I've followed your Youtube video for hand independence and despite hours (50 hours) of practicing slowly, my brain just cannot seem to handle both hands working together with the ongoing bass in the left hand. Your Youtube video "Boogie Woogie Hand Independence - Master the Triplets! (no piano required)" helped me alot but I'm still having difficulties. Is there any other tricks I can try? Is it just a matter of continually plugging away at it until you get it? Have you ever heard of someone not being able to get it despite hundreds of hours of practice? Do you think some private lessons would help or do you recommend that I grind away until I get both hands figured out before taking lessons?
top of page
bottom of page
Hi Thomas. To answer your question about pausing between triplets...
If you were to use the ”Hand Independence Drills” page that’s available from this website you will see that it is a C6 chord in the right hand with the CG-CA shuffle in the left hand. By the time you get to the 17th measure of the drill there are triplets in the right hand over the shuffle left hand ( it’s not necessary to do the shuffle in the left hand, you can do any left hand bass pattern with this drill of course) and it’s at this point where the triplet rhythm in the right hand coinciding with the 8/8 timing of the left hand that you are now doing a not so simple polyrhythmic coordination between the right and left hand.
At this point in the drill (at the 17th measure as denoted on the print out of the Hand Independence Drills page) you simply go so slow that it’s embarrassing. While going so slow , and literally stopping for seconds if necessary, you aim to get that C6 chord in the right hand that falls in between each 1/8th note of the left hand. By going super slow motion, you avoid pressing your left hand down on the piano keys for that triplet note that falls in the middle of the 2-1/8th notes of the right hand. Make sure to look at that 17th measure of the “Drills” page to see what I’m describing. Keep at it. Boogie Woogie is only difficult if you don’t go super slow in the beginning.