Learn to play piano, hands together.
The most difficult hurdle that anyone has to overcome when playing the piano is to play different things in the two hands at the same time; and, at the end of the day, this is what piano playing is all about and so it’s something we all have to overcome if we’re to succeed. I have known very intelligent adults despair that they’ll ever get anywhere and I’ve known tiny little tots take to it like a duck to water. It’s one of those totally unfair situations when some brains seem to be set up right whilst others have the wiring right for most things but askew for piano playing!
But don’t despair, by following the steps below everyone can succeed. Some will take longer and some may have to keep repeating and repeating whilst feeling they’re getting nowhere, but in reality there is improvement; it’s just very slow
Let’s look at the three steps.
Secondly, make sure you can play each hand absolutely perfectly and you feel totally confident, so that someone very special walking in to the room wouldn’t distract or put you off for a split second. You should be able to play the left hand and sing the melody of the right hand at the same time or perhaps you might like to try playing the right hand and talking to someone at the same time. In other words, it must become part of your subconscious, so that your hands will just carry on, wherever your mind may be!
Thirdly, take it slowly (I’m not talking about jumping sections in the book but the actually speed of the piece). If we can take a piece at a good pace hands separately, it doesn’t mean that we can play at the same speed when we put the two hands together. As soon as you start to play with both hands, cut the speed in half (way slower than you think you could play it or that you know it should go) and be very, very precise over how you play the notes. Watch the fingers playing the notes and be aware that you’re in control of every movement they make (you are, aren’t you?)!
By following these simple steps, you will succeed; for some people it will happen almost instantaneously whilst others will have to struggle, but if you persevere and keep repeating these steps the hands will eventually seem to know instinctively which notes to press and when.
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First, make sure that the piece you’re attempting to play isn’t too difficult. If you’re trying to run before you can walk,
you’ll get nowhere fast! As adults, we all tend to look at first pieces in a book and think we can achieve something much harder. Remember
that it’s not just about training your fingers, but your brain has to cope with many, many new commands. So, take your time and take each
piece steadily. Think about the hare and tortoise and when you start to play the piano, slow really is the best policy.