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Topic: Left hand issues  (Read 759 times)

Offline julill

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Left hand issues
on: June 16, 2022, 02:41:55 AM
Hello piano players!

Can you please recommend me some tips how to train my left hand? It is really hard for me to play it as good as right hand. I'm afraid to stop playing with my right hand while I'm practicing with my left because I might lose my skill.

So what is the best way to train left hand playing? Thank you in advance.

Offline ted

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Re: Left hand issues
Reply #1 on: June 16, 2022, 11:38:38 AM
If one hand is weaker than the other then a good, well known way of strengthening it is to take advantage of the keyboard's mirror symmetry about D and Ab. Take any figure, whatever you are working on, whatever is troublesome and exercise it with each hand in positions reflected about D and Ab. Try, without strain, to make the movements and sensations identical to those in the stronger hand. It is a purely physical trick as much inverted music might not sound any good, which is why I have used it mostly on my silent Virgil Practice Clavier. However, it does work if you persist with it and if you are an improviser it is also a path into new keyboard vocabulary.
"Mistakes are the portals of discovery." - James Joyce

Offline geopianoincanada

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Re: Left hand issues
Reply #2 on: June 16, 2022, 04:21:59 PM
I too have similar concerns about my left hand.

I noticed control over my left hand isn’t as refined as my right hand.

I am naturally right-handed so this imbalance makes sense.

I asked at the local music store and the owner recommended I pick up some Czerny instruction books. He’s sold out for the moment though.

Offline ranjit

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Re: Left hand issues
Reply #3 on: June 16, 2022, 04:47:17 PM
If one hand is weaker than the other then a good, well known way of strengthening it is to take advantage of the keyboard's mirror symmetry about D and Ab. Take any figure, whatever you are working on, whatever is troublesome and exercise it with each hand in positions reflected about D and Ab.
Seconded, in my experience as well, this is one of if not the best way, to strengthen the weaker hand.

Offline jeffkonkol

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Re: Left hand issues
Reply #4 on: June 16, 2022, 10:11:55 PM
Not to bore anyone, but unison scales should help.

Depending on your skill level or ambition, you can try to work on some left-hand etudes.. Chopin 25-7, or 10-12 come to mind.

But honestly... just keep playing. The left hand will come along. Sometimes, it just lags a little bit. :-)

Offline julill

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Re: Left hand issues
Reply #5 on: June 17, 2022, 01:26:24 AM
Not to bore anyone, but unison scales should help.

Depending on your skill level or ambition, you can try to work on some left-hand etudes.. Chopin 25-7, or 10-12 come to mind.

But honestly... just keep playing. The left hand will come along. Sometimes, it just lags a little bit. :-)

I have the same thoughts, but my left hand lags all the time  :-\
But I'll try to train it as good as right. Thanks for the etudes advice!

Offline julill

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Re: Left hand issues
Reply #6 on: June 17, 2022, 01:28:36 AM
If one hand is weaker than the other then a good, well known way of strengthening it is to take advantage of the keyboard's mirror symmetry about D and Ab. Take any figure, whatever you are working on, whatever is troublesome and exercise it with each hand in positions reflected about D and Ab. Try, without strain, to make the movements and sensations identical to those in the stronger hand. It is a purely physical trick as much inverted music might not sound any good, which is why I have used it mostly on my silent Virgil Practice Clavier. However, it does work if you persist with it and if you are an improviser it is also a path into new keyboard vocabulary.

Honestly I haven't paid a lot of attention to this way of trainig, thank you! Seems to be very effective

Offline anacrusis

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Re: Left hand issues
Reply #7 on: June 18, 2022, 11:29:02 PM
I think the advice you have gotten so far in this thread is all good. Usually, most "normal" repertoire you play focuses on the right hand more, so unless you play pieces that specifically target developing the left hand equally to the right hand, it makes total sense it lags behind, especially if your right hand is your dominant hand.

Offline crimson

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Re: Left hand issues
Reply #8 on: June 19, 2022, 07:46:50 AM
I think everyone has experienced this, to some extent! I personally used to practice scales and arpeggios, but instead of just going through them all hands together, I’d play the left hand alone and ended up finding quite a few weaknesses. I think that’s a good way to approach this kind of problem, working through the basic scales and arpeggios until your left hand alone is fluent and comfortable with doing the same thing as your right hand. There are also, as other people have suggested, great etudes for the left hand.

Offline crajojo

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Re: Left hand issues
Reply #9 on: June 19, 2022, 04:37:55 PM
I too have similar concerns about my left hand.

I noticed control over my left hand isn’t as refined as my right hand.

I am naturally right-handed so this imbalance makes sense.

I asked at the local music store and the owner recommended I pick up some Czerny instruction books. He’s sold out for the moment though.

Same here. FYI it looks like the books are available on amazon.
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