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Joined: Nov 2005
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OP
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hi,
after years i finally realized that i want to play a piano or a violin (possibly both). so i went and bought a 61 key keyboard and a book. i am a lefty and i am starting to realize that my right hand fingers are not fluent in motion. its hard to get them to work independent to each other and coordinate them like my left hand. since the melody is on the right... which requires alot more independent movement of the fingers and faster. i wanted your opinion. is it always going to be like this for me or are there any hand and finger excercises that help?
i would appreciate it if fellow lefty players share their experiences and opinions.
thanks, nick
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Joined: Oct 2005
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My right hand seems to be coming up to speed via the Hanon exercises. Strangely, though, I get the impression that it's somehow tied by neural pathways to my left hand - because I can only play the exercises fast if the left hand is along for the ride, doing the same thing. If I play right hand only, I can't go as fast. Odd!
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I'm a lefty. I can't say that I noticed more difficulty with the right (they're both uncooperative most of the time ) I have wondered sometimes if the left hand jumps come a little easier because I'm left handed though. I once asked my teacher but he didn't feel that being right or left handed would make much of a difference...... curious to hear from other lefties though
It's the journey not the destination..
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Joined: Nov 2005
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OP
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i am confused. i was wondering if its worth to choose piano over violin since you can only get so good at playing the piano. i think that the piano was made for right handed people and a left handed piano is probably harder to learn and is just not practical to invest in.
as with any instrument you can never be 100% perfect, but with a piano it will be frustrating to never be able to surpass the right hands ability to play that song.
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I'm left handed - not sure if it makes much of a difference. Although my left hand is stronger than my right and sometimes I reverse a note (right hand). I would think that the right handers would have the same problems that we have with the left. So I guess it's Hannon exercises, scales and practice, practice, practice.
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I'm left-handed, but I'm much better at my right hand than my left on the piano. Of course, I had 7 years of accordion lessons as a child, so that's probably why. There are left-handed pianists who have actually played on custom-made "reverse" pianos. Personally, I don't think it's worth it (but it WOULD be effective at making sure nobody else plays your piano! ). Given that you are a brand new beginner, I suspect the difficulty you're encountering is similar to that experienced by all brand new beginners. Piano ain't easy. I think your decision whether to go with violin vs. piano should be based on which instrument you like the best and not worries about handedness making it difficult for the rest of your life.
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Joined: Sep 2005
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I'm right-handed, and noticed that my left hand was considerably weaker when I started to play. After about a year the difference became minimal. My left now keeps up with the right when doing scales, etc.
I would guess that after a short while and some exercises your hands will equalize.
That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest. - H. D. Thoreau
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Joined: Mar 2003
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I'm right handed, BUT, I think you have an *advantage* as a LH player, not a disadvantage. When I started playing, I did have more movement and playing ability in my right. As a beginner, most of the songs you will first be playing will focus on the right hand. I would think that would force you (whether you like it or not) to learn how to utilize that weaker hand more quickly. It took me a long time to develop flexibility and comfortable independence in my left hand because I didn't play music that challenged that hand for a least a year or more (with exception to the standard scales). You might have a little more initial frustration to deal with, but I think you will find it easier later on IMHO.
Andrew - Shortcircuit85
If you were not sane, you would never misunderstand this question or the consequences of not comprehending its meaning.
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Joined: Nov 2005
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OP
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thanks. nice to hear that i would have an advantage!
is it normal to have 1 hand freeze initially while playing? its hard to get my right hand to do something while the left is doing something else.
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what on earth is a reverse piano? is that a joke? i've never heard of such a thing...
That's right...I have the same birthday as Mozart. If only it meant something and I could have one thousandth of his genius...in my dreams, i suppose.
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is it normal to have 1 hand freeze initially while playing? its hard to get my right hand to do something while the left is doing something else. Yes, it's the classic pat your head and rub your belly hurdle. In my view, learning to play the piano at first is 90% mental hurdles, and 10% physical hurdles. You need to teach your mind to think of it's hands (and fingers) independently from each other as well as teach your mind to associate notes on a page with locations on the piano. You do this by simply practicing and making little steps towards using both hands well together. Part of the reason you are finding it so difficult to play with two hands, is likely because your mind still has to think about what each hand is doing too much. When you get further along, you won't have problems thinking of you hands independently, it will just be like reading a book. You'll play what you see (most of the time ) It seems so impossible at first, but your mind will learn with practice and perseverance. what on earth is a reverse piano? is that a joke? Nope, that wasn't a joke. In fact, there is someone famous for advocating it's adaptation. Lefthanded Piano Now it's harder and more expensive to make a lefthanded piano. It's very easy to make a an electric keyboard or dig. piano with MIDI out a lefthanded keyboard. They make MIDI keyboard reversers for this. The thought personally scares me a little, but maybe I just don't like change! :p
Andrew - Shortcircuit85
If you were not sane, you would never misunderstand this question or the consequences of not comprehending its meaning.
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Shortcircuit, I don't get it - left-handed piano - guess it doesn't make sense and I'm left-handed. I enjoyed reading your post "yes, it's the classic pat your head...." when I first started I never thought I'd be able to read music, get my fingers to cooperate (still have a looooong way to go) etc. What you have written is true for all beginners, left handed or not. Wish I had had this post or something like it when I first started and came close to walking away a few times, glad I stayed with it.
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weird. i thought that's what a lefthanded piano was, but it's such a weird concept to my brain, i just wasn't sure. would that really make a difference?
That's right...I have the same birthday as Mozart. If only it meant something and I could have one thousandth of his genius...in my dreams, i suppose.
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I think whatever slight advantage a reversed keyboard might have to a lefty by having the dominant hand play melody would be FAR outweighed by the enormous disadvantages of not being able to use suggested fingerings and getting quality instruction from teachers who are used to a regular keyboard.
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Just wondering, if you were to play on a left-handed piano, wouldn't the music have to be transposed? Do right handers have problems? It's just takes practice like anything else.
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I'm a lefty, and actually I think my right hand is more dextrous than my left, although my left hand sometimes (of its own accord, it seems!) plays LOUDER than my right.
carpe diem
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I'm right handed, and it took me years of practice to get the left hand to behave. Now I can play equally well in both hands. This includes melodic lines as well as accompaniment. It was the years of scales, Hanon, Schmitt, and Czerny that did the trick.
John
Current works in progress:
Beethoven Sonata Op. 10 No. 2 in F, Haydn Sonata Hoboken XVI:41, Bach French Suite No. 5 in G BWV 816
Current instruments: Schimmel-Vogel 177T grand, Roland LX-17 digital, and John Lyon unfretted Saxon clavichord.
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In playing the piano you are training both hands to do something that neither is accustomed to doing and has never done before. One may seem to be at more of an advantage at first but as time goes on you will find they are both doing things they could never do before pretty much equally. Play Bach long enough and right or left will feel pretty much the same. Everything else you do in life will still be easier with your dominant hand.
Better to light one small candle than to curse the %&#$@#! darkness. :t:
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Joined: Nov 2005
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OP
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hi. yeah i am sticking with piano. i think it is just a matter of getting my hands trained. i did sit down today for 2 hours and finally see some progress. you folks gave me alot of motivation. i was wondering if there are any specific excercises you would recommend. i am a beginner. thanks alot.
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I will always remember the frustration of trying to play HT in the beginning. My brain kept saying 'no way, Jose!!' There is no motor skill as complicated as the piano. Your brain is attempting something it has never experienced before. Even a brain surgeon doesnt' requre the motor skills of a pianist.
One exercise that really helped was to first tap the music on my knees while counting out loud the tempo. Do this first on a simple piece 3-4 times then immediately try it slowly on the piano. This really helped me.
The other important beginner skill is to learn how to use the metronome. First, however, do not try to use the metronome on a piece of music. I tried this and it was so frustrating I put the metronome away thinking I would never be able to use it. A year later, I tried the metronome again, but starting first with scales only. First, one click per note, then when that got comfortable (after only 5-10 minutes for a day or two)I started two notes per click, ie 8th note tempo. When this got comfortable, again relatively quickly, I started with simple pieces with no 8th notes. After getting comfortable with those I then started on simple pieces with a few 8th notes.
You will find that the metronome is one of the most important tools for progress. It is more work but it forces discipline and it definitely speeeds up my learning a piece. Some claim it takes away from being "musical" with the piece but this is not the case at all with me. I only use it to learn the piece which then gives me the freedom to have fun with the music which is what this hobby is all about.
_ _ ___________________________ _ _ "There are no shortcuts to anything worth doing." Beverly Sills
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Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:34 PM
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Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:23 PM
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