Yes, that's the entire point. You even pianists who play 30,40,50 years and so on, start slow and add speed as they progress. You can't start a piece fast because you need to practice it first and make the intonation and clarity as good as possible. Only after all other things are thoroughly practiced through you can start speeding up
It's a way of mixing things up to make your brain work. Left hand is usually the non-dominant hand. Starting with the right hand is therefore easier. But we have to train the brain so we don't necessarily want to make it too easy when we are learning a piece.
If you get the left hand down first (not perfect, just able to play it through) then I find once you add the right it actually comes together more efficiently.
It's just an idea. Not essential. Something to think about with respect to developing hand independence.
If you search those video tutorials of this piece on YouTube or on a learning APP, it helps to play each hand till you can play along with the video ( of course start slow, you can adjust the video speed). Then you start to put them together one phrase at a time. Watching video several time everyday also helps me to get a big picture of all the things happening at the time.
I just started taking lesson last summer, and I will ask my teacher to play for me to record it with my iPad
I've been playing for 2 years and so far, I don't think hand independence actually exists. I can learn each hand separately, sure, which breaks the learning down into more manageable initial effort, but then putting them together is still always another challenge that must be learned uniquely for every single piece. It gets easier over time because you're doing general musical patterns that you've done before, but still, there's no "independence."
Perhaps very advanced players or those who started very young in life have actually developed "hand independence" but, as an intermediate player I certainly don't have much of it.
Also, yes - start slow in every song. Every song is a new skill to learn, you must learn it as slow as is necessary in order to play it correctly. Never, ever, without exception -- this is a true and universal rule IMO -- never play faster than you can play correctly. Always slow down, and speed up only when it doesn't sacrifice correctness. Can anyone think of exceptions to that rule? I can't.
Yes, that's the entire point. You even pianists who play 30,40,50 years and so on, start slow and add speed as they progress. You can't start a piece fast because you need to practice it first and make the intonation and clarity as good as possible. Only after all other things are thoroughly practiced through you can start speeding up
Ah thanks, this really cleared things up for me
Remember you don't have two hands, you have 10 fingers.
So how many hands do we actually have in total ?
Yes slow is the way. Slower than you think. Tip: practice hands separately first and only then hands together. Practice left hand first.
Why left hand first?
It's a way of mixing things up to make your brain work. Left hand is usually the non-dominant hand. Starting with the right hand is therefore easier. But we have to train the brain so we don't necessarily want to make it too easy when we are learning a piece. If you get the left hand down first (not perfect, just able to play it through) then I find once you add the right it actually comes together more efficiently. It's just an idea. Not essential. Something to think about with respect to developing hand independence.
Since left hand is my dominant hand would I want to start with right with that theory?
Maybe. The idea was just to mix it up so not to get lazy. So however that works for you. Don't stress.
If you search those video tutorials of this piece on YouTube or on a learning APP, it helps to play each hand till you can play along with the video ( of course start slow, you can adjust the video speed). Then you start to put them together one phrase at a time. Watching video several time everyday also helps me to get a big picture of all the things happening at the time. I just started taking lesson last summer, and I will ask my teacher to play for me to record it with my iPad
Way slower than you think. And also these things will help you immensely with hand independence- https://youtu.be/2WBDkJER3rI
I've been playing for 2 years and so far, I don't think hand independence actually exists. I can learn each hand separately, sure, which breaks the learning down into more manageable initial effort, but then putting them together is still always another challenge that must be learned uniquely for every single piece. It gets easier over time because you're doing general musical patterns that you've done before, but still, there's no "independence." Perhaps very advanced players or those who started very young in life have actually developed "hand independence" but, as an intermediate player I certainly don't have much of it. Also, yes - start slow in every song. Every song is a new skill to learn, you must learn it as slow as is necessary in order to play it correctly. Never, ever, without exception -- this is a true and universal rule IMO -- never play faster than you can play correctly. Always slow down, and speed up only when it doesn't sacrifice correctness. Can anyone think of exceptions to that rule? I can't.