Hand placement in Rachmaninoff prelude G

[jkristiand]

Hey there, I'm a self-teaching pianist... I know its tough learning
with out a teacher, and the risk of making fundamental mistakes is high.
So I seek some help from you, I'm learning this piece written above and I'm
having trouble figuring out how to play it. It seems a little extreme to play
every thing in the upper staff with the right hand and the lower with left hand.
Heres an example: the first bars in piece, if someone would make rings around the notes they think I should play with either hand, I would be grateful



Also, are there basic rules on how to place your hands when playing piano?

Regards JKD

[lostinidlewonder]

There is nothing really hidden in the score here, you play it as it is written. You may be tempted to play the Dmaj chord with the RH but dont you must share it between the hands. Because later on you are forced to have the facility to use the LH moving up to these notes. Doing it straight away on bar 1 sets the touch required.

However the Bb and D octaves could be played just with the LH in Bar 1, that is one valid alteration to what is written since the LH is forced play a Bb octave on its own anyway. But in Bar 2 you must use 2 hands or the 3 octaves movement (ABbD) will sound too choppy.

I would use these fingers

Bar 1:
RH: 1     (35)(35)(35) rest rest     (35)  3  (35)
LH: (15) (32)(32)(32) LH octaves (32)(15)(32)   

instead of 32 you can use 42. I wouldnt use thumb isntead of 2 because it overuses the thumb and imo reduces the feeling of the form it shoudl give because the thumbs just keep playing and playing there is no real pattern or feel to the hand. But 1 is valid if you want.

Bar 2:
RH: 1     (35)(35)(35)   124  (35)  3  (35)
LH: (15) (32)(32)(32)   321  (32)(15)(32)

[jkristiand]

Thank you mr, that was very quick and precise. You're right about the Bb octave in LH,
I saw another version of it on a website, and it also had the bass octaves in one hand.. So basically one can trust that the bass/treble cleffs are played as LH/RH
- with a few personal modifications.. Well that was helpful I'm on to practice now