PRACTICE TIPS #22: Look Ma, One Hand!

[Brent Hugh <bhugh@GRIFFON.MWSC.EDU>]

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piano practice tips and ideas, by Brent Hugh



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PRACTICE TIPS #22: Look Ma, One Hand!

-------------------------------------



In my practicing this week I've been reminded again of the power of one of 

the most basic kinds of practice: hands alone.



Pianists often do a lot of hands-alone practice when first learning a 

piece.  Once the piece can be played hands together, hands alone practice 

usually hits the dustbin of history.



It's just at that point, though that hands alone practice can be most 

useful and productive.



Here are some of the benefits of hands alone practice, that I have noticed 

in my own practice this week:



* Hands alone practice sharpens your hearing.  Once you really know how 

that inner line in the left hand goes (because you have practiced left hand 

alone until it is memorized) you can hear it and shape it even while 

hearing and shaping the other three voices that are playing simultaneously.



* Left-hand-alone practice helps that often-neglected hand immensely.  Too 

often the ear and mind focus on the melody (usually the right hand) and 

everything else "just happens".  In piano playing, what "just happens" is 

usually pretty unmusical--chances are the ignored left hand part lacks 

shape, internal balance, line, and a sense of direction.  Working left hand 

alone remedies these defects and helps your overall playing have more 

substance and character.



* Hands alone practice helps your memory.  Once you have memorized your 

piece and know it in sections, hands together, how about memorizing each 

section hands alone as well?  As you continue to work on the piece, keep 

reviewing hands-alone memory for each section, as well as hands-together 

memory.  You'll be surprised at how much more secure your memory, and how 

much better you know and understand the music, if you really know both 

hands alone.





A Couple of Off-topic Notes

---------------------------



Note #1: I'm playing two concerts in the next two weeks, in St. Joseph, 

Missouri and Kansas City, Missouri.  If you happen to be in one of those 

areas, I would love to see you there!



Program (for both concerts)



    * Chopin, 24 Preludes, Op. 28

    * Ravel, Valses nobles et sentimentales

    * Bartok, Piano Sonata.



Dates and places



    * 20 March 2000, 7:30 PM, Grant Hall, University of

      Missouri-Kansas City, 53rd and Rockhill, Kansas City,

      Missouri.  Free admission.



    * 27 March 2000, 7:30 PM, Fine Arts Theatre, Potter Fine

      Arts Center, Missouri Western State College, Saint Joseph,

      Missouri.  Free admission.





Note #2: Missouri Western State College hosts a Piano Camp in June of each 

year for pianists in 6th-12th grade.  I am Piano Camp Director, and one 

focus of the camp this year will be practice ideas and techniques such as 

we discuss on this list.  Other highlights are the Piano Camp CD (recorded 

by Piano Campers), a tour of historical area pipe organs (Piano Campers 

will get to try at least some of them--many date from the mid-to-late 

1800s), a recording project in MWSC's multi-track recording studio, private 

and group lessons, and performances by Piano Campers on Piano Camp concerts.



For more information, see the Piano Camp web page:



               http://www.mwsc.edu/~pianocmp/





Happy Practicing!



--Brent





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PRACTICE TIPS is by pianist, teacher, composer, and internet nerd

Brent Hugh.  Brent knows about practicing mostly because he *does*

it, and in fact is toddling off to do some of it just about now . . .



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elephant's right ear--it's not even close to the whole elephant that is

"how everyone in the whole world should practice the piano".



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+++++++++++++++++++ Brent Hugh / bhugh@griffon.mwsc.edu ++++++++++++++++++

+   Missouri Western State College Dept of Music, St. Joseph, Missouri   +

+               Piano Home Page: http://www.mwsc.edu/~bhugh              +

+ Internet Piano Concert:  http://cctr.umkc.edu/userx/bhugh/recital.html +

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