My student broke her left wrist last week. We have decided to focus on getting the left hand improved while her right hand heals. I am teaching her the left hand parts to Linus and Lucy and the Pink Panther. Isn't there also sheet music that is written just for the left hand? She is a beginner (Beginning of level 2 Piano Adventures) What else can I give her to practice?

can't go wrong with technique scales, triads, arpeggios... though of course they aren't as fun

if you have some extra time to spare, just transpose some basic RH songs into bass clef, or just keep it in the treble clef but have her use her left hand

I'm confused, which hand is it that is broken? That does make a difference. You say in the topic that it's the left wrist that is broken, but then in your post you want to improve the LH while the RH heals.

As I await your response to suggest some pieces, now would be a great time to work on ear training and composition (which will help with reading). Have her learn a familiar melody by ear, then write it out (or use notation software if she can't write). Then have her figure out what chords woudl go with it. She won't be able to play the melody and chords together, but what a fun duet that would be, with both switching sides! That's another thing you can do is duets where you play the missing hand. This can be fun, and a good tool even for those students who don't have a broken wrist!

GREAT IDEAS!

Sorry, it's her right wrist that is broken. Thanks for pointing that out. I like all those ideas...she'll be in the cast for the next 6 weeks or so.

Schumann has some fun songs where the melody is in the left hand--happy farmer, wild horseman. It might be a challenge to play these musically with her "off hand."

I'm am adult student

I have 3-4 books of standard grade 1 and 2 pieces for one hand (I broke my wrist a couple years ago). I'm at work now, but I can send you a pm this evening with the titles, contents and a sample page or two, if you would like that.

Many of these books have fingerings for right OR left hand - I think in different colors of something

I found the one handed music at a given level somewhat more difficult than the two handed music" of the same level, so be prepared for a bit of whining from the student. My playing did improve substantially once I was back to two hands

Dorrie, if you wouldn't mind, can you share those titles with the rest of us? I'd be interested to know.

Trilling:
I had a student who broke a finger in the LH, so I found pieces that he could play without using that finger (using only 1&5). Many songs in the easier levels (like Hal Leonard book 1) can be played completely with one hand, and they have nice accompaniments that you can play with her. What a great opportunity to strengthen her left hand

One hand piano books

"Elementary Piano for One Hand" Riccardi and Vella. This is a short, condensed progressive set of pieces. I thought these were more fun to play than those in the other books

"For the Left Hand Alone" John Thompson (books 1 and 2) I have played some pieces in the regular Thompson books but thought these to be more difficult and not especially musically rewarding. (For the record: I did the pieces I was assigned, I just grumbled more about some of them - out of earshot of my teacher).

"Left Hand Studies" by Schaum are (presumably edited) left hand etudes by known composers (Czerny, Hiller, etc) at approximately the grade 2 standard. Some of these were fun.

I do believe in respecting copyright, but if anyone would like more information, I would be happy to scan the table of contents and a sample page. Just PM me.

D