ARTICLE - keyboard/piano learning the right hand first vs left hand

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Also see POP BALLAD - LEFT HAND CHORD PATTERNS

QUESTION:

There are those who say that the development of the right hand should be established before beginning work with the left hand. When should the left hand on the casio keyboards songs be introduced in piano study? After all of the songs with seperate right hand from our music library and on the casio keyboards have been played ?

RESPONSE:

Our music library has specifically made one handed right hand versions avialble to make the transition inot the casio two handed songs programmed on the keyboards easier

The notion that the right hand should be developed first and separately at the piano is the prevailing thinking among many Piano teachers. It is generally recognized that beginning study using the "two-hands-at-once" approach to piano study is more likely to cause confusion, tension, poor technical development, and other unintended results. Some of the best of traditional teachers concur and advocate practice of hands separately, well into the most advanced study.

Here are good reasons for developing the right hand, before beginning work with the left hand:

    * The right hand is predominant in producing the melodies of pieces. In that way, the right hand can be said to "drive" the left hand.

    * The designation of one hand to be dominant and the exclusive focus of study enables highly efficient study. Focusing on one hand permits more thorough practice and leads to better development of pianistic skills.

    * The well-trained right hand will "inform" the left hand. More precisely, the child has been through the process that has led to ability of the right hand to play melodies . Accordingly, the left hand can  play, one or two octaves lower copying the right hand with the left hand I. Students will master left hand only parts  as part of practice, while reproducing the sound of the recording. If both hands are then mastered students are ready to play with the recordings.

Students should play all of the pieces in our library with excellent right hand form before working with left hand only or with both hands. As to how many pieces should learned right-hand only, there is some latitude. It is most important that the student master the movement and the form used for playing right hand only, at least through the Teasy level 1 pieces  in the libary  playing right-hand only. Some students are ready to begin left hand study sooner than others.

This issue may not seem significant to those not involved with training students to play classical piano music, but successful study depends on an understanding of the importance of mastery of the early steps in the process.