Hi all,

I was just wondering which hand gave people the most trouble in scales.

Mine is consistently the right hand (despite being right handed), and I was wondering if that was unusual because my friend tells me that most people will say the left hand...

If one of my hands has to fail, it's usually the left hand, but rarely the right.

Car Expert

I'm right-handed but my right always flops. My friends say it's strange too zauberfagott. But at least I'm not alone.

I noticed this was a slight problem around grade 5 and since then have made sure to practice separate hands as well as hands together.
It WAS my left (and I am left handed).

Am I the only one who has problems with their left hand, but is right-handed?

Car Expert

I'm right-handed but my left is normally the one which makes mistakes. Out of interest, when you're playing scales, do you concentrate on one particular hand (and which one?) or not? I always focus on my left hand.

That's like me!

Car Expert

I always slip up with my left hand (I'm right handed). I guess my right hand works as a 'crutch' for my left, I need to rectify that before the Grade 6 exam... it's not bad when I play them together but I can't play left hand separately as well as my right.

I also concentrate on the left hand when I play scales. And when I play contrary motion, I look at my left all the time and the right just goes up and down by itself.

both hands are bad

I used to split my focus but I've realised that for hands-together scales this isn't working!

So these days I devote 90% of my attention to my right hand.

oh,I play that way too.Now I realize that I am not alone.

Me too! Doesnt it make sense though, if you are right handed, you are better at things in your right hand....

I do that.

oh,that means it's a normal way,right?

Yes, mine is left hand and I'm right handed.

When I play violin, not a problem. It's as competent - if not more than my piano RH !

Fiona

I have this weird self-confidence problem if i do that, my right hand starts dodging up but if i keep thinking to myself 'i know exactly what i'm doing' over and over again, it works!

Yesyesyes,it's exactly as how I feel too.

My trouble is hands together i forget the fingering, but i have got much better1!

daisy x x

lol, i never actually follow the finger settings and only look at them when i realise that my own are badly wrong...

I find that the trick with scales generally is NOT to think about them, just play.
If I start thinking about it too much then things are much more likely to come apart.

(Of course this only works AFTER you have actually leanred them properly...).

Neither hand in particular lets me down in octaves. I have to look at both in contrary motion - gives the impression of a dog with wet fur.....! Whichever hand is not playing starting on the key-note for 3rds and 6ths lets me down.

maybe it's the opposite when playing piano---i'm left-handed and i have great problem with my left hand when playing scales, or anything fast.

my left hand lets me down and I'm a lefty!!