Hello everyone! This is my first post to the site. I am a self taught piano player. Just to give a bit about myself I am 19 yr old an play trumpet and guitar as well. Trumpet for about 12 years and guitar for a year and a half.

My biggest concern is Hand Independence when playing the piano. I have been self taught now for about a year and a half and for some reason I am having a hard time trying to learn Hand Independence. My left hand always seems to follow my right hand when ever i play. Although i wil admit i have just learn to slow down the music to learn the part but sometimes when i slow down the music and try it out my left hand continues to follow my right!? How do I learn to get over this obstecle that I and many other players out there are having!??

-Sean

Sean,

Welcome to the forums.

Hand independence is just one of many, many twisters that you will be trying to wrap your brain and fingers around as you learn to play piano. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a "magic bullet" that will solve these types of problems.

The only things I can suggest for this type of problem (and most of the other issues you will encounter) are practice slowly both hands separate and hands together. Practice lots of pieces that are easily within your skill level. When trying to master this skill, it will not help you to be working with a challenge piece, you need pieces where you can focus on just this problem. If you still notice your left hand following the right, then slow the piece down even more.

Keep at it! It will finally click!

Rich

Get a teacher who can play the way you want, and who can lead you through the processes necessary for you to play with independence of hands.

Hand independence is one way to view the interplay concept of both hands. In truth, it doesn't exist absolutely, neither hand ever completely independent of the other as one mind is directing them.

By approaching both hands as one large unit, having 10 fingers in control of two separate contours, a more realisitc approach towards each hand's individual, interrelated coordination can be acheived.

At any rate, it's the mind that must be trained to perceive simultaneously occurring events, two different contours, and being able to juxtaposition them with each hand to create a two hand, overlapping, dissimilar, yet complimentary counterpoint.

This can be as simple as tapping 2 against 3, or 3 against 4, or 3 against 5, etc. away from the piano or playing scales in different keys with both hands simultaneously, or even playing long stretches of notes with both hands playing the same single line, but trading off parts of the phrases with one another.

try some exercises with different rhythms on each hand, such as LH 1 note against 2 notes over RH (or 1 vs. 3, 1 vs. 4 etc), and after a while switch the hands.

such an exercise can be just in 5 finger position first, say both hands on CDEFG, and then you play CDEFGFEDC in circling on both hands, either in synch or mirror each other, and now you add different rhythms to both hands (starting with unison rhythm first and then do LH 1, RH 2, and then LH 2, RH 1...). later you change rhythms on each hand and do it again.

you can do this with arpeggio positions as well. i did a lot of this stuff myself when i started. it helps your brain to get used to hand independence and cooperation.