Hello everyone,

I have been playing piano for a short while now and I am getting to the point that I am starting to play different melodies with both hands (before it was basically playing the same notes with an octave higher or lower).

Only the problem is that I am having real difficulties with playing both of my hands together (so different notes, different rests etc. for left and right hand). When I play one hand at a time everything sounds fine, but when I start to play both of them together, somehow my right hand starts copying what my left hand is playing or vice versa..it is really frustrating..

Is there anyone who is having the same problem? And is there perhaps a way to train my hands to play 'seperate' from each other, by doing special exersizes for example?

Yeah, your brain tends to do that. Start with simpler left-hand patterns, either whole songs that have a simple left-hand part or combine notes and play whole chords for the left hand instead of trying to do notes.

When you can play through the song with just simple chords, work on splitting them into separate notes..

Practice hands separate until you have both memorized, then SLOWLY start playing hands together. Start with maybe just four measures at a time. Don't get frustrated, it will start to come together.

I'm a beginner, too, six months playing. This strategy works for me. What works for you might be different, but this is a good start. You'll get it, don't worry.

Instead of keeping the hands separate in your mind, is there something that is similar? For instance, do they move in parallel motion but starting on different notes, or do they move in contrary motion? Finding whatever might be similar in each little portion of the piece can help you through this.

However, without hearing what pieces you are playing and having an idea of what you've played successfully in the past, it is hard to say exactly what the problem might be. It is possible that you are not ready to do such pieces. I would find ones that do not have complete hand independence, but things like parallel or contrary motion. There are plenty of these to choose from, but perhaps with more information I can recommend some to look at.

Its very important that you work on this because you will have to get to a place eventually where both hands are playing different notes,with different fingers moving in varied patterns.

While all this is happening both hands will also have relinquish their independence and synchronize as a unit in order to create harmonies.

Following the ideas that Gary layed out works best for me. I've been taking lessons for a while now - I ran into the exact same problem.

I think it's something everyone goes through when they start playing.

HS then HT slowly - then build up speed from there.