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left hand


anon125

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dumb newbie question.

the right hand plays the melody, and the left hand plays chords or notes.

what is the left hand sound for?

fill in?

emotional tone?

thanks all

I will be playing on a yamaha electronic keyboard which of course has the beat going, rhythm I guess.

what is comping?

I will be playing 30s to 60s music "the entertainer", "smile" etc,

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You can think of your left hand several ways.

 

A backing instrument laying down chords or comping while your right hand is a soloist

 

It can be a bass player playing bass lines under right hand soloing or chording

 

A funky bass player playing a percussive type line or setting up a groove .

 

You can also use your left hand and right hand combined to make chord voicings.

 

I like to try to imagine my two hands are a two man band .One helping the other to create a song :grin: One thing that a lot of other instruments don't allow you to do.

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I take small sandwich bites with it in between playing chords or a LH line!

 

It's for the same thing as the right in a way. The hands work in conjunction with each other or separately for everything from harmonic content of chords, doubled or harmonic single and mult note lines, rhythmic complexity between the hands, or being able to play two completely separate ideas and bass lines. The great thing about piano is that each hand can play in it's own 'register'. Like and orchestra! Or both hands can share registers, it's a very versatile instrument!

 

lb

 CP-50, YC 73,  FP-80, PX5-S, NE-5d61, Kurzweil SP6, XK-3, CX-3, Hammond XK-3, Yamaha YUX Upright, '66 B3/Leslie 145/122

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The LH can be used a multitude of ways depending on what's in the rhythm section. If doing solo, the LH is the rhythm section and fills in the lower register. If there's a bass player, then the LH can fill in the middle register.

 

Depending on the player, at some moments, it's the LH doing some solo and the RH is comping in the upper register. Or the LH could be playing another melody or playing in unison with the RH.

 

But regular folks will just use the LH for rhythm section most of the time, because there's less playable notes in the lower register (due to muddiness). And this results in most of us having less dexterity in the LH.

 

In the end it's all about filling in the sound with whatever it takes to encompass multiple registers for a full sound. What exactly is done in the LH accounts for certain specific styles, which is a discussion in itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hamburg Steinway O, Crumar Mojo, Nord Electro 4 HP 73, EV ZXA1

 

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Just as for anything else... You can use your left hand and/or right hand for something different every time. :freak:

 

I don't know why, I suddenly think of that girl working at the strange boutique at the corner of my street. :grin:

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And don't forget if you have multiple keyboards, the left hand can play a part with one sound while the right plays a completely different part and sound.

 

Trill's 2-man band analogy is very good when you think of the multiple parts/sounds scenario.

"In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome.

So God helped him and created woman.

 

Now everybody's got the blues."

 

Willie Dixon

 

 

 

 

 

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Just as for anything else... You can use your left hand and/or right hand for something different every time. :freak:

 

I don't know why, I suddenly think of that girl working at the strange boutique at the corner of my street. :grin:

 

:grin:

 

You are so sick, mister. :crazy::P

 

I was thinking your LH could hold a beer.

 

http://beer.thetazzone.com/images/drinkBeer9.jpg

 

 

 

Ahhhhhhh... BEER. :thu:

 

 

"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo
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Just as for anything else... You can use your left hand and/or right hand for something different every time. :freak:

 

I don't know why, I suddenly think of that girl working at the strange boutique at the corner of my street. :grin:

 

which one?

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j197/stephenjoshuam/fat-girls-in-bikinis.jpg

 

 

:grin:

♫♫♫ motif XS6, RD700GX
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I find I use my left hand a lot more than my right, I usually end up using my right for continuo type stuff and actually think about what I play more with my right hand. I'm a very rhythmic player though and I prefer the lower regesters, I don't really play much melodic stuff and am a much more supportive musician ('colouring in and filling in'). Coming to keys from years of bass guitar is probally the explanation for this.
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is that dog of legal drinking age?

 

Ummmm, to which dog are you referring? ;)

 

Whew. It's Friday. Not hard to tell that around here, izzit?

 

:snax:

 

:)

"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo
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is that dog of legal drinking age?

 

Ummmm, to which dog are you referring? ;)

 

Whew. It's Friday. Not hard to tell that around here, izzit?

 

:snax:

 

:)

 

Another 30 minutes and I can go from corporate lackey to Rock-n-Roll. Today was so slow that I wonder if it's ever going to end.

 

Where is that beer!? (I may have to drink one at the warehouse when I get my gear. MMMMM Heineken. :love:

 

"In the beginning, Adam had the blues, 'cause he was lonesome.

So God helped him and created woman.

 

Now everybody's got the blues."

 

Willie Dixon

 

 

 

 

 

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You are so sick, mister. :crazy::P

 

I was thinking your LH could hold a beer. :thu:

 

Pas de bière pour moi, Monsieur Tom. Seulement du vin rouge, merci. :P

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Red_Wine_Glas.jpg/321px-Red_Wine_Glas.jpg

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