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My teacher told me I should try to play my right hand louder than my left hand. However I find that extremely difficult to do. Do you have any advice or practice tips for me? How do you guys do it?

Thanks,

KN

This is a common problem There is a recent thread Different dynamics with a number of great tips.

Well, remember ... your teacher did not say DO IT (right now). Your teacher say to TRY. So ... TRY !

Seriously, if you just try ... and keep trying ... you will be able to do it. Maybe not immediately but eventually. Remember, there is no rush.

I found if you let your left hand kind of fall on the keys from a lower height and make that auto pilot, much like you would on a repeating harmony and focus on making your right hand strike harder I was able to do it. Also try pushing the keys slowly and right when you start pushing the keys with you left THEN strike with your right. I found it's all about forgetting the left and focusing on a louder sound with your right. I could not independently consciously think of both and do them that way, I had to get one on auto pilot and focus on the other.

I'm a three month beginner so anyone feel free to correct me if I'm giving poor advice!

Thanks all! She indeed told me to try and that some students can do it after a couple of weeks and for some it takes years. Somehow I believe I'll be in the last group But hey, that won't stop me from trying anyway. Some day I'll be able to do it

Or you could just turn up the volume on the right speaker higher than the left...

My teacher has me use what he calls ghosting. That is you play the right hand and pretend to play the left hand. In other words, you put your fingers on the Keys but do not press them down. When I first started back over two years ago, I found it very difficult and was resistant to doing it. I now know it really helps and use the technique in practicing quite often. I no longer find it that difficult when it is just the left hand. However, I am now working on a piece that has the melody and part of the harmony in the right hand and ghosting that is a lot harder as you have to play the upper note and ghost the others in the same hand. Another thing he has me doing on this piece is playing the melody loud and legato and the harmony soft and stacatto. The piece is one of Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words, "On the seashore." When I was at Summerkeys a few weeks ago, Bruce Potterton also recommended the same approach to learn to bring out the melody. This piece is beautiful but I am finding it quite difficult.
Judy