My goal is to be able to improvise with both hands equally on the piano. The physical aspect is not the main issue. I can write etc. reasonably well with my left, but something complicated and creative is not the same thing.
I am looking for a relatively easy, emotional activity to do with the left. I am thinking juggling?
I play a good bit of improvisational piano (pretty much everything I play these days is mostly improvised), but I’m not sure how juggling or other activities are going to help you here. I mean, everybody is different, but why don’t you just play around with improvising with your left hand? How did you learn to improvise with your right hand? It’s kind of the same idea.’
Or pick up some guitar. You’re fretting with your left hand there, and so all your improv is going to come from your left hand. I just don’t see how it translates much into piano.
FWIW, I’m a pretty good juggler but am terrible with any form of music performance. I agree that there doesn’t seem to be much in juggling that would help with your piano. And I’m pretty puzzled by calling juggling an “emotional” activity. To me, it’s the very definition of repetitive robotic activity.
What type of music? An independent melody like Bach? Or chords or walking bass like Jazz?
Try sketching with your left hand. Draw a simple figure and keep trying to make it perfect with your left hand.
The only thing that’s going to help you improvise on the piano with both hands is practicing improvising on the piano with both hands.
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IMHO, this will probably help you the most. Start by playing only with the left, then alternate left and right, then combine them. Since you currently have a strong right hand dominance you’ll have to practice a lot more with the left, even when you start alternating or combining them. You need to get to the point where you start thinking melodies with your left hand, instead of just thumping out an accompaniment or counter-melody.
I think it translates pretty well, just because it gets you used to thinking melodies with your left hand. I personally started with the piano when I was about 7 years old, then picked up the guitar and taught myself how to play it when I was about 10 or 11 or so. I have never had a problem improvising with either hand on the piano.
Unfortunately these days, while I own two acoustic guitars, four electrics, three bass guitars, three keyboards, and I’ve set up a studio of sorts in my basement for all of them, it’s probably been close to five years since I’ve had the time to actually sit down and seriously play anything. My music skills are getting more than a bit rusty.
Okay, I started with the guitar, so I have some fretting ability, but surprisingly it doesn’t translate into the piano…
I am trying with my left hand, but the stuff that it plays – it is just hard to keep going with it alone because it is not as fun. I also respond much less well to lower notes (the left hand does much better with high notes), but working with an organ helped since the low notes are by far better sounding. I was thinking of renting a cello to practice low notes at home too but IDK if I have the relative pitch for it.
One thing that helped me recently is low frequency binaural beats, but I cannot find any more that have decent music with them that is not boring.