Question for keyboard players

[singlecoil]

How do you separate what your left and right hands are doing?


For instance, I can play a pattern of notes or chords with my left hand, but when I try to play a melody over them with my right, I'm unable to keep the left hand pattern doing its own thing.

Is the ability to do this something that is inborn, or can it be acquired? If the latter, how?

[Hoofy]

Just practice with simple tunes. Perhaps start with songs that have basic chords and a simple melody with the right hand.

[GrumpyTwig]

singlecoil said:

How do you separate what your left and right hands are doing?


For instance, I can play a pattern of notes or chords with my left hand, but when I try to play a melody over them with my right, I'm unable to keep the left hand pattern doing its own thing.

Is the ability to do this something that is inborn, or can it be acquired? If the latter, how?

I have to say I think it's something some people can do and others cannot (beyond a certain basic level), for whatever reasons. I played instruments from the age of about 7 of various types yet when I tried to play piano I felt like I was trying to put a square peg in a round hole.
I could do it to a certain degree but I just couldn't co-ordinate all fingers at any great speed when trying to move both hands at the same time, so I stuck with the other instruments.

[singlecoil]

Thanks for the replies


I had another go yesterday evening, and I have to say that I think that GrumpyTwig's experience is the one that accords most with my own

I think there is probably a spectrum here, there are some people who can do this easily, some who can acquire this with varying degrees of effort, and some who simply can't, and I think I'm in that last category. One can't really practice something one can't do at all. If I could do it once, I would stick at it and put hours in on it because I would really like to be able to play a keyboard in a live situation.

Never mind, there are other musical fish I can fry.

[Hoofy]

How about some lessons with a piano teacher?

I was watching a jazz pianist play on Saturday in a bar. He was chatting to a woman, looking at her, while playing. wker!

[singlecoil]

Hoofy said:

How about some lessons with a piano teacher?

I can't see how that would help, I know what to play, but can't play it.

Hoofy said:

I was watching a jazz pianist play on Saturday in a bar. He was chatting to a woman, looking at her, while playing. wker!

I've never been jealous of people who have lots more money than me (and there's a great many of them), and I've never been jealous of people who are better looking than me (a lot rarer). I'm not jealous of people who can run faster, catch balls better, do more or less anything better than me...

...except music. I'm jealous of people who can do music especially the ones who can do it really easily.

I remember watching a program about some album of Steely Dan's, and they were talking to the drummer, and he was demonstrating a beat he had recommended them to use, with his left hand and his left foot, while he talked about it. .

[Hoofy]

singlecoil said:

I've never been jealous of people who have lots more money than me (and there's a great many of them), and I've never been jealous of people who are better looking than me (a lot rarer). I'm not jealous of people who can run faster, catch balls better, do more or less anything better than me...

...except music. I'm jealous of people who can do music especially the ones who can do it really easily.

I remember watching a program about some album of Steely Dan's, and they were talking to the drummer, and he was demonstrating a beat he had recommended them to use, with his left hand and his left foot, while he talked about it. .

The teacher might give you tips and exercises. Mind you, there are probably videos on YT about it.

[singlecoil]

Hoofy said:

The teacher might give you tips and exercises. Mind you, there are probably videos on YT about it.

There are a great many such videos, and I've watched plenty of them. But I really don't think this is a knowledge thing, different people have different abilities. I have a friend who is a builder carpenter, a very good one, he makes oak framed buildings as well as brick stuff. His drawing is excellent, I've seen some of the drawings that he has won contracts with.

His texts are barely comprehensible, and as for writing a letter, or even reading a book, 'forget about it' as our American cousins say.

[Hoofy]

singlecoil said:

There are a great many such videos, and I've watched plenty of them. But I really don't think this is a knowledge thing, different people have different abilities. I have a friend who is a builder carpenter, a very good one, he makes oak framed buildings as well as brick stuff. His drawing is excellent, I've seen some of the drawings that he has won contracts with.

His texts are barely comprehensible, and as for writing a letter, or even reading a book, 'forget about it' as our American cousins say.

I'm not thinking about knowledge but more about exercises that can help you master your fingers.