One of my students started experiencing inflammation in her right forearm at the end of last semester due to extensive note-taking in some college classes. So we launched into this semester with the need to give her right arm a break. We determined it was the perfect opportunity to explore left hand only repertoire! I had a grand total of three solos in my collection of printed music, so she fairly quickly learned those and was ready for a bit more of a challenge. I was excited to discover that one of my go-to sources for sheet music, IMSLP, has a whole page devoted to piano works for the left hand: IMSLP List of Piano Works for the Left Hand
Their list includes 47 works specifically written for the left hand alone by various composers, from well-known names like Brahms and Chopin, to more obscure ones like Alice Ellen Charbonnet and Dinu Lipatti. Here are direct links to some of the pieces we looked into.
Alkan – Three Grand Etudes
Bartok – Four Pieces for Left Hand
Birkedal-Barfod – Op. 19
Charbonnet – Mappari
Coenen – Fantasia
Pabst – Etudes for the Left Hand
C. W. Krogmann – Waltz Op. 81 No. 2
Reinecke – Op. 179
Saint-Saëns – 6 Etudes for the Left Hand
Many of the pieces are well beyond an intermediate level, and I wanted to be careful not to over-extend my student’s left arm and hand with such difficult music when her left hand isn’t used to having to do quite so much on its own! We did come across a new-to-us composer – Alberto Nepomuceno – from Brazil and his delightful collection of 5 Little Pieces for the Left Hand. They were apparently written for his daughter, though I’m not sure what the story is behind her need for such. Here’s a performance of the collection by Maria Ines Guimaraes:
A website devoted to Brazilian music has a page that includes a timeline with information about the life of Alberto Nepomuceno, along with a few recordings of some of his wonderful orchestral works!
Finally, we discovered composer James Marchand, who has an extensive collection of left hand piano music. Here are a few links to his videos and downloadable piano sheet music:
YouTube Channel: Marchand Music
Sheet Music: James Marchand Sheet Music
We are still looking for ideas, so any input is most welcome! Do you have any favorite left hand only pieces that a late intermediate student would enjoy learning and playing?
Leah Mansfield says
I am very interested in your blog. Left-handed music and in fact how left-handed Vs right handed people find different types of music in terms of difficulty has always fascinated me. You list has been very helpful for a performance aspect of my degree. Miriam Hyde has a short and very sweet “Melody” which she composed back in 1985 when your right arm was broken.
James Chesney says
Hi. My right-hand nerves were damaged in a R.T.A. Music is still my main thing and keyboard Music in particular! How do I order those charming Alberto Nepomen….(sp.) works above?
natalie says
Hi James! You can access and download them for free from IMSLP here: https://s9.imslp.org/files/imglnks/usimg/d/da/IMSLP13030-Five_little_pieces_nepomuceno_a.pdf
James Chesney says
Hi. THANK YOU so very much. I have now played through those easy pieces! How do I Down-Load or Save them? Many thanks for your time!
Best wishes,
James Chesney
natalie says
Wonderful! There should be an icon that gives you the option to either download or save them as a pdf on your computer.
Jennifer Hua says
Ooh! Thank you so much for these links. I fractured my right wrist in June, and subsequently developed CRPS in my right hand. My teacher and I have been looking for LHO pieces. There is also Scriabin’s Prelude, which is beautiful! I also came across a book of exercises by Hermann Berens and they’re excellent. Arnoldo Sartorio and Carlotta Bocca also composed some simple LHO pieces. Brahms’ Study #5 after Bach’s Chaconne is another.
natalie says
Thanks for the additional ideas, Jennifer!
Katrina says
Do you know of any LH only concerti at this intermediate level?
natalie says
That’s a great question! I don’t know of any off the top of my head, but I would think there might be something out there like that!