Hand Technique - Right Hand

[Riotblade]

Good news and bad news. When i started to learn, I used my left hand because I am left handed. Well I realized a reversed keyboard is hard to find and plus they would be really complicated to learn. So my left hand is more "coordinated" than my right hand.

Good news is I'm getting a new keyboard, better than the one i have now. Only problem is I am starting to use my right hand more which is making me less accurate and coordination. I am a bit slower, but at the moment, speed isn't my main thing I wanna work on.

I want to get use to my right hand better, way better than I am with my left on the keys.

Anybody have any tips or techniques for this? I really dont feel like play with my arms crossed

 

[kanthos]

What did you do to get your left hand to work well? It obviously worked for improving the dexterity of one hand; why not try it on the other?

Any of the usual "I'm an intermediate player; how do I improve" stuff applies: Hanon exercises, scales, arpeggios, specialized exercises if you want to play in a specific genre (comping out of a fakebook if you're a jazz fan, for example), teaching yourself music, especially classical, from written music. Any of that stuff will help you; which specific exercises to do should be based on where you're the weakest.

 

[Sargas]

I suppose basicly any exercise you find would do the trick. Or simply just find a song that seems rather challenging for your current level, and use it as a sort of exercise. I've found that a good way of gaining control of your hand is by trying to play dynamicly. If you try to play something very soft, and try building up in a crescendo, you will probably get a hang of your control. A controlled hand builds up the crescendo very fluently, with different volume on every tone, while an uncontrolled hand make it more like steps; I.ex, if you play a scale, you might find that the first 4 tones are very silent, and the second 4 very strong if you lack control.

Getting control if your hand is vital to improve your playing, so I really recommend dynamic exercises.

 

[Riotblade]

Thanks I'll probably start playing the first couple songs I learned when I began like Fur Elise or Mortal Kombat XD

 

[fbieler47]

I find that the quieter I play the more dexterity I develop in my fingers, after all it isn't just hitting the right, it's hittinh it with feelingand if you can play with a very light touch it seems to be easier to make it louder, if needs be, Just my $.02

 

[PianoMan]

I find the opposite, if I play at half speed and really dig into the keys and press hard, when it comes to playing it fast and light it just flies.

 

[dogsbollocks]

Good ideas. Hope I can improve my LEFT. Its completely uncoordinated, being a right-handed amature player. Strickly chords, riff and the occasional righthand melody.. I guess that means more scales and appegios parctice. It is very difficult to detach the left-hand brain from the right. My left is always determined to syncopate and/or follow from my right's lead. ahhhhh...

 

[Skipp]

I always wondered how left-handed people managed to play the piano since the melody is played by the right hand. Takes a lot of practice for us right-handed people!

Anyway... apart from just - playing, and doing arpeggios/scales (which is insanely boring), there's not much to do.

I'd recommend improvising (which is a brilliant way of improving your skills), but you
do need to have some knowledge of the chords, harmony, and their relationships...

Plus - both hands need to be at least comfortable playing on their own.

 

[chameleon]

I'm left handed as well. The only thing that helps is work very slow in till you can build up the speed. Its frustrating working slow because you know you could do it faster but get it perfect on slow speeds than it only gets easier as you speed it up.

 

[Multiple Cars Guy]

With any instrument, you start slow and then build speed as you become more comfortable with the interface. You'll get it in a month or so.