left hand piano works

[salv]

Hi, this forums are great to read. i'm learning a lot.
i have one question: why are there works just written for the left hand of the pianist? i can understand why use only one hand, but why only the left one? does it have to do with the music being easier for the order of the fingers in the left hand? i'm not a pianist, but i guess it's easier to use some fingers than the other ones, no? and playing with the right hand would place those fingers in the opposite order??
i'm just guessing..

thankyou very much for your help!

[stevel]

Originally Posted by salv

Hi, this forums are great to read. i'm learning a lot.
i have one question: why are there works just written for the left hand of the pianist? i can understand why use only one hand, but why only the left one? does it have to do with the music being easier for the order of the fingers in the left hand? i'm not a pianist, but i guess it's easier to use some fingers than the other ones, no? and playing with the right hand would place those fingers in the opposite order??
i'm just guessing..

thankyou very much for your help!

It is my understanding that a couple of the more prominent Concerti, or other works for LH were written for people who had lost their right hand in an accident, or, typically with Ravel and people in that time frame, the first or second world war.

I think Ravel's is probably the most famous, and that may have placed (or made it seem like it) more emphasis on the LH.

A quick scan of some repertoire shows that there are just as many pieces written for RH, and some where the hand is not specified.

It seems to me though, a couple of things could also be at play:
1. Students' LH is often less well developed (playing-wise, not physically) than their RH, so works for LH alone may be written to help students work on developing their LH technique (kind of "Lazy Eye" when they put a patch over the good eye so your weaker eye gets stronger - think of tying your RH behind your back!).

2. Musicians (and artists) show a greater average percentage of Lefthanded-ness than the general population - some composers could have been "speaking out" in a way.

3. Traditional musical patterns often start with low notes first - think of those big arpeggiandi in Romantic Period works - playing a single melody not first, and then arpeggiating an accompaniment beneath it is in general less common than playing an accompaniment pattern first then adding the melody.

4. I asked this same question of someone once (someone like John Nakamatsu, or Paul Badura-Skoda - so no hacks - when they were playing a LH alone piece) and they said something to the effect of it was more practical to cross the fingers over the thumb moving from left to right - which more musical patterns seemed to do, or something to that effect. Although judging form the number of RH pieces too, it seems that this would largely depend on the piece.

HTH,
Steve

[salv]

thankyou steve!

[PeterG]

Originally Posted by stevel

2. Musicians (and artists) show a greater average percentage of Lefthanded-ness than the general population - some composers could have been "speaking out" in a way.

Hi Steve,

I wonder how the distribution of left vs. right handed is in the readers of this forum.

Everyone: raise your (left or right) hand please!

(raising my left hand as an example)

Peter

[salv]

(raising right hand)

[stevel]

Originally Posted by PeterG

Hi Steve,

I wonder how the distribution of left vs. right handed is in the readers of this forum.

Everyone: raise your (left or right) hand please!

(raising my left hand as an example)

Peter

left - but we lefties are by nature somewhat ambidextrous because there are some things - scissors, fishing rod reels, baseball gloves when no one thought to bring a leftie, guitar, and so on. I play guitar right handed. I throw frisbee right handed (though it's really a back hand - I throw forward with my left), I use scissors rh, fishing reels (or turning propellers on toys) with rh - my dad bought ne a left-handed reel when I was a kid but I had already learned to do it rh, so I couldn't use it. When I play piano, my RH is more coordinated than my left, though the left is stronger (louder) - it's the exact opposite on guitar. I play drums RH (that is, on a RHer's kit) but I don't cross my arms so I do HH with my LH, and snare with my RH, which is opposite of RH drummers.

There was just an article in scientific american on how left handedness declines at the turn of last century - they based this on how people waved in a few documentaries, claiming people tend to wave with their dominant hand. I think that's total crap number 1, and there's no telling what else was happening in these films. I much more likely to wave with my RH.

Interestingly, I wonder how reverse driving wheels - in the UK where the steering wheel is on the Right, mucks people up. I'm of course used to driving with my LH, and using my RH for the radio and whatnot. I do always talk on my cell phone on my left ear with my left hand, and the stupid buttons are reversed to me - I need a UK version!

Oh - one biggie - computer mouse! I use it RH. I only know of one LHer who uses it with their LH.

Steve

[Student]

Right to write, ambidextrous to eat, left to play sports or work.

Overall I consider myself a righty, but considering how bad my handwriting is with either hand... it's really a toss-up.

[PeterG]

Originally Posted by stevel

When I play piano, my RH is more coordinated than my left, though the left is stronger (louder) - Steve

Interesting Steve. My teacher tells me sort of the same, my right hand isn't as strong but far better in relaxing the wrist etc, but..... when I play a scale with both hands going opposite ways I need to only look at my left to be able to control both...

Originally Posted by stevel

Oh - one biggie - computer mouse! I use it RH. I only know of one LHer who uses it with their LH.
Steve

I have my mouse on the left side, with the buttons set up for a right hand (so my wrist and hand are always a bit pointing outsite; this can't be good for my hand so I'm so happy my new Mac only has one button on it!). When I try to operate the mouse by my right hand I get to the point where the mouse leaves the open window in no time.....

Peter

[stevel]

when I play a scale with both hands going opposite ways I need to only look at my left to be able to control both...

Can you do the DaVinci thing where you write in opposite directions at the same time (like moving from the middle outward, left hand in reverse Mirror)?

I have my mouse on the left side, with the buttons set up for a right hand (so my wrist and hand are always a bit pointing outsite; this can't be good for my hand so I'm so happy my new Mac only has one button on it!). When I try to operate the mouse by my right hand I get to the point where the mouse leaves the open window in no time.....

Do you have an iMac? Those have a single "button" but it can actually sense a right or left click! I'm not sure how many come with that (Mighty Mouse it might be called) but you can set up the buttons anyway you like! You can buy them for existing systems if yours didnt' come with it.

Of course you could always get a wireless mouse and use it anywhere - and most of those let you set it up anyway you like as well.

Best,
Steve

[Silverfin]

Originally Posted by stevel

left - but we lefties are by nature somewhat ambidextrous because there are some things - scissors...
<snip>
Interestingly, I wonder how reverse driving wheels - in the UK where the steering wheel is on the Right, mucks people up. I'm of course used to driving with my LH, and using my RH for the radio and whatnot. I do always talk on my cell phone on my left ear with my left hand, and the stupid buttons are reversed to me - I need a UK version!

Oh - one biggie - computer mouse! I use it RH. I only know of one LHer who uses it with their LH.

Perhaps in general, but I'm a right-hander who's more ambidextrous than anyone I know. My handwriting with my left hand is appalling, but most things I can do with either. Although this is partly because I get RSI so if I'm doing any repetitive hand movement (yeah, go on, snigger) - like using a toothbrush or a saw - I swap hands every now and then. One exception - I never ever use the computer mouse with my RH, always left. Although I'm more of a keyboard user and only do much mouse stuff when editing images.

Btw, there's a shop near me that sells all left-handed stuff, scissors, etc. And tin openers, which always struck me as weird, as my normal cheap tin opener can be used in either hand. I don't even know which hand one is 'supposed' to use to hold the tin with.