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Chapter 8 · Reading with both hands

Putting hands together

5 min Lesson 2/4

Key idea Join the hands one bar at a time, slower than you played them separately, and count aloud. Start from the "meeting points" where both hands press together.

Even when each hand is fluent, playing them together is a new skill. Do not be surprised if the tempo has to drop by half. That is normal and temporary.

44EDCDEEE 44CGEGCGC
Each vertical column is a meeting point: both hands press together. Right hand in blue, left hand in amber.

Six steps to join the hands

  1. Pick one bar.
  2. Find the meeting points: beats where both hands press. Mark them in pencil.
  3. Play only the meeting points, skipping the in-between notes, to feel the shape of the bar.
  4. Play the whole bar at 40 to 50% tempo, counting "1 and 2 and" aloud.
  5. After 3 clean repetitions, link to the next bar by playing this bar plus the first note of the next one.
  6. Each time you get 3 clean runs at a tempo, add about 5 BPM.
Join the hands with "Lightly Row" Hands together with long left-hand bass notes: ideal for joining hands.

Quick check

Question 1/5

When you first join the hands, how should the tempo compare with hands separately?

Keep practicing

Piece Au clair de la lune Read the left hand in bass clef, then join both hands for the last phrase. Piece Lightly Row Hands together, with long bass notes in the left hand.