My left hand. It needs help.

[etogmajor]

Okay, this is my story. I am a piano student who plays ARCT level pieces (Canada's Royal Conservatory of Music). This level includes pieces such as Chopin's op 10 and 25 etudes, Most of Beethoven's Sonatas, Hardest Bach preludes and fugues, Bach Toccatas, Chopin Scherzi and Ballades, etc.

I suppose I've always had difficulties with my left hand, but I've never really tried to confront it directly.

See, I broke my left wrist around age 11-12. I didn't start playing piano until 13. I'm 19 now. I don't know if that break several years is limiting the motion and power of my hand, fingers and wrist.

I really took notice of this when I was taking a look at Chopin's "3rds" etude. I was working out the beginning right hand passage and thought, "hey, my right hand is getting this exercise, why not my left hand?" So I mirrored the passage for my left hand. It was not pretty. I could not get mirror the shape of my right hand in my left. My fingers were nowhere near independent of each other to play the figure.

Also, with octave tremolos like in Beethoven's Pathetique, my left hand gets really tired. Also in Chopin's ocean etude, my left hand gets tired but the right hand doesn't even though you are doing the exact same figures in both hands. I think what's happening is I have to compensate my lack of ease of motion in my fingers by using my wrist a LOT. Then my wrist gets tired.

I'm left handed too, although I don't think being left handed helps left handed play the piano with their left hand.

My question is this - Is what I'm experiencing normal to some degree? I know that the right hand is generally more developed for piano players. Do you guys think it could be from my injury?

If it's not, do you have exercises to developed the fingers in the left hand? If it is, do you have any advice for that?

[j_menz]

Godowsky's Studies on the Chopin Etudes contains a number of studies for the left hand alone. You could look at those, and the preliminary exercises before them. Take them slow, and work on comfort before speed.

I find that my hands have different skills, with each being better at some things than the other.

[ahinton]

Godowsky's Studies on the Chopin Etudes contains a number of studies for the left hand alone. You could look at those, and the preliminary exercises before them. Take them slow, and work on comfort before speed.

I find that my hands have different skills, with each being better at some things than the other.

I couldn't agree more about the Godowsky; the entire cycle, left hand and both hands, is essential material for the serious piano student. Anyone who can master that cycle as well as the études of Alkan and Chopin is equipped for almost anything in the piano repertoire.

Best,

Alistair

[ted]

Does your school have a Virgil Practice Clavier sitting in a corner somewhere ? Try using it on around eight ounces as part of your routine for finger technique. Use common sense and don't go berserk with it though. It is neither fashionable nor recommended these days but it has worked well for some players.

[michael_c]

Most pianists need to give extra attention to the left hand at some point. In your case the injury may mean that this extra attention is even more important.

There are many works for the left hand alone. Have a look through this list and choose some pieces that appeal to you: https://imslp.org/wiki/List_of_Piano_works_for_the_left_hand.

Work on the left-hand pieces paying special attention to technique: can I use more, or less, rotation in this passage? what is happening at wrist, elbow and shoulder joints? etc. etc. As j_menz says, work on comfort before speed.

[etogmajor]

Merci beaucoup everyone for the input. I will indeed look at some left hand only pieces.