| Teaching your brain new skills - why is it so hard to | | | | attempting both hands together seems wrong |
| play with both hands? Our brains slow way down | | | | somehow, but let's not judge it just yet. Keep an open |
| when learning some new skill with many variables | | | | mind. When you first put them together, your brain |
| requiring independent functions of eyes, both hands | | | | automatically slows everything down. If your "Hands |
| doing different things, and one or both feet doing | | | | Separately" skills are not very proficient, and if you're |
| something else. This is perfectly normal and to be | | | | anything like I am, you will be very frustrated and |
| expected. | | | | unhappy. And, you're looking at a slow and lengthy |
| That's why it's really important, according to Mr. Chang | | | | struggle to get up to full speed. |
| to learn the music, one hand at a time. His special | | | | Now consider what you can expect playing with both |
| technique is a variation of the common practice of | | | | hands together. If you can reliably do them individually, |
| learning each hand separately - that is - one hand at a | | | | with full musicality (all the dynamics, rhythms, tempo |
| time. Referred to as "Hands Separately" or HS for | | | | changes, etc) at 150% of final tempo, your brain will do |
| short. Then "Hands Together" or HT for short. | | | | its normal function of slowing everything down, except |
| Extensive research on Piano Practice technique has | | | | now you are doing the whole piece at perhaps 75% |
| been done by Mr. Chuan C. Chang. His very detailed | | | | of tempo with all the hard stuff already worked out |
| analysis and findings are on line, for free, in his | | | | and learned. |
| document called "Fundamentals of Piano Practice." A | | | | Now the task of coming up to full tempo is relatively |
| simple search will locate it for you. It is a very large | | | | easy. Minimal frustration, lots more fun, and much |
| document. I suggest studying it on line and only printing | | | | quicker. The last piece to add is pedal movements |
| sections that you want to refer to over and over. | | | | while you bring the whole piece up to speed. As I |
| I am reporting on, adopting, adapting and testing many, | | | | mentioned above, not everyone agrees on this |
| but not all, of his ideas. This article is focused on his | | | | technique. I suggest that you try it out on yourself. |
| version of the "Hands Separately" technique. This new | | | | In addition, my personal student experiences and |
| technique is simply the idea of learning the "Hands | | | | research have uncovered many, and sometimes |
| Separately" at up to 120% to 150% of full tempo | | | | conflicting, practice techniques. I encourage you to |
| before putting the two hands together. (Incidentally, my | | | | experiment and find what works best for you. There is |
| personal teacher did not agree.) | | | | always more than one way to do anything. Perhaps |
| Getting all the dynamics and all the technical (fingering) | | | | this will help you. Don't forget - you still have to practice |
| skills down pat at this increased speed before | | | | regularly - daily works just fine. |