Right hand only...

[jimbo320]

If anyone has a good technique using the right hand only I would love to hear about it...

Musically, Jimbo

[m1469]

Hi Jim,

I understand that you are playing with your right hand only, but I don't understand your question as I don't know what you are specifically referring to.  If you are talking about generally helping the RH like anybody else would, then just play anything that favors the RH with specific goals in mind.    If you are looking for a deep reconstruction of your overall technique, that's not a lot different, either, as you can look to motions and posture and all of that.  But, if you are talking about something else, like how to cover the whole instrument with only the RH or something like that, then that's perhaps something a little different.

[jimbo320]

Hi m1469,
I'm talking about covering the whole piano with one hand. Due to an accident I only have the use of my right hand. I used to be quit good at playing guitars by ear, even played bass in bands. Not wanting to give up making music I figured to try to teach myself piano. Looking for some suggestions or at least ideas...

Jimbo

[m1469]

Hi Jim,

Yes, I read on the forum somewhere else about your situation.  I also understand that you are basically wanting to just enjoy yourself at the instrument.  Of course your plan of action would be different depending on how angsty you feel about it all.  Some figurations can be almost "easily" taken with one hand, and the closer together they are written, the more easily you can do that.  But, if that is not satisfying for you, you can arrange other pieces to include some form of the harmonic figures along with the melody in one hand.  Or, take something like a Bach invention and see if you can put some form of both parts into one hand.  

If you really want to develop a concept of the entire keyboard, whether it's with one hand or two, then that involves scales, etc..

[jimbo320]

Hi m1469,
In my opinion I'm doing fine with teaching myself. Transposing and rearranging to fit my needs. I was just wondering if there's a technique out there that I should know about.

Jimbo

[m1469]

Glad you're enjoying yourself and feeling good.  Happy practicing and best wishes.    

[jimbo320]

Thanks. As I was told once. Music is an art and art is from the heart. Let your heart fly!

[m1469]

Hi Jim,

My perception of your response to me, two posts ago:

Hi m1469,
In my opinion I'm doing fine with teaching myself. Transposing and rearranging to fit my needs. I was just wondering if there's a technique out there that I should know about.

Jimbo

Was that perhaps you took offense to my response to you, and thought that I was trying to teach you.  So, in response to that, I backed off, as I was simply responding to your thread in the way I best knew how and definitely meant no offense, nor was I trying to "teach" you anything in particular.  

However, it just dawned on me that perhaps you were responding particularly to my sentence regarding feeling angsty, and telling me that perhaps you didn't feel angst(?).  In any respect, if I did offend you, hopefully you can see that I didn't mean to.

Too many important interactions in my life have been ... "fussed" with and even lost nearly completely by honest-to-goodness misinterpretation and misunderstanding, which had its evolution that kept going because somehow an honest grounds to clear things up couldn't seem to be fully reached by both parties.  For whatever it's worth, I think it's important to be as clear as possible whenever possible, hence me posting now.

[jimbo320]

m1469,
I didn't take offense. I read all posts with an open mind and type my feelings the same way. Sometimes too much. 
I love the conversations....

Musically, Jimbo

[1853chickeringsquare]

i  beleave the best way and someone would have to have a good bit of money to do it is have a piano custom built where it divides all the keys up the middle and drops the basses below the trebals so you can get to anykey quickly .           now theres a new invention. 

[john90]

On the custom built, front I am not convinced that there is any time saving to be had. If you look at the speed of a ragtime/concert pianists hands, they go like lightening. If you insist on custom built, two digital pianos mounted close together, offset horizontally would do for starters. You might want to control the sustain pedals for each keyboard independently, or  add some Midi controlled Organ foot pedals to do the left hand chords.

These midi organ foot pedals could be used with an acoustic Yamaha, one of those with the player piano facility, so that midi out from foot pedals plays the base chords to accompany the right. Watching my uncle on his old Hammond, the left had seemed to be changing switches most of the time.

Going back to an unmodified acoustic piano, the damping on mine stops well short of the high treble end, which gives some clue to a zoning technique using the sustain pedal to hold chords, and then while playing the melody with the right hand, pick out extra notes from the sustained base chord to beef it up and get it resonating a bit more. Someone with more experience might be able to fill in detail here.

Which gives me an idea, to "hack" the sustain on an acoustic into two zones, middle and lower, add an extra pedal, and to fit latches onto the pedals, so that if you hit it hard to the the floor it would latch and hold. Hmm.

[jimbo320]

John,
Thanks for your thoughts on the matter. I'm adding a picture of my keys and you'll see I've already been doing some of your ideas. The more independent pedals idea is worth a try. I play more in the background than foreground with other musicians anyway.

Musically, Jimbo

[oxy60]

A few posts ago someone mentioned foot pedals. That was a good idea. I suggest foot pedals arranged to AGO specs. Then you will be able to really play something. Trying to play complicated passages on a standard Hammond pedal board is very difficult. In any case you should have a couple of octaves to work with down there.

[wyman]

Thanks. As I was told once. Music is an art and art is from the heart. Let your heart fly!

Great sayings man...It will motivate me to play music well..

[slane]

Do you know about Paul Wittgenstein? He only had a left hand and commissioned works from many famous composers. Presumably what you can play with the left, you can play with the right.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Wittgenstein

[jimbo320]

Slane,
Thanks for the info....

[haviely]

I found my right hand is always much more agile than my left hand...

[jimbo320]

Lucky that I'm right handed. lol At least I have agility. It's frustrating at times trying to play classical stuff and making it sound good but I muddle through it. I just have to be more particular at the songs I choose...