two hands at once?

Mr_T · 02-03-2008, 06:04 PM

Hi - I'm just trying to get into a few simple piano tunes, and as a guitar player am not used to sight-reading two staves at once. I can read both treble and bass clef now but the notion of reading both at once is completely alien. I've learned both parts seperately and can play them together excrutiatingly slowly but my eye just isn't used to reading two lines at the same time.

Any tips or websites to recommend? Thanks so much.

Tom

Teletubby · 02-03-2008, 09:58 PM

Most people just do what you are doing...learn both hands separately and stick them together.

irinamarella · 02-04-2008, 12:20 AM

Yeah, that's what I do too. My guess is that over time, it gets a lot easier to read 2 staves at once, but I can only guess because I am not there yet...

Malcolm · 02-04-2008, 05:19 AM

Yep, I think we are all in the same boat.

Here are some of the things I'm using.
1. Go here for some Sydney Smith's exercises on elementary two hand pieces.
http://www.box.net/shared/wbitub5s08

2. Scales - with both hands -- both going up scale, both are doing something different. Separate by two octaves and do left hand up and right hand down and you do the same thing with both hands. Switch back and forth has proven to be a good exercise.

3. If you need something on what fingers to use with each scale.
http://www.cmmusicschool.org/download/fingering.pdf

I think it's like everything else - baby steps.

Obivion · 02-04-2008, 05:23 PM

Start off with the really basic stuff like a chord with the left hand and a melody on the right and gradually work up so they are playing different things.

Don't do what I did and jump straight in to Bach's two part inventions...

Mr_T · 02-08-2008, 02:52 PM

Hi

Great. Thanks so much, esp for the Sydney Smith, that's precisely what I need. I'm still curious though - to anyone who sight reads both on piano - can you really absorb the info on both in the same glance? Do you find they're close enough that physically, the eye can move quickly enough?

Thanks very much !

tom

ps. I apologise for taking 4 days to reply. I didn't get the email note that usually comes from IBM.

Malcolm · 02-08-2008, 04:58 PM

Quote:

.....can you really absorb the info on both in the same glance? Do you find they're close enough that physically, the eye can move quickly enough?

No, not yet, but, I think most take a few minutes and look over the music to see what is happening. The left hand is probably doing what we do when we play rhythm guitar, i.e. I IV V progressions or even simpler 1-5 power chords with some 1-6, 1-7 runs etc.

So a few pencil notations, i.e. C5, G7, etc. sure help right at first. Once you get the rhythm pattern going then concentrate on the melody. ---- IMHO and that opinion is about 6 months old.

Marlbhoro · 02-20-2008, 01:51 AM

well, 90% of the time most of the action is in the right hand, the left hand is usually a chord progression, bassline, or rythmic pattern, if your new to keys, just glimpse at the bass before you sightread, before long reading two clefs will just click...

Mr_T · 02-20-2008, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marlbhoro

well, 90% of the time most of the action is in the right hand, the left hand is usually a chord progression, bassline, or rythmic pattern, if your new to keys, just glimpse at the bass before you sightread, before long reading two clefs will just click...

Yeah, thinking through the bassline in terms of the chord tones is probably the way to approach it. Thanks for the thought. I find otherwise reading the two clefs simultaneously is like trying to take a steering wheel in each hand - difficult - and very risky!
Tom

Karen Au · 03-26-2008, 07:19 PM

[QUOTE=Mr_T]
I'm still curious though - to anyone who sight reads both on piano - can you really absorb the info on both in the same glance? Do you find they're close enough that physically, the eye can move quickly enough?

I know people who can really sight read super fast on the piano, I think it's all to do with how familiar you are with the keys, and the notes on both staffs. Sight reading music is literally like 'reading' but in musical language, it's like when you see a sentence you know how to read it because you know all the words the instant you see them on the page. It's the same with music, if you see a C maj chord in the bass, your hand immediately jumps to where the keys that make the chord are. It takes a lot of practise, I'm not quite there yet, but I'm hopfully improving slowly...

02-03-2008, 06:04 PM	#1
Mr_T Tom Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: London, UK Posts: 34	two hands at once? Hi - I'm just trying to get into a few simple piano tunes, and as a guitar player am not used to sight-reading two staves at once. I can read both treble and bass clef now but the notion of reading both at once is completely alien. I've learned both parts seperately and can play them together excrutiatingly slowly but my eye just isn't used to reading two lines at the same time. Any tips or websites to recommend? Thanks so much. Tom

02-04-2008, 05:19 AM	#4
Malcolm Registered User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Deep East Texas Piney Woods Posts: 2,089	Yep, I think we are all in the same boat. Here are some of the things I'm using. 1. Go here for some Sydney Smith's exercises on elementary two hand pieces. http://www.box.net/shared/wbitub5s08 2. Scales - with both hands -- both going up scale, both are doing something different. Separate by two octaves and do left hand up and right hand down and you do the same thing with both hands. Switch back and forth has proven to be a good exercise. 3. If you need something on what fingers to use with each scale. http://www.cmmusicschool.org/download/fingering.pdf I think it's like everything else - baby steps. Last edited by Malcolm; 02-04-2008 at 05:37 AM.

02-04-2008, 05:23 PM	#5
Obivion Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: UK Posts: 301	Start off with the really basic stuff like a chord with the left hand and a melody on the right and gradually work up so they are playing different things. Don't do what I did and jump straight in to Bach's two part inventions... __________________ No one sings the blues quite like Yngwie!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Tired/Weak Hands Help!	Dolan	Guitar Technique	6	01-21-2008 08:03 PM
shaky hands	mattfnk	Guitar Technique	3	03-22-2006 02:28 AM
big hands defined	syan	Guitar Technique	6	01-31-2006 01:54 AM
Hands, and fretboard care.	Lowthorpe	iBreathe Cafe	6	01-03-2005 10:39 PM
Achy Hands	sugarbee	Guitar Technique	8	03-27-2004 03:47 AM

02-03-2008, 09:58 PM	#2
Teletubby Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 266	Most people just do what you are doing...learn both hands separately and stick them together.

02-04-2008, 12:20 AM	#3
irinamarella Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 67	Yeah, that's what I do too. My guess is that over time, it gets a lot easier to read 2 staves at once, but I can only guess because I am not there yet...

02-08-2008, 02:52 PM	#6
Mr_T Tom Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: London, UK Posts: 34	Hi Great. Thanks so much, esp for the Sydney Smith, that's precisely what I need. I'm still curious though - to anyone who sight reads both on piano - can you really absorb the info on both in the same glance? Do you find they're close enough that physically, the eye can move quickly enough? Thanks very much ! tom ps. I apologise for taking 4 days to reply. I didn't get the email note that usually comes from IBM.

02-20-2008, 01:51 AM	#8
Marlbhoro Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: H-Town Va Posts: 6	well, 90% of the time most of the action is in the right hand, the left hand is usually a chord progression, bassline, or rythmic pattern, if your new to keys, just glimpse at the bass before you sightread, before long reading two clefs will just click...

03-26-2008, 07:19 PM	#10
Karen Au Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: U.k, H.k Posts: 10	[QUOTE=Mr_T] I'm still curious though - to anyone who sight reads both on piano - can you really absorb the info on both in the same glance? Do you find they're close enough that physically, the eye can move quickly enough? I know people who can really sight read super fast on the piano, I think it's all to do with how familiar you are with the keys, and the notes on both staffs. Sight reading music is literally like 'reading' but in musical language, it's like when you see a sentence you know how to read it because you know all the words the instant you see them on the page. It's the same with music, if you see a C maj chord in the bass, your hand immediately jumps to where the keys that make the chord are. It takes a lot of practise, I'm not quite there yet, but I'm hopfully improving slowly...