Beginner unable to play HT

[noise850]

Hi,

I am an adult beginner, completely new to the piano.  I have only been taking lessons for a month now, but my second class started with pieces playing hands together.  While I have been able to get the first few songs to somewhat work hands together (but still with a lot of mistakes), the ones I am supposed to be doing for this week are just driving me crazy. 

I can play them very well hands separate and at a pretty good tempo.  But, the minute I try and put the hands together, even at half the speed of hands separate, I keep messing up.  There are some areas where I always mess up, and have practiced them over and over, and can eventually get them to work hands separate, but the minute I try to extend the area I am playing, I still have problems.

I asked my teacher a few times what to do, and he said to just practice HS and play slower.  I'm having trouble playing HT at about 50bpm so I can't imagine how much slower I can go!

If any of you have some ideas for such a beginner, please let me know.  I've searched and searched and tried about everything I can find, and all I end up with is frustration everytime I sit down at the bench.

Thanks in advance!

-Nate

[mcdiddy1]

Some techniques that may help is rather than thinking of both hands at the same time, thing of one hand while playing both. So while you are playing hands together, you can choose to focus mainly on right hand or left hand and leave the other one on automatic pilot.

Another technique is called dropping . Basically you play with both hands and stop every time you play a note together. You keep going, adding one note at a time and then you go back to the top and keep repeating until you get to the end of the piece. The benefit is you reinforce the notes you got correct in the beginning  and gives you a clear specific goal.

You can also increase the speed and accuracy of your hands by playing hand separately faster to increase your finger memory.

The final thing off the top of my head that may help is to increase your dexterity. You may be struggling with controlling the muscles of your hands, having them coordinated and working together, and flexibility of your finger joints. You could try doing a couple of Hanon exercises to get your hands used to working together.

Don't give up....find ways to practice smarter not harder by having specific goals in mind when you practice. Good luck on your musical journey I hope what I  said could be of some use for you.

[jaggens]

You can only think one thought at the same time. It means that you have to link and synchronize your hands into one movement and one thought. I made a video about the very same subject, it is here: https://playingpianoblog.com/how-to-play-the-piano-with-both-hands-together

[bleicher]

Half-speed is not very slow for practising! It sounds as though you're trying to play all the way through the piece. Just work on one bar at a time, at first slowly enough to be able to get the notes (even if it's at one tenth of full speed) then speeding up gradually. Once you've learnt one bar, learn the next, then practise going from one bar to the next. Do this every day.

[zolaxi]

Mate, I've been playing for more than 50 years, and I still mess up in many areas of pieces that I have been practicing for ages!

I'm not trying to make light of your issue. But seriously, learning to play the piano is a long term commitment and you say that you've been having lessons for one month. In one month, you cannot begin the even scratch the surface.

What else are you good at? For example, do you play golf, tennis, volleyball? Do you paint or draw? Play billiards? Well, how long would it take you to learn to do any of the things I've mentioned even fairly well. Ages and ages, I would suggest. Well, playing the piano is even worse, but don't let me put you off. It's great when it finally clicks.  

[yarnold]

Hello,
I am 67 years old and recently returned to playing piano after not having a lesson since i was 12. I found that I could play the right-hand part easily immediately I began my revision -but the left dragged behind for weeks and I COULD NOT get my hands to work together. Now it is coming, after only 5 weeks back at the piano, and both hands are working together, albeit slowly.I'm teaching myself. You will be fine!

[smallville]

Half-speed is not very slow for practising! It sounds as though you're trying to play all the way through the piece. Just work on one bar at a time, at first slowly enough to be able to get the notes (even if it's at one tenth of full speed) then speeding up gradually. Once you've learnt one bar, learn the next, then practise going from one bar to the next. Do this every day.

I've only been playing for about 20 months and only approaching my grade 3 so I am no expert but this is how I do it as said above.

[jimbo320]

Hey! Only a month! Too early to be frustrated. At this point just keep your eye on learning and practice. Give yourself time and quit beating yourself up....