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Topic: dexterity left vs right hand  (Read 1490 times)

Offline kuska

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dexterity left vs right hand
on: June 02, 2016, 11:59:02 AM
Hi,
just wondering, I noticed that I have an amount of dexterity I haven't dreamt of anymore. However, I just have an impression that my hands is dexterous differently. I mean if I try to copy exercises that my left hand usually do while accompanying the right, my right hand has problems even though I considered it to be more dexterous. Anyone has/had similar problems?

Offline indianajo

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Re: dexterity left vs right hand
Reply #1 on: June 02, 2016, 01:12:30 PM
How many years have you played piano?
I was assigned piano as a sort of cheap (in 1958) physical therapy for my right hand.  It had been injured and I wasn't using it hardly at all.  I was left handed anyway. 
After a year of schmitt exercises, (available on pianos steet) then an Edna mae Berman exercise a week assigned by my teacher with teaching points, plus the normal piano repretoire, I started to even out the skills of my hands.  It helps that piano is right hand dominant, the melody is usually in the right hand and must be emphasized.
I've been nearly ambidextrous since third or fourth year piano training.
As far as flexibility, there are wrist exercises that are a part of factory ergonomics which can gently stretch out finger muscles and make them more flexible and resistant to injury.  Check out a good ergo text from a library somewhere. Stretching should be below the point of pain, but I find my angle increases after a few repetitions and my muscles stretch out.  Stretching should also be slow and easy, not ballistic and bouncy. 
Good luck. 

Offline kuska

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Re: dexterity left vs right hand
Reply #2 on: June 03, 2016, 06:00:11 AM
Thanks. I played several years in total before my 10 years' break and I've got like 8-9 years of formal education. Wrist exercises will come handy but I was more wondering if my problem stems from the usual way both hands play, e.g. right hand often plays subsequent notes up and down (with or without gaps in between then and if we talk about fast playing), accompanying is a bit different as there are often some patterns and I have the impression that inside the patterns my left hand is better than my right.
 

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