At some point, every young piano student will flip the page in a method book and come face to face with her very first “hands together” piano piece. After tackling that very first piece, she will likely have one of two reactions:
- She will be thrilled with the harmony, and play the piece over and over and over
- She will be utterly frustrated with the required coordination and shut down
If you’re dealing with a piano student who has the second reaction, then you’re probably looking for ways to help ease her transition from “hands separate” to “hands together”. In today’s post you’ll discover 7 tips to accomplish this goal.
7 Ways To Improve “Hands Together” Coordination
1. Start early and by rote – As a young teacher I would often delay teaching skills like “hands together” playing until they were introduced by the method book. These days I break away from the “method book timeline”, encouraging rote experimentation with hands together (as well as many other concepts) before the method book introduces them. This gives my piano students plenty of time to develop the physical and aural awareness of “hands together” playing before they’re asked to add the visual component.
2. Use rhythm instruments – Adding a drum and a set of maracas to my studio was a great way to strengthen my students’ “hands together” coordination. Having them play along with rhythm only scores eliminated the note-reading aspect of “hands together” playing… allowing my students to focus only on the physical ability to move both hands at once. When a score comes into the picture I use the rhythm instruments in place of “fingers on the keys” to first build the physical awareness needed, before proceeding to the next step of adding pitches.
3. Play “Anything Goes” – The game Anything Goes is an effective “hands together” teaching tool for young students who are easily frustrated. The rules are simple – their left hands can play any key, so long as the rhythm is correct. This works especially well with older students who are learning left-hand accompaniment patterns (such as Alberti bass). Once the rhythmic framework is in place, the notes can again take center stage. Important: when using this teaching tool, make sure your students constantly vary the notes played by their left hands so they don’t commit incorrect notes to muscle memory.
4. Play “Right, Left, Together” – Before you begin with this teaching tool, make sure your piano lid is closed. Next, call out “Right, Left, Together” patterns such as… right, together, left, together. Then, instruct your students to drum (tap) their hands on the piano lid according to the pattern called. In this example, the student would tap her right hand on the piano, then tap both hands on the piano together, then tap her left hand on the piano, and finally, tap both hands on the piano together again… before repeating the pattern several times over. Change the patterns each time to increase the difficulty as your student improves.
5. Play “combos” – Combos is a quick game I like to play in the final few minutes of a piano lesson. Instruct your students to place their hands in C Position (or some other position) and then call out a bass clef note and a treble clef note. Instruct your students to play the two notes simultaneously as soon as possible. This activity builds keyboard awareness as well as the ability to seek out two different keys at once.
Often repertoire at “just the right” level can be all it takes to bridge the gap between frustration and triumph. If your method book is moving too quickly or too slowly, it’s important to supplement with other material. Teach Piano Today’s PianoBookClub makes it easy to always have “just the right piece” at your fingertips.
6. Be visually creative – Some students respond well to having “hands together” notes highlighted on their music while others may prefer to draw a connecting line… or even a tiny circle. Find out what works for your students and then have them search their scores and placemarks accordingly. Understanding how visual cues in their music translate to what is played is key in building “hands together” coordination.
7. Share the bench – For kids who are having “hands together trouble”, it really helps to build their aural comfort with a piece. So, try turning the score into a duet where you play the LH and your students play the RH (and be sure to switch). Hearing how the piece sounds while directly contributing to the process can be a pleasant stepping stone for many students.
Tips From The Trenches…
We’d love to hear from you! What teaching tricks do you use to help piano students who struggle with “hands together” coordination? Share in the comments below.
Judy says
I sometimes place little markers on the bass notes for beginners. That way, they do not have the added frustration of trying to find the notes AND play together with the treble notes.
It has worked very well with my young Granddaughter, she has no fingers on her left hand, but we don’t let that stop us! She uses the ” corners” of her fingerless hand.
I gradually ” forget” to place markers one at a time. Wink wink!
Melinda says
That’s wonderful!!!
Krista Woelk says
Yes, I know some teachers are against using “place markers” I use them when it looks like my students need it and then we gradually remove them as they go. Sonce I teach at most of my student’s houses that has worked well for me.
Diane says
Judy, What do you mean by little place markers? Are you adding finger numbers or letter names to the bass note music or is this something a bit different?
Judy says
Diane, I keep it very basic. For instance, my little Granddaughter who only has right hand fingers , started to play simple bass notes with her fingerless left hand. She finds C easily, when we added G to the accompaniment, I just placed an eraser on the note. Likewise, adding F , I placed the eraser on that. It gives them a marker for the correct note. I try not to write the note name on the eraser, I try to make her/them think!
I’m open to all ideas regarding teaching a one handed child. So far we are making it up as we go along!
Andria says
Be sure to check out the array of one-hand-alone pieces that each of the method books have in their offerings of supplemental solos. I use them when a student has a cast on an arm, but some of them are quite beautiful. THE OCEAN DEEP by Kathleen Massoud is a beginner level favorite.
Judy says
Thank you Andria
Laura says
I also taught a girl with only one hand. Her left arm ended shortly below her elbow. She had very fine muscle control on the point of her stump, so she played lots of right hand pieces with one accompaniment note. It was great to see the confidence it gave her. She didn’t take piano very long because she became a very busy high school student, but did manage to perform in a recital, to thunderous applause! We would highlight the melody in a piece, then I would play all the other notes. It worked quite well.
Melinda says
I’ve often done the “right left together” process within the context of their music and what needs to happen, but the idea of making it a game before they get to that point! A visual cue that has worked with many students is a long narrow box that vertically includes the notes to be played together. It has helped students of all levels to be more aware of what happens together and what happens separately. I’ve already done share the bench and love it! I’m also going to start including combos as an earlier game. As long as schedule permits, I’ll have a brand new beginner this fall to try these out on….. Thanks as always!!
Claire says
I start the lesson w marching in place. There feet tap quarter notes and just coordinate hands and feet together and then move to eight notes clapping and quarter note taping Half note hold while marching quarter notes and whole note holds same way. Students love the kinesteti technique. We quickly move to the key board after.
Andrea says
Love this kinaesthetic approach Claire – thanks for sharing!
Sandra says
I use beginner books that introduce H.T. very early. I like Piano Safari rote pieces, and the Faber Primer book in the Gold Star series. …Kids love fifths. You can add them into a lot of beginner pieces. Or make up a rhythmic intro using fifths! I also use the technique of dueting parts on the bench with the student. They get to hear how the parts fit together before they attempt to do it alone.
Elizabeth says
Sandra, I totally agree with introducing HT very early. I write bass notes into the very first pieces and introduce one note every now and then. And of course fifths once they have go it together in later pieces. I really think that this overcomes the dreaded HT syndrome. Poor old LH gets left out by most method books until it has become a hurdle.
Megan Hughes says
I agree with rote early and rote often. I use rote songs to solve lots of problems before they occur.
Another thing you will never find in the method books is the neurological concept of the midline. Doing things with two hands right at the middle of the body, also crossing over, can be challenging. A wider spacing between left and right can make things easier.
Krista Woelk says
Every now and again I do a practice bingo card with sone unique challenges. One of the ones my students like is playing their song with their hands crossed.
Diane says
Ooh, I love this idea, Krista! What other practice ideas do you include on the BINGO card?
Krista Woelk says
Playing their song backwards, memorizing, meeting certain practice minute amounts, cleaning the piano keys, playing for people, playing the song higher or lower than written, renaming a song in their lesson book, table top practice, playing with their eyes closed, clapping the rhythm of their songs. I try to mix some light hearted ideas in with some of the “serious”bits I want accomplished. They have to do both to get a bingo or a blackout. I do music money for my incenative program so they earned a whole note for each bingo to maximum of 5 whole notes.
Roni says
What some of my little beginners like as a challenge is even when they’ve just learnt CDE, to put it hands together. It is also a good discussion point re. stepping up/down, or symmetrical movement (using the same fingers) which usually sounds nicer (a little contrary motion pattern). They feel very clever doing this.
Then move hands to different positions to try out different harmonies (discussion re major/minor opportunities).
Andrea says
A great first stepping stone – thanks Roni for commenting!
Krista Woelk says
I do 1, 6, and 7 often. I had some students start with me after Christmas and their recital songs had some hands together parts even though we hadn’t got that far in the lesson books yet. I also have a few transfer students from the same teacher who really struggled with playing hands together. We ditched the program they were using and I pulled a bunch of sheet music with songs they knew that had lots of left hand or right hand, minimal hands together, then slowly increased the amount they were doing. That seemed to help especially since I could tell their hearts weren’t in it anymore when they started with me. Their interest level was muchecking higher by June. I will be trying 2-5 to help build their skills. Thanks for the imaginativersatile (*imaginative, but I like the autocorrect) was of doing things. Your lists are always bigger than mine.
Cynthia Ramsdell says
Another helpful tool is right in their pockets. I ask the students to pull out their phones and open the record tool. I then record the piece playing both hands slowly. (Not too fast–an important key.) Now they can take it home and “share the bench” with themselves! They can practice one hand at a time while hearing the whole of the piece. Also, just listening to the song played correctly helps build their aural sense of the song. I use this with students from young ages through college age students.
Judy says
Excellent idea Cynthia!
Krista Woelk says
That is a handy way of doing it. I sometimes use garage band to record the LH and RH on separate tracks and email recordings to the parents with HT, LH, and RH at different speeds. Especially if there is going to be a bit of a break between lessons. The kids can choose which track they want to practice with. Play he LH while listening to the RH only track and vice versa. Or if they still stumble and lose their place then the HT track is easier to pick back up in. But using the phone to record a video is a quick and simple method too!
Lisa Williams says
I use my own collection of lead sheets by about the 3rd lesson and teach simple I-V7-IV chords for the left hand. The chords aren’t written out, only the symbol is used. After they learn a song with a solid chord I have them vary the chord by breaking it up (Bottom, Top 2 notes, Top 2 notes OR Bottom-Middle-Top notes for 3/4 time signature). I also teach Alberti bass if I think they are capable (and most are). The Pop Waltz Prophecy Book is the PERFECT book to transition between the easy lead sheets and chords to “real” music.
Andrea says
Hi Lisa – I really like your approach – it would mean your students would really understand the underlying harmonies of their music as well (great for memorization too!). Glad The Popwaltz Prophecy fit so well with your studio 🙂
Becky says
Great ideas! And they work with the harp as well. I have been doing the rhythm score reading (tapping out the rhythm with respective hands), but now have a few new things to add to the toolbox. One other thing I do is have the student play a simple drone in one hand while the other plays the melody line.
Andrea says
Lovely – so glad you can use this for your harp students as well Becky!
Brian Jenkins says
I especially like the idea to teach by rote early. I also tended to stay away from that originally. A few years back I taught a child with autism, and I used teaching by rote quite a bit.
It made me realize that I should be doing more of it with all my beginning students. There is so much to learn physically that usually isn’t taught until later that can definitely benefit by this approach.
Judy says
I am relatively new to this website and just want to say a HUGE “Thank You” to everyone for their comments. We’ve recently moved to a rather small village with no NMTA and I have felt a little isolated. Reading other teacher’s “tips and tricks” is a breath of fresh air! Thank you all so much!
Barbara says
Love reading the tips and suggestions that show how much love and care is given to these commenters’ students.
And so many great ideas for working with the compicated pysical process of HT. Thank you. Very inspired to try out the ones tha are new to me.
Regina Ziliani says
I believe some route teaching is imperative for many reasons, one of which being the allowed freedom from the page to focus on technique.
Thank you for this article!