 3rd finger. 

However, if the pattern goes 'low single note, chord, low single note, chord' like in a Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody, this trick doesn't work because the music is too fast paced.  at this point, I just practice without looking at the note until I can do it subconsciously while focussing on other things like the right hand, for example.

hope I helped

[sissco]

If the right hand is not to difficult you can play that blind and focus on the left hand....

[quantum]

Concentrate on the formation your fingers need to make in order to play the chord.  Keep to a minimum the amount that you change this formation, as many unnecessary change confuse the hand.  When you are playing that low bass note with 5th finger, your hands should already be in the position of the following chord. 

Try this: open and close your hand quickly and repeatedly - sort of like what the doctor asks you to do before he takes blood.  You find that your hand tires quite quickly.  This is the motion you must avoid when switching between bass note and chord. 

[abell88]

You can use the black keys to help you find the low notes...get used to how a low G feels, for example, by consciously finding the 3 black key group and finding G in it. If I'm playing a low E I will feel for D# with the side of my finger.

[ted]

If that specific movement is all there is to your problem then play some ragtime or stride and pretty soon anything else will be easy by comparison.

[jamie_liszt]

play in the dark more, lol i did and now i dont have to look at the keys, anyway i look at my left hand anyway and i find my right hand which plays the melody usually finds its way around fine.

[rivaldo]

I'm finaally back. Had problems with my net.
Thanks for all your answers.

I'm practicing now making the less movements possible with the hands and without straining the pink finger, moving the hole hand to the single note and back to the chord. I'm doing this after reading your posts and some tests I did.

Regards,

Riva