Left handed pieces

[elisianna]

I've got a new student, we had the first lesson yesterday.  He hasn't been playing for very long (a couple months).  He had a stroke sometime and he cannot play with his right hand.    The teacher before me would just sit on either side of him and he would learn both parts with his left hand. 

I know there is left hand repertoire out there that is harder, but is there anything easy?  It probably isn't a terribly common thing.  I have to problem playing the other part for him, but I think he would be happier being able to play something entirely on his own.  My teacher suggested maybe him playing both parts with one hand, but only if he had big hands, but he's got tiny tiny hands. =P

Thanks in advance.

[timothy42b]

This is probably a dumb idea, but could you write stuff for him, such that he could hit a chord, hold it with pedal, and play a bit of melody line, all with the same hand?  That's probably the only way I can think of that a stroke patient is going to actually play a piece on his own. 

[tompilk]

depending how good he is try the 25 12 godowsky/chopin etude... probably the most satisfying peice ever to play... to know you can play it with just left hand...
there is plenty of left hand music out there... not so much right though...
Tom

[orlandopiano]

depending how good he is try the 25 12 godowsky/chopin etude...
Tom

Uhh, doesn't sound like he's ready for that yet.  :-D

[stevehopwood]

I have just googled "piano music for left hand". It turns out there is a ton of stuff for left hand alone . I had no idea there was so much written.

Visit https://hjem.get2net.dk/Brofeldt/ for a huge catalogue of works; the site is still under construction, so not all pieces have samples, but you might get some ideas.

Visit https://www.fandmusic.com/lefthand.htm for an album of left-hand only pieces.

That is just the result of a brief search. You will unearth far more if you do a search yourself (what did we all do in the pre-Google days?)

I know a lot of the pieces will be too hard for your student, but perhaps more will become playable with some editing on your part.

Good luck with this.

Steve 

[chocolatedog]

Alfred publishing has brought out some easier sheet music pieces for RH or LH alone - if you can get hold of an Alfred catalogue they should be listed in there. Not sure if they have an online catalogue or not though. Plus there's a book called Left Hand Solos by John Schaum (Warner Brother Pub.) which calls itself early intermediate level. Plus there's a book The Laggard Left by Michael Diack. This is definitely harder - late intermediate maybe? and although there are a good few studies in there for both hands, there are also a fair few LH only studies and melodies to work with. Hope this is of some use.....

[robertp]

There's also Lewenthal's anthology (GS publishes). Wide range, both of composers and difficulty. Something for everyone.

[mike_lang]

Scriabin has written a beautiful prelude for the left hand.

ML