Training the left hand

[selsa]

Hi everyone. I have been reading that many of us have a sluggish left hand, so I started this topic. Please lend any ideas for improvement.

Just a little away off the subject, my digital piano bass keys generate louder and longer sounds than the the ones on the treble side. Why is that? I use the same touch for bass and treble keys, and it's a digital piano ( no tuning, etc. necessary.) Are bass keys supposed to be played with a softer touch even in music where that is not indicated?

Thanks,

Selsa.

[Diabolos]

Hi there.

The answer to your first question is: Yes, bass keys are supposed to be louder since they're not muted in any way. Their sound lasts longer because of a simple physical aspect: A normal tone creates resonances (normally in form of a sine curve) - this curve is surrounded by other resonances, therefore there's always more than one tone that you hear. The deeper this tone is, the more powerful the resance and the more numerous the accomopanying small resonances are - that's why it sounds so long; you should press a bass key on a grand piano if you have the possibility, and look at it's strings - you'll find that not only those of the key you hit but also others are vibrating.

To strenghten your left hand there are a few possiblities; you could go through the technical excercises by hanon or czerny, for example; or start playing the right hand parts of pieces with your left hand - that's actually a very good way to practise, I think.

I hopefully gave you some idea to get further with.

good luck  

[ned]

Selsa,
The left hand is often deliquent. This is because we are not mentally focused on it.  You are apparently working on the  Chopin Etude op 10 no 9. It has a repetitive figure for the LH that can degenerate quickly. Refresh it by practicing LH alone and making sure you keep a solid rhythm and don't drop notes.  Don't let the wrist do all the work. Keep your fingertips active. When you add the RH the LH will eventually start to get lazy again. (Automatic pilot disease.)  Give it the treatment again.

The LH often is slower than the right in scales.  Cure: cross your hands and let the RH play the LH part and vice versa. Several times. This is mental torture and very awkward! Going back to the normal position is such relief and the scales are synchronized. This is from my Russian teacher who helped me clean up the scales at the end of Chopin's Ballade No 1 in G minor.  All the best, Ned

[mojohk]

I've discovered this excersise book exclusively for the LH--it's called Beren's Training for the Left hand, or something like that.  I know there should be a few more books like this out there, but so far, I've practiced the first few pages for about half and hour each day, and I've already become more agile with my "delinquent"!  Anyways, maybe you can look through it and see if it works--my copy is a Schirmer.  Good luck!

[selsa]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. I went out and got the Hanon book. Wonderful! Very demanding, it streches the mind and the fingers, left and right. I wish I bought it earlier. I would suggest it to anyone.

-Selsa.