Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Do you have to practise Scales for the Left Hand?

I am considering taking up piano as a second instrument.

I came across a self-study site and was a bit surprised when they showed scale fingerings for both the left and right hand.

Is practising scales on the left hand equally important as with the right?

My main area of focus would be jazz piano in which I assume the left hand is primarily playing chords and the right hand melody.

Thanks.

Well, you seem to be about at my level so here's my take on what I've learned so far.....yeah, you should practice scales with your left hand too. It's amazing how uncoordinated the hands can be.
MULLY

You should learn them hands separately then play them hands together and then graduate to playing them in contrary motion, right and left start on the same note right ascends, left descends and vice versa.

Yes it's important... It builds indipendance in your left hand, the aim is for your weaker hand to become as proficent as your stronger hand.

C H O P I N

I find that ascending/descending is much easier for me than going in the same direction. Doing the ascending/descending you're using the same fingers on each hand. Going up or down with both hands is the one that messes with my mind because you'll be using, for example, your thumb on the right hand and the forefinger on the left........my brain wants to fall out of my head sometimes.
MULLY

Hi Ken,

As far as I can see (and my experience is admittedly very modest) playing chords with the left hand and melody with the right is certainly one way of going about it.

But it doesn't appear to be universal - it's probably more like just one way of doing the job. Many pieces, and styles, seem to call for both hands to be able to play either role interchangeably, with the left hand taking the melody for a while and the right hand playing chords. Or even both hands doing variations on a similar role.

That's certainly been the case even in some of the beginner pieces that I'm learning. Because the sound of the left hand will usually be quite 'bassy' and the right hand higher we might well be limiting the range of sound possibilities that we can create if we are too rigid about the roles. At least that's the reason I'm trying to keep both hands as flexible and versatile as I can. So I certainly do the same exercises for both hands. As far as I can see, the stronger and more independent and versatile each finger is the better I'll be able to play.

Cheers,

Chris

Ok, thanks. It's good to know in advance of taking up the instrument what is involved. I guess the same would apply with arpeggios as well.

Yes.

What website are you using for scales?

This is what you need.
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/store...amp;cm_re=289.1.4-_-Results+Item-_-Title

There are several free on-line sites that "publish" scales. Some use graphics, some use a score.

Do a google search with the term, online scales.

Since I'm trying my best to learn how to sight read, I use printed scores...yes, even for scales, cadences and arpeggios.

Good luck with it.

This is the site I came across:
http://www.learn-piano.org/piano-scales.html

I haven't used it though. I'll probably wait until I set up some lessons.

Ultimately you should be able to play them from memory. In fact the best way is to take them one at a time and get solid with it before you move on to the next.