Night Storm – Getting the LH and Controlling the Events
Found in: Playing-Based Methodology, Practicing & Playlists
Samali D., Western Australia
In the left hand of Night Storm and Jackson Blues, some of my students leave the little finger down while playing the thumb notes correctly. They seem to focus so hard on getting the thumb movements that the little pinky sits resting! Do others have this experience with these pieces?”
Neil Moore
It happens all the time, Samali. It’s absolutely fine, and merely a symptom of the brain focusing on what it considers to be the more important function.
Having both LH fingers strike at the same time, as well as having the thumb moving up and down, is essentially a multiple thought process. So, allow it to continue until the student has strength with the LH and RH working together, then come back to address the LH after another lesson or so. Implement a ‘Control the Events’ (CTE) exercise, and resolve the LH finger 5 issue. Like any CTE it needs to be done at VERY slow speeds, and with absolutely no attention on rhythm or musicality. In this example, it’s a matter of putting the whole LH process under the microscope and addressing each gesture as its own event. It goes something like this:
1. Have the students play the both LH notes together
2. Have them lift both fingers
3. Have them move their thumb over the next note
4. Have them now strike the next set of two notes
5. Repeat steps 2, 3 & 4 etc.
Doing this very slowly and very deliberately allows the brain to sort out the functions. As per our standard approach, when now bringing both hands together again, CTE this as well.
Two things get achieved here. Firstly, you resolve the issue. Secondly, you allow the student to learn a way of learning.