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I have only just started to learn (on my own) to read music and play the piano at the grand old age of 64! Please can someone tell me how to play the same note on two staves? I keep being asked to play middle C with both the left hand and the right hand at exactly the same time. How?
Many thanks.
I wouldn't bother trying to play the same note with left and right hands,simultaneously, it will sound just as good played by just one or the other. Without seeing the music, it's difficult to understand why you're being asked to do this - and quite unusual.for beginners, the 'cross-over ' point for each hand is often middle C, with it being played either with left thumb if it's written in the bass clef, or with right thumb if it's written in treble clef. As jjmusicnotes asked, a sample would allow us to help better. I echo the congratulations - it's never too late, but have an occasional lesson, so's you don't develop bad habits on the way. You won't regret it, with a good tutor.
This may sound strange, but you are actually trying to learn two skills simultaneously - reading music, and finding your way round the keys. They are completely separate skills, only related by the music you make. Initially, just get to know the black and white bits on the piano, and how they relate to each other, sonically, not neccessarily thinking"this is an F and this is an A, and they sound good together, " but just geographically messing about with patterns. Sorry for the protracted answer, hope it helps.
When the score indicates the same note played twice simultaneously, and it's not a mistake, it means one of two things:
The doubling is intended to indicate something about the flow of the bass and melodic lines. Both hands may be progressing towards the same note, and the composer might have wanted to call that out explicitly. This might influence how you emphasize the note and the dynamics of the progression.
The score is not purely for piano, and two voices or instruments are intended to sing or play the same note. This it very similar to the first point — you have separate things that are reaching the same common point. On the piano, you are unifying these mutiple voices into one.
In both cases, Tim has it right; you do not play the note twice nor do you try to fit multiple fingers on the key. Besides being awkward, you can't accomplish anything with two fingers on the same key than you can't with just one. Playing it with one hand may be more obviously natural, so you should do so. If not, simply pick which hand you would prefer to play it.
I had to do this once, many many years ago when I was still taking lessons. I remember that was back when both hands were stationary (in the same position all the time) and middle c was like the "home keys" in typing, the key I anchored to. I'm guessing you're getting some kind of piano instruction so I suggest that, if you haven't already, you bring up your confusion with your teacher.
To use both thumbs to play middle c at once you should use one thumb to press half of the key and the other to press the other half (so they each scoot over to make room for the other, to "share" the key). As you've stated, this should be done simultaneously but as long as neither thumb is early it won't matter (if one thumb is slightly behind an on-time thumb, it won't affect the sound).
Hopefully this helps!
