66
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Hands-separate piano practice doesn't seem to help with hands-together playing
Your experience is quite typical. Playing two hands at the same time is completely different than playing both separately.
But the point of learning parts separately is NOT about making it easier to ...
- 1,673
34
votes
Accepted
Piano scales: Why bother with hands together?
There are a few reasons that I found these technical drills helpful as a piano player:
They help practice playing the hands together clearly and cleanly. Young piano players often play both hands "...
- 84.5k
33
votes
Hands-separate piano practice doesn't seem to help with hands-together playing
As a piano teacher for more than 50 years I can assure you that you are not alone! Many students have the same experience, though quite a few do not. Of the hundreds I have taught I would say it ...
- 2,631
26
votes
Piano can play hands together but not separately. Why?
When learning a piece on piano, our bodies -- especially our fingers, hands, and arms -- learn the "feel" of the piece. This is called "muscle memory".
It sounds like your muscle ...
- 88k
12
votes
Hands-separate piano practice doesn't seem to help with hands-together playing
Yes, playing both hands together is quite difficult for beginners, even if you feel like you have mastered each hand separately. You will likely hit another big bump when you move on from playing ...
- 6,708
8
votes
Piano scales: Why bother with hands together?
It's true that not a lot of music has parallel scales for extended runs. But a lot of methods involve playing things that never show up in real music, so that's entirely normal. The point of these ...
- 22.4k
8
votes
Piano can play hands together but not separately. Why?
Your teacher isn't likely to have broken it down to separate hands just to polish the performance. I guess you weren't playing it THAT 'OK' hands together! Sounds like you were getting through it, ...
- 92.9k
7
votes
Hands-separate piano practice doesn't seem to help with hands-together playing
Different strategies work for different pieces. Learning to play a Bach fugue would of course be quite different from learning a piece where the left hand is just a bunch of chords.
People's brains ...
- 1,641
7
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Piano can play hands together but not separately. Why?
I’ve recently begun to think that the direction to “play together, then play hands separately” can more often be odd and mistaken than helpful. To be sure, it can be helpful, but without proper ...
- 3,432
5
votes
How to learn to play a song on which left hand key presses are not related with right hand part?
The left hand and right hand line up just fine - the left hand starts off with a constant pulse, and the right hand plays two notes for each left-hand note - so the title is a bit misleading, but I'm ...
4
votes
Piano both hands, learning curve
It's just like riding a bike. At first, it seems very difficult but once you get the hang of it you don't even need to think about it.
It's the same way for learning to play the piano hands together. ...
- 141
4
votes
Hands-separate piano practice doesn't seem to help with hands-together playing
I think some people have the wrong view about piano, and instruments that are similar, when the issue of "hand independence" is discussed. Cognitive science these days seems to indicate that humans ...
- 41
4
votes
Accepted
Why did Queen use cross-handed technique to play the piano part of Bohemian Rhapsody?
If anyone here can elaborate that would be excellent, since I think it would be rather pointless to do this as it's easy to reach the F3 and G4 if you are not playing them together.
It is octaves. ...
- 4,565
4
votes
Recommendations for beginner piano pieces that make equal use of both hands
The Bach Minuet in A Minor comes from the Anna Magdalena Notebook (Wikipedia), which contains many pieces of a similar level. Many, if not all, of those pieces are available at IMSLP.
You could also ...
- 88k
3
votes
Why did Queen use cross-handed technique to play the piano part of Bohemian Rhapsody?
Lines and phrasing. Nothing more. Freddie approached this song as a singer also playing the piano, not a piano player playing both the melody and piano part.
Think orchestrally or as if you are ...
- 3,250
3
votes
Best techniques for hihat foot independence
I'd recommend that you include your weak foot in the regular exercises from the beginning. Don't neglect it for 20 years and only then realize how important it can be.
Even though you may never ...
- 1,174
3
votes
Accepted
how to deal with registration bank changes without interrupting the flow of the music?
First thought: you have been at this only one year. That isn't a long time. Especially if your practice hasn't been effectively focused on rhythm and hand/finger independence, it won't just come ...
- 56.8k
2
votes
Hands-separate piano practice doesn't seem to help with hands-together playing
I'm a late-intermediate-level piano player, coming from playing clarinet for about a decade. Take my opinion for what it's worth.
The thing about piano, unlike any other instrument that I've played, ...
- 489
2
votes
Accepted
drumming -- voice as a 5th dimension of independence
Counting is an excellent and important tool for learning and practice for all musicians who can count (i.e., those not playing breath operated instruments). But it doesn't present a professional image ...
- 56.8k
2
votes
Accepted
Advice on fingering and hand position
I would use a fingering like this:
Update:
in terms of hand position, you will have some kind of rotation, bending when playing in this octave some kind of ) shape from you forearm to your fifth ...
- 1,949
2
votes
Piano both hands, learning curve
You can also think of it like basketball. It's comfortable if you only dribble and shoot with one hand, but it's better if you practice both and alternate seamlessly. You will reach a point where ...
- 177
2
votes
Effect of an impaired finger on playing piano
Totally agree with Killian Foth and Alephzero.
These days, even if some techniques are the same as they have always been taught, there is a lot more room for adaptation.
In fact, once you become ...
- 1,153
2
votes
Piano can play hands together but not separately. Why?
Learning is context-related. For example, if you study in your bedroom with music on, then go do the test, it's possible that you might have a hard time remembering.
Playing hands-separate is unusual ...
- 3,943
2
votes
how to deal with registration bank changes without interrupting the flow of the music?
TL;DR: The most important factor in dealing with keyboard control operations is in planning the movements — the "choreography". This entails studying the music to determine the best way to ...
- 88k
2
votes
"No roots" (Alice Mergon/Nicolas Rebscher) - How to achieve hand independence?
Two things:
Practice each hand separately with a metronome until the timing is spot on
Count out loud in 16th notes when you practice separately and together so your mouth is telling each hand when ...
- 56.8k
1
vote
Accepted
Is it true limb independence if I can play the piece, but think of each voice as a single whole?
Answering this question will require you to analyze your own cognitive process and compare it to the cognitive process used by skilled musicians. Right away, we have a problem: There's no way to get ...
- 1,822
1
vote
playing basic tunes on piano reading sheet music using chords
Several options are available, but for the specifics in the question, inversions are on the cards.
Take a simple harmony accompaniment of I, IV and V - which, let's face it, are going to be present ...
- 193k
1
vote
I'm a traditional snare drummer who has serious issues using my left hand
It won't solve the problem entirely but before you practice / play do 10 minutes or so of wrist exercises. A lot of the ones for people with arthritis seem to work well for me.
A quick Google of '...
- 228
1
vote
Developing Hand independence and Finger independence
If you take a look at Michael's chart, you will see that the RH 16th note comes very quickly after the last note of the LH triplet. When played strictly, this can sound rather militaristic.
However, ...
- 5,567
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