How to develop GREAT Left Hand Technique on Piano

On the video below, I've shown some ways to get a GREAT left hand technique. In a nutshell, I've developed 4 basic approaches to working with the left hand:

1. Technical exercises and Bach/Chopin
2. Use your left hand to learn whatever you're working on
3. Incorporate your left hand more into your usual style of playing
4. Learn songs that have a challenging left hand part (from whatever genre you enjoy)

Here's the video:

I'd love to hear any other ideas you might have. Leave them in the comments below so we can all learn from each other!

You might also like:
Jazz Piano: How To Keep Your Left Hand Out of the Bass Player's Way
How To Get The Most Out Of Practicing Scales
Adult Piano Students: Tips For Success

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By Ron|March 23rd, 2014|general|6 Comments

6 Comments

Barbara March 23, 2014 at 9:57 am - Reply

Thanks for the great tips, very encouraging for left hand strength.

I found this on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0LBezQGLNo
Ravel – Left Hand Concerto (Cadenza) – Leon Fleisher
- Ron March 23, 2014 at 3:47 pm - Reply
  
  I’m glad you found the video helpful, Barbara. I hope it gives you lots of ideas to try! And thanks for the video link. What a beautiful passage, and Fleisher played it amazingly! Best of luck with your playing 🙂
Curtis March 28, 2014 at 12:37 pm - Reply

I love playing Jazz. In jazz you have a little more freedom with the left hand. You don’t always have to play the left hand. You can sorta just make it a conversation between the left and right hand. Run a jazz line with your right and let your left hand respond. Sometimes you want to hit he chord on a melody note….maybe on beat 1 of the measure or you can anticipate or delay the chord by an eigth note. Maybe even bring the chord in on beat 3. whatever the case, you don’t have to constantly play the left hand. You can leave the hard labor for the bass player. LOL
- Ron March 28, 2014 at 3:13 pm - Reply
  
  Yeah! Good observations. Sometimes I like to listen to a jazz piano recording, with rhythm section, and focus on the left hand rhythms. Some pianists play the same rhythms repeatedly, while some, like Keith Jarrett, mix it up like you describe. Thanks, Curtis.
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