Hello all,
I started the piano last September, but due to family problems have not played much for the last 2 months. I completed Alfred's first book, and have now started on the Grade one pieces. I am concentrating on scales, Giga, and In the Pink. I can play the left hand and right hand perfectly, SEPARATELY, but when I put them together all goes awry. What is wrong?? I can read the music, and know how it should sound, but it doesn't come out that way???
Beverley.

It's quite a big jump from Alf. bk1 to grade one! It's hard to say what the problem is without hearing you.

Didn't realise it was a big jump.
Beverley.

Congratulations on your progress. Learning how to coordinate the hands is all part of piano playing. It is excellent that you can play hands separately so well as you have laid the foundation skills for playing hands together. Sometimes it can help to tap the left hand rhythm with your left hand while simultaneously tapping out the right hand rhythm with your right hand. That can help you get the hang of the rhythm without the worry of having to hit pitched notes. Having done that try playing hands together just a bar at a time. Progress will seem slow but with every repetition you will build up fluency and before you know it you will have mastered the piece.

I wish you every success with your grade one and I hope this initial frustration will not bar the way to a happy future as a pianist.

This doesn't just happen at beginner level! I'm working on Beethoven's Bagatelle in C minor WoO 52 and there's a really tricky passage in that where there is only one note in each hand but the hands are close together and short sections have to be sopra (left hand over right) and change back again. I've spent a lot of time on that and can now play it, but my brain was very unwilling to start with!

For your pieces, try working very slowly hands together, starting with the last bar and working backwards a bar at a time. You can do this in two sections for Giga. For In the Pink, divide it at the middle of bar 12. Make sure you are really accurate in all respects - notation, rhythm and especially fingering - before you tack on the next bar. Always read the music from bass up to treble. Don't try to increase the speed until you can play without mistakes slowly, and then speed up gradually, using a metronome. Also, limit the time you spend doing this - probably 10 minutes on each piece would be enough at a time - and don't be tempted to go over the section you have been working on till next day. This allows the brain to assimilate the information you have fed in without interruption.

What are you doing for your third piece?

I agree that is a very big jump from Alfred Book 1 to grade 1 pieces. Have you got some easier repertoire that you can work on at the same time?

Thanks Suepea. I will try that. I haven't any other easier pieces to play. For the 3rd piece I shall choose between Arabian Air, and Das Echo. I shall also try Sleeping Cat, and Andante, so I get 6 pieces for my repertoire, and choose nearer November which 3 of the 6 to play.
Beverley.

I absolutely agree with that. I think of it as "leaving it to soak"!