Suggestions for how to learn to play with multiple fingers

[dmksails]

I'm a beginner learning to play with Gary Cover's book "Easy Anglo 1-2-3"  I've reached the part where the music looks like this.  Here's my question - how do I go about learning to play this?  I got the melody line down - it's simply the right hand notes.  Adding the left at the same time is giving me fits.  Suggestions?

 

[Steve Schulteis]

I'm no expert or teacher - this is just how I got started, as best as I can remember.

 

Just focus on hitting all the right buttons together. Forget about which ones are melody and which are harmony. Forget about rhythm. Pause on each group of notes for as long as it takes to find the next group. You're just trying to get the feel for moving between those groups of buttons. After you start to get comfortable with that, then begin thinking about the rhythm. Aim for steady playing, and go as slow as necessary to achieve this. With practice, you'll pick up speed.

It can also help to work on the left hand by itself. Pay attention to the repeated chord and rhythm patterns (3-45, 3-45, ..., oom-pah, oom-pah) and when they change. Thinking about things in bigger units like that can help lighten the mental load. It's also a path to begin thinking about melody and harmony more independently.

Give yourself time. I recall spending at least two or three weeks working on some of those early harmonic-style tunes, and I probably still wasn't as good at them as I'd be after an hour now.

[Mikefule]

When I was starting out, I found a useful exercise was to play a repeated simple pattern with the right hand, and play the Oom-Pah accompaniment to it.  Playing a tune with accompaniment came a little later once the brain was used to the idea of the two hands working together.

 

In C, the simple pattern would be the notes | CDE CDE | CDE CDE | (this example in 6/8) and I would later advance to the pattern |CDE EDC|.

 

Think of it as like playing percussion.  The timing of the right and left hand working together is the same as if you were tapping your hands on your lap in time to a tune.

 

It will come.

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

Sometimes as well as studying in the numbered way [as above] it can seem daunting; and there are so many tablature techniques to this instrument as well.  Now and again it can also be useful to find out by just playing your instrument in-between the more academic approach.  Sit down and relax and let go with the sound; try out by practical physical experience, and by actually listening to the notes and chords as you make the journey with your hands and ears.  Often, also trusting in instinct and judgement, by hearing the left or right hand chords in practice can also be useful; you will find clashing notes that do not work, and then remember the next time where to find the more harmonious sound. 

[Cathasach]

I'm at a similar point and playing it slowly and often has really been the only way I've been successful with both hands. Once you get it for the easier songs like this one then it will start coming more naturally.

[Breve]

If you are right handed, then the left hand will be hard to get the hang of as it's the weaker hand.  Play the left hand only many times until you are more confident. Count out loud 1-2-3-4 to get the oom-pah rhythm going. When it comes to putting the 2 hands together, don't try and get through the entire tune, break it into sections. eg, the pick up and then 2 measures. Then move onto the next 2 measures (which completes the melody phrase). Then just work on that phrase.  In this way you'll learn the muscle memory for coordinating both hands.

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

The good and unique thing about concertina is in its design; because at some stage you will have to use both hands as you play them [Anglo or English].. it is definitely a good way for anyone to develop dexterity to both sides of the brain or to improve their capacity in mind development.

[luli]

On 11/4/2022 at 11:48 PM, SIMON GABRIELOW said:

手风琴的优点和独特之处在于它的设计；因为在某些阶段你必须用双手来演奏(英式或英式)..对于任何人来说，这绝对是一个发展大脑两侧灵活性或提高思维发展能力的好方法。

If someone can practice some Bach, his mind and hands will be fully trained😀

[luli]

On 11/4/2022 at 11:48 PM, SIMON GABRIELOW said:

The good and unique thing about concertina is in its design; because at some stage you will have to use both hands as you play them [Anglo or English].. it is definitely a good way for anyone to develop dexterity to both sides of the brain or to improve their capacity in mind development.

If someone can practice some Bach, his mind and hands will be fully trained😀