What to expect in your piano classes
When you initially start taking piano classes or learn piano, you'll most likely begin by learning a few simple and popular songs that you can play with just your right hand. The majority of piano songs, on the other hand, demand you to use both hands at the same time, which requires keeping proper posture as you advance through your piano classes and start to learn piano.
This may be very difficult, and at times even infuriating since it will take some time to get used to. The good news is that with enough concentration and practise, playing the piano with both hands may become easy and musically gratifying as you learn to play the piano in your beginner piano classes.
However, one of the most enjoyable and at the same time difficult tasks we encounter while learning to play piano and in basic piano classes, particularly in the beginning, is the use of both hands in the same composition.
Learning to play piano with both hands is enjoyable because you can play a far broader variety of notes than you can on other musical instruments and therefore you can learn to play a wider variety of songs.
It is also often complicated, because each hand is doing its separate thing that is totally different from what the other hand is doing
To put it another way, it's similar to brushing your teeth with one hand while simultaneously cleaning the sink with the other hand.
At least at first, it's entertaining - but difficult and the first challenge you come across as you learn piano.
Why is it necessary to use both hands while playing the piano or when beginning piano classes?
When you initially start learning to read notes, you'll most likely focus on learning your right hand, which is responsible for playing notes in the Treble Clef.
However, when we begin to study our left-hand notes in our piano lessons, we find ourselves in a whole different clef, with notes that are arranged differently on the staff. This is referred to as the Bass Clef. Getting familiar with sheet music is essential as you start to learn piano. These basics will help you master difficult compositions as well.
When we play from the Grand Staff, which looks such as this image, we are reading notes from both clefs at the same time.
Following our study of the notes that each separate hand on the Grand Staff plays, we'll be ready to put them all together! This is the most enjoyable portion of your piano classes.
7 tips to make playing the piano with both hands easier in our piano classes
1. Ensure you practise each hand individually to start with, and that you get very comfortable with the notes you are learning.
2. Begin by practising scales and simple finger exercises.
3: Now, simultaneously play both hands, although at a slow pace at the beginning. It is not recommended that you play your song any quicker than both of your hands are capable of it effectively and comfortably.
4. Don't be concerned if your fingers and/or hands get jumbled up initially, or even in the first the first few piano classes of practising to play with both hands. That is very natural. It's similar to putting a puzzle together. Take it one component at a time until you've mastered it.
Not only that, but do not attempt to "perform" until you are fully prepared! Maintain your focus on the simpler tasks, such as your scales and the initial exercises since they will teach your hands and fingers to move in sync with one another.
Scales are used in both hands to play the same notes, and they are the most effective method to learn to play the two hands together effectively in the beginning. Exercises that are less difficult will utilise the same notes in both hands, while the more involved ones will introduce notes that are distinct for the various clefs.
6. Continue to practise playing the piano in this manner daily. You may definitely vary your scales and exercises from day to day, but make sure to keep your pace moderate and to understand that you are in training mode rather than performance mode when you are just starting out your piano classes.'
7. When you've become used to playing your scales and exercises using both your hands, you may go to studying basic compositions that use both the Treble and Bass Clefs to play.
Start slowly, begin with scales and easy finger exercises, and stay at it each day. You'll be amazed at how much easier you will be playing the Piano with both hands after a few weeks of using these steps and practising the material given to you in your piano classes.
This is followed by plenty of enjoyment and self-confidence when you realise just how much you've achieved in your short time taking piano classes as you learn piano.
The following tips, tricks, and exercises will get you started on your path to better piano hand coordination and move to advanced piano pieces.
Start with an easy song to build piano hand coordination
Even though it may seem like an obvious idea, beginning with a simple song is very essential to get a solid start on developing synchronization between both hands as you start to learn piano.
The first example to consider is Mozart's Sonata No. 11. When we look at the music, we can see that the right hand and left-hand sections are precisely the same, with the only variation being that they are one bar away from one another. It is important to note that both hands move in the same direction and have the same tempo.
Only the right hand should be used during the first four bars. When you're comfortable doing so, try playing with both hands at the same time. But and this is critical, think of the right hand as the one that is guiding the left hand when you do so. Keep trying this basic piano class exercise, until you succeed. If you are still having trouble, continue reading because the following advice will be of great assistance to you!
Piano hand coordination exercises to help you learn piano faster
This is, without a doubt, the most crucial step toward being able to play with both hands simultaneously! We'll take Enya's song "Only If" as an example to illustrate our point further.
When we look at the first 8 bars of this song, we can see that, in contrast to the previous example, the right and left hands will be required to do entirely distinct tasks. As a result, it is critical that you be able to play each hand independently and with great ease. Once you have mastered each of the song's hands individually, putting them all together will be much, much simpler.
• Only the right hand should be used for the first four bars. Once you have gained confidence, move your focus to the last bar, concentrating only on the right hand this time around. Bars 5, 6, and 7 should be practised since they are just like bars 1, 2, and 3 in terms of difficulty
• Once you've mastered the right-hand section, try practising bars 2, 3, and 4 using just your left hand instead. There is no need to practise the left hand in the last three bars once again... Why? For the simple reason that they are the same.
• Once you have both hands under control, all that is left to do is connect the two together. Ready? Your ability to accomplish this successfully and efficiently is entirely dependent on your ability to do the following: play slowly!
• Begin by placing both your hands in their starting places and playing. Note that the left-hand notes always appear on the first beat of the bar — keeping this in mind while playing through will assist you in keeping the two sections synchronised. If it helps, you may also count aloud while you're playing the song.
Additional exercises to learn how to play the piano with both hands
The first exercise we will perform is a 1-octave C Major scale, which will be played in the opposite direction of the previous one. In layman's words, we'll begin with both of our thumbs on middle C, move in opposing directions until both hands reach another C, and then revert to the beginning. Taking a look at the numbers beneath and above the notes, we can see that each hand's fingers are utilised at the same time in both hands. This makes the C major scale a good place to start learning piano with both hands.
Make careful you utilise the finger numbers as indicated in the illustration above. We play the following note with our thumbs tucked behind our hands when we reach our third fingers. On the way back in, once we have played the notes with our thumbs, we loop our 3rd fingers over the top and play the notes that follow. Make sure you are comfortable with playing the exercise hands individually before attempting it with both hands at the same time.
Again, we'll be working with a 1-octave C Major scale, but this time we'll be playing it with both hands moving in the same way; first going up, then back down. This is a little more challenging since our hands are utilising various finger numbers at the same time, which makes it more tough. Furthermore, our "Thumb under" and "3rd finger over" movements are performed at various places throughout the scale.
Once you have completed the first exercise, you should go on to the second one. It's critical that you start off by moving extremely slowly and carefully, considering every motion you make with each of your hands. With more experience, you may raise the pace and begin to play other, easier piano melodies that require you to use both of your hands simultaneously.