If you can play the left hand and right hand individually....

[macycrystal]

If you can play the left hand and right hand individually, both fluently and at full speed without much effort does that mean you're good enough to learn both hands together? (WITH PRACTICE OF COURSE!) The reason why i'm asking is because i'm trying to learn a piece which was slightly above my wavelength and was very hard at first however ive gotten to the point where i can play both hands individually very easy and at full speed but have yet to put them together. Would you guys say i am good enough to learn the piece then if i can do this? (again with practice) or does it not mean that i can do this? Thanks.

[49410enrique]

it is by no means the definative litmus test for readiness but hands separate mastery is super important in learning a work. that is, it doesn't mean if you can play hands separate that you can thus play hands together well, but seldom , almost never, etc. have i seen or myself been able to have mastery of a piece hands together if i dont have hands separate.

just make sure when you piece it together you start very very slow/under tempo so you can be aware of what you are trying to preserve in each hand musically and technically as you learn it.

i would say the other side of the coin is true in mosty cases that if you cannot play it hands separate you'd be almost certainly not ready to pony up.

[macycrystal]

thank you, perfectly explained. I guess there is only one way to find out. Even though i can play both handsindividually easyily i still feel like this is going to be hard. We'll see.

[j_menz]

I guess there is only one way to find out.

And I, for one, am amazed you have held off just giving it a go. 

[ajspiano]

I guess there is only one way to find out. Even though i can play both handsindividually easyily i still feel like this is going to be hard.

Think of HS practice as being intended for learning technique, movements, fine details..  once you have these ideas under control you are ready for a different skill - coordination of the hands.

If you are unable to fluently play HS you are asking yourself to master that skill at the same time as mastering the coordination skill. 2 things at once makes for slower frustrating learning a lot of the time. The better you get (as in significant improvement over some time) the easier the HS stuff will be when you attempt new, but easy(ish), pieces. When this happens you may not need as much HS practice - if any at all - because you already have the skill set required and only need to practice coordination. You need to judge that yourself, honestly. Or allow a teacher to help you with that.

[pianoplunker]

If you can play the left hand and right hand individually, both fluently and at full speed without much effort does that mean you're good enough to learn both hands together? (WITH PRACTICE OF COURSE!) The reason why i'm asking is because i'm trying to learn a piece which was slightly above my wavelength and was very hard at first however ive gotten to the point where i can play both hands individually very easy and at full speed but have yet to put them together. Would you guys say i am good enough to learn the piece then if i can do this? (again with practice) or does it not mean that i can do this? Thanks.

Yes Yes go for it.  You will probably have to slow down when you try hands together but that is normal unless you are one of them genius types. I have been practicing hands together wondering if I should be doing more hands separate. and that is because I am not a genius and sometimes forget even very simple parts.