Q. I've been wanting to play the piano for a while now and am mostly self-teaching but am also learning from lessons, and I keep struggling with the left hand (right hand is fine) - I do the melody on both hands sometimes to help with that, but it's really the whole chords thing that bothers me. Also, talking in finger positions for a minute - on the left hand, sometimes when I need to use 3, 2 wants to be used instead. I don't really wanna call it a habit but I can't describe it as anything else - how do I break that habit (for lack of a better word)?
A. You want to practice your left hand separate from the right hand. You may consider the "Piano Technique" co-authored by Karl Leimer and Walter Gieseking which provides separate hand practice routines for scales and other exercises to train the ear to hear better what the hands are playing. You want to play slow when you begin and spend more time working on the scales and exercises with your left hand. When you left hand is ready practice with both hands.
You can also practice special exercises included in "The Virtuoso Pianist" that are designed to create equality between both hands. Included are five-finger exercises for practicing scales and more difficult octaves and virtuoso.
Learn about other piano playing advice at http://pianoplayingadvice.com
How can I make my fingers stronger to hold bar chords longer?
Q. I've been playing bar chords for a couple years and my hand still hurts from playing, causing me to loosen my stability. People say practice until it your hand gets stronger but it feels like someone is crushing my palm. Is there any other way?
A. Too many believe that you have to do the same thing (all the time) in order to get good at it. The trick is not to. Especially when it comes to muscles, tendons and nerves of the fingers and hands.
Think isometrics. But realize there has to be recovery time as well if playing too long or often.
Think of a gym room full of different exercise equipment that are meant to serve different parts of the body to be complete and even, alternative mechanics for those who have injuries or just starting out.
You have heard of how repetition over time with one kind of action or movement performed over time can be damaging either temporary and even permanent. We don't want permanent, but rehabilitation if that is possible after the fact as well. Take a break.
From typists to tennis players, it happens. Over training, going beyond the limitations can be risky.
Rest. Rehab. Rebound. Regulation.
Get a hold of a palm sized rubber ball. Pull on some rope. Peel an apple or a bunch of potatoes for cooking. Swim. Whirlpool. Play the drums or the bongos. Type. Do some friendly hand shaking. Grab a handful of sawdust and release it. Make a rice bag with a heavy terry towel that you can heat up in the microwave for those aches and pains when at rest. Try clay modeling. Play the piano keyboard. Do some rock climbing. (Eh, too dangerous huh?) And play with the warm sand when the next time you are at the beach.
Anything short of pain killers. But if the pain persists, there could be even nerve damage, which this too has to have time to heal up like any muscle tissue. You may in time experience numbness too and that is another sign to be aware of. (Professional therapy is in order if things get worse.)
Establish a program you can fall back on to do other things with your hands to exercise and manipulate anything short of brain surgery (which us players would probably be good at) so as to have them go in other directions and position other than frequent barre chords.
I broke a finger of my playing hand years ago, play fine today. But the middle finger of my left hand does clamp (no pain, not a cramp) sometimes in a chord position and looks kinda funny. When I pop it back, I sometimes have to explain myself.
Good luck m'friend. Wish you well.
Piano Fingering: How to determine the correct fingering when sight reading?
Q. When you're learning a new piece on your own, how exactly do you determine the most efficient fingerings? Do you base the fingering from the basics: scales, arpeggios, and chords we learn all those years of practising? Or does it just come naturally and randomly?
A. Absolutely use your knowledge of scales, arpeggios etc to get started. From there, be prepared to experiment; there is not usually one, best definitive way.
Generally, avoid too many jumps and make it as smooth as possible. Specifically, a few ideas:
- If your score includes fingerings, follow them, but know that you might need to change some of it to suit your hands. Compare fingerings from different scores, if possible.
- Use the middle fingers on black keys and the end fingers on white.
- Avoid having fingers left over at the end of running passages; try to end the phrase on the pinkie.
- For sequential chords, use fingering that requires the least amount of movement of the hand.
- For chords, don't forget to use your 4th finger!
- What works slowly may not always work up to speed; remember that.
- Use finger substitution for expanding hand positions or sustaining single notes.
The best advice I ever received about fingering was to pencil it in on your score, and do it that way every time (unless you make a decision to change it, then rub it out and put the new finger in, and do it *that* way every time).
An example of this: if you have a rapid, scale-like passage, mark in where the 3rd and 4th fingers will fall. Not the first, or anything else, just 3s and 4s. This way, your brain can quickly see where the thumb and the 3rd/4th finger will interact.
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Title : How can I start getting used to using the left hand on a piano?
Description : Q. I've been wanting to play the piano for a while now and am mostly self-teaching but am also learning from lessons, and I keep strugg...