My right hand has become much better than my left! on LearnJazzPiano.com

Jazz Piano Book Reviews • Piano Teacher Search • Jazz Piano Links • Jazz Piano Lessons

My right hand has become much better than my left!

i was wondering if anybody else has a strong dominance in their right (soloing) hand over their left (comping/bassline) hand. i can do some pretty insane runs with my right hand, but with my left, i struggle turning my thumb under sometimes. when i played classical music, my hands stayed even, but since i've been playing primarily jazz over the last several years and my left hand is pretty much comping all the time, my right hand has gotten a lot better. is this anything i should be detrimentally worried about? after all, comping is what the left hand is all about.

by DoubleZ on 05/19/2006, 23:21

There are 10 comments, leave a comment.

pretty common. i try to exercise the left but in reality, each hand just naturally specializes by function. some artists can overcome this by lots of practice but as long as it doesn't affect your music, why worry? i don't.

LJP Like

by rc on 05/19/2006, 23:45

haha, good point! i guess my left hand is just jealous of my right. i'll just have to remind it how better it is than the right hand at comping ;-)

LJP Like

by DoubleZ on 05/21/2006, 18:35

i try to think about my hands being one big hand. no right, no left, just a big hand.  melody easy flows from end of the big hand to the other, comping flows with it.

personally, i get pissed off when i find out my left can't do everything my right can.  so i practice charlie parker heads in both hands, classical exercises, tons of scales and arpeggios, and even bach.

my left and right hemisphere of my one big hand play almost the same, though i will admit the right hemisphere can play certain licks with more ease.  i think some of it simply comes from the fact that piano licks "fall into place" into the right hand easier than they do for the left a lot of the time.

If I'm not back in 24 hours, call the president.

Scot is available for skype jazz piano lessons (and google hangouts, phone call, etc...)
Use the contact link at the top of the page.

LJP Like

by Scot Ranney on 05/21/2006, 20:27

as i'm attempting to comp with my friends and am conscious of keeping out of the way of the bass and guitar, i find that my left hand wants to 'take off on it's own' a little, even to' i'm not sufficiently skilled to take advantage of this yet.

i have wondered if this is anything to do with being left handed in some things and ambidextrous in other things.

i'd be interested if anyone has views on this.

LJP Like

by Kai on 05/22/2006, 04:16

i'm left handed but my right hand is far better than my left. what i have noticed though is that when i try and practise stuff with my left hand it's very quick to learn almost as though it has the potential to be better than the right, just that it's a bit unschooled.
kai i don't know whether your problem is handedness related. perhaps it's something that you do just to place mark where you are. it can almost be habitual.

LJP Like

by johnq on 05/22/2006, 09:47

i write out my own arrangements emphasizing both hands trading off.
only trouble is, i sometimes arrange more difficult than i can manually pull of. then of course is when practice comes in.

LJP Like

by jmkarns on 05/22/2006, 10:34

jm - arranging and composing stuff that is more difficult than you can play is one of the best ways to improve. keep it up! i always try to write something new when i'm composing. new in melody, harmony, technical challenges. i also try to keep it within the realm of enjoyable interest for those who listen to it when i'm performing, so the challenge is a very nice.

If I'm not back in 24 hours, call the president.

Scot is available for skype jazz piano lessons (and google hangouts, phone call, etc...)
Use the contact link at the top of the page.

LJP Like

by Scot Ranney on 05/22/2006, 14:36

kai, i've noticed what you mention as well. i do fine movements (writing and eating for instance) left handed. while my right is much better (if that's the right term) on the keys, i do occasionally feel a "strength" in my left that makes me think if i tried a little harder i could learn more quickly in my left. unfortunately, there is a pretty large gap right now. i am doing moose in unison and plan to work through the omni book that way.

LJP Like

by sdm on 05/23/2006, 16:32

sid, perhaps we'll know more aout this when we've progressed further.

LJP Like

by Kai on 05/25/2006, 04:40

one way to improve the technique in the lh is to sight-read the rh parts of piano music with it.

LJP Like

by SolArt on 05/25/2006, 11:42

Reply to Thread

Please sign in to post.

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

Scot Ranney's Jazz Piano Notebook, Volume 1 - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 1 of this educational jazz piano book contains 15 jazz piano exercises, tricks, and other interesting jazz piano techniques, voicings, grooves, and ideas Scot Ranney enjoys playing.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version - videos

Scot Ranney's Jazz Piano Notebook, Volume 2 - jazz piano tricks of the trade you can use today

"Latinesque"

Volume 2 has 14 jazz piano exercises and tricks of the trade, and quite a bit of it is Calypso jazz piano related material, including some Monty Alexander and Michel Camilo style grooves. Jazz piano education is through the ears, but books like this can help.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Notebook - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 3 contains 12 jazz piano exercises and explorations by the acclaimed jazz piano educator, pianist, author, and recording artist Tim Richards.

Tim wrote the well known "Exploring Jazz Piano" and "Improvising Blues Piano" books and has several others to his name.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Jeff Brent's Jazz Piano Notebook - jazz piano tricks of the trade

Volume 4 is by Jeff Brent, a jazz pianist, composer, teacher, and author of "Modalogy" and other acclaimed jazz theory and education books. In this book Jeff shares detailed analysis of transcriptions of live performances. He covers everything from the shape of the songs to the tricks and licks he uses in improvised lines to the ideas behind his lush chord voicings.

buy pdf version - buy coil binding version

Jazz piano education is cool.

be the main character in your own story

My right hand has become much better than my left!

There are 10 comments, leave a comment.

by rc on 05/19/2006, 23:45

by DoubleZ on 05/21/2006, 18:35

by Scot Ranney on 05/21/2006, 20:27

by Kai on 05/22/2006, 04:16

by johnq on 05/22/2006, 09:47

by jmkarns on 05/22/2006, 10:34

by Scot Ranney on 05/22/2006, 14:36

by sdm on 05/23/2006, 16:32

by Kai on 05/25/2006, 04:40

by SolArt on 05/25/2006, 11:42

Reply to Thread

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

"Latinesque"

LJP Jazz Piano Blogs

Most Recent Discussions

Articles

Top Sheetmusic Picks

Jazz piano education is cool.

Rock on. Follow your passion.

Sign In

Sign In to LearnJazzPiano.com

My right hand has become much better than my left!

There are 10 comments, leave a comment.

by rc on 05/19/2006, 23:45

by DoubleZ on 05/21/2006, 18:35

by Scot Ranney on 05/21/2006, 20:27

by Kai on 05/22/2006, 04:16

by johnq on 05/22/2006, 09:47

by jmkarns on 05/22/2006, 10:34

by Scot Ranney on 05/22/2006, 14:36

by sdm on 05/23/2006, 16:32

by Kai on 05/25/2006, 04:40

by SolArt on 05/25/2006, 11:42

Reply to Thread

Jazz Piano Notebook Series

"Latinesque"

LJP Jazz Piano Blogs

Most Recent Discussions

Articles

Top Sheetmusic Picks

Jazz piano education is cool.

Rock on. Follow your passion.

Sign In