Duet players: strategies for playing small intervals

[Don Taylor]

By small interval I mean the intervals smaller than, say, a seventh.

 

Do you try to play both notes on the RHS whenever possible, or do you stick to playing single notes on the RHS and play all of the harmony on the LHS? 

 

Or some sort of mixture of these two stategies?

[Little John]

Generally I would play single note melody on the right and whatever sort of accompaniment on the left, but sometimes I'll play a pair of notes on the right hand. That would usually be if it makes the fingering simpler. Very often for a four note chord that spans two octaves I'd play two notes on each hand, e.g. D and A on the left and F# and D on the right.

[wunks]

I find that my left hand is better at multitasking so I'll use it through the overlap before I enlist the right.

[David Barnert]

I agree with Little John’s answer. More specifically on the Hayden I’m likely to add a major or minor 3rd or 6th below the melody if it makes musical sense. A special case is when the tune ascends through 5-6-7-8 (major or melodic minor) I might simultaneously play the notes that descend chromatically from 5 (5-4#-4-3) also with the right hand.

 

BTW, I almost never find myself playing intervals larger than a 6th with one hand.

[Isel]

I like to play the 3rd interval on RH. Also the 4rd interval with one finger...and if I have an inspired day I manage to catch the 1-5-8 with one finger. 

As Erik says, I like also to use the overlap on LH to create sort of bouncing effect when playing the melody.