Hi,
I play the piano and I have a very weak left hand (compared to my right hand). I am a right hander so I guess the weakness is bcause the left hand isn't used as often .
Even in scales, its the left hand that makes more mistakes. Does anyone know a method to overcome this weakness?
A friend of mine suggested a book of finger exercises by Czerny. Has anyone tried it out?
Rupayan.

I have been playing the piano for 9 years now and my left hand still isn't as strong as my right hand, all i can suggest is practice, using finger exercise books. There was an exercise my teacher got me to try to try focus on 2nd and 4th fingers on both hands. My weakest finger is probably my left hand 4th finger, it just doesn't move!!

Hi
Czerny exercises are really good - intense studies thow but im really noticing a difference

Also, try playing a lot of pieces where the left hand carries more weighting or more of the melody

The graded pianaforte studies books are really good too published by asso board - really tuneful and fun

Hope this helps

yes...i've treid out czerny...quite good...but i think clementi and hanon are better...

I used to have that problem.I just did alot of practice with left hand alone mainly on scales and things and also practiced the left hand part of my pieces separately.If the left hand gets tired just switch and practice with the right hand for a while,before trying the left hand again. Dont force it too much,wont do much good that way in my opinion.

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All that can really be done in this situation is practice. I suggest trying to play the right hand of some of your pieces with your left hand as the right hand is usually more difficult. It's funny, I have the opposite problem to you because I'm left-handed, so I had to spend time building up my right hand.

Liebe klavier

I am gonna try those books you suggested too - Thanks for that

I'm left handed but my right is still the dominant one when it come to piano playing.

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Thank you everyone for all your suggestions. I'll try concentrating on developing my left hand now.

Rhapsodin,

An examination can hardly reveal all your weaknesses. For example; I practised my pieces for months so my left hand got used to playing the same thing over and over again. Interestingly, however, in scales I played the LH chromatic in thirds wrong 6 times . So theres the weak left hand again!

Actually the 125 in G8 is due to my teachers guidance and vigilance. I guess because the Left Hand Weakness is so common for pianists that teachers tend to overlook it sometimes.

I'll really work hard to strengthen my LH. I'll try that exercise you suggested.

i use the hanon excercises. yes - excercises are the way to strengthening fingers !!!

Ellie x

A very useful way of strengthening fingers is to play staccato. For example when you are doing scales if you play the left hand staccato while the right hand is legato then you are working out the left hand more than the right hand. You can do this in any piece as well, for example a Bach Prelude such as No. 2 in book one will give the left hand a good workout if you play it staccato.
Another good piece is the Chopin Prelude - can't remember which number it is but in G major (is it no. 3?)
Also the last movement of the Pathetique has lots of left hand workout.

QUOTE (Rhapsodin @ Oct 12 2004, 11:47 PM)

Use it to turn door handles, open screw-top bottles, pick things up, do up buttons/unbutton (and that isn't going to be easy at first. Keep trying. This is part of what you need.)

Hi Rupayan,

I have the opposite problem, strange is that I'm a right-handed.

I believe those small little things that Rhapsodin mentioned really help.

Czaire

My left hand is also weak...

i was playing the scale bit in sonata K.545 with the left hand.

and i was like
i was so slow and my fingers kept slipping.

but now, its quite okay

i think practise makes perfect, try doing it with ur left hand scales, been playing for a lot of years but still i could never play more than two nice piece perfectly with no mistakes....

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QUOTE (Rupayan @ Oct 11 2004, 04:41 PM)

Hi, I play the piano and I have a very weak left hand (compared to my right hand). I am a right hander so I guess the weakness is bcause the left hand isn't used as often . Even in scales, its the left hand that makes more mistakes. Does anyone know a method to overcome this weakness? A friend of mine suggested a book of finger exercises by Czerny. Has anyone tried it out? Rupayan.

Practice

My dad taught me a very good strentghening finger exercise:

On a flat surface, place your hand as if you were playing at the keyboard. Then alternate between 1st and 4th, 2nd and 5th, keeping the 3rd finger DOWN ALL THE TIME!

It's tricky at first but a great excercise.

Thanks for all the great exercises guys. Wow. All this will really keep me busy.

Rhapsodin,
The problem with my left hand shows when I play staccato scales. Its just not as crisp as the right hand. Also my little and ring finger are not very flexible. I can't play good trrrillls with my LH. These are the symptoms.....

A bit extreme maybe, but have you ever been interested in taking up a stringed instrument? That would really help strengthen your left hand.

I've done a couple of the Czerny and they seemed pretty good- some target specific hands too. I do Hanon too. Hanon is really good! I also have a piano which is very hard to touch. Now I'm not saying to go out and buy a whole new piano!!!

Practice makes perfect- even thought I don't like to admit it!!!!