Trying to figure out what kind of stuff to play with left hand in piano

[Functional]

Currently I'm overly using the root - fifth - octave pattern with the left hand while playing melody / chords on the right. This works out pretty well in many cases even if it's not terribly great voice-leading-wise. But in some cases, I desire better voice leading - so how acceptable is it do something like fifth - root - fifth (octave)? And how about the third?

I'm not looking for anything too complicated right now (i.e. how jazz pianists play with the left hand, that's just far beyond my reach as-is) and rather tricks that just involve the notes of a basic triad. While I do think that fifth - octave - fifth is acceptable without introducing too much issues (even if played low), anything that seems to involve the third seems to start clashing quickly in the bottom with the fifth or the root, hence I find it hard to utilize.

One thought I've had that maybe I just tend to play things a little bit too low with the piano out of preference which makes it more susceptible to clashing

I also like adding ninths, sevenths and sixths (i.e. major 6/9's, minor add9's), can these be how easily utilized in the left hand?

Note: since my compositions are pretty much never actually just a solo piano, there shouldn't be too many issues such as unintentionally changing the chord into something else due to lowest note being something else than the root in a chord with one or more extensions. Typically the bass will handle that regardless

[Forgotten]

Start by playing triads with 1st-3rd-5th, or if that's too much to start with, try dyads. You can keep your hand movement to a minimum if you consider first and second inversions too. Root-5th-octave will eventually start sounding bland if you're constantly doing it, particularly for split chords and arpeggios.

If you are utilizing 7th chords and extended chords, you don't need to play every note in the chord with your left hand - you can use both hands or if you're playing melody or soloing with your right hand, you can play rootless chords or leave out any of the notes that make them difficult to play - let the rest of the band fill in the missing note, or the note can be implied without actually being present.

You also don't need to stick with chords - plenty of keyboard players will take the role of bass player, and it's not a consideration for atonal or non-harmonic forms of music.

[Functional]

Start by playing triads with 1st-3rd-5th, or if that's too much to start with, try dyads. You can keep your hand movement to a minimum if you consider first and second inversions too. Root-5th-octave will eventually start sounding bland if you're constantly doing it, particularly for split chords and arpeggios.

If you are utilizing 7th chords and extended chords, you don't need to play every note in the chord with your left hand - you can use both hands or if you're playing melody or soloing with your right hand, you can play rootless chords or leave out any of the notes that make them difficult to play - let the rest of the band fill in the missing note, or the note can be implied without actually being present.

You also don't need to stick with chords - plenty of keyboard players will take the role of bass player, and it's not a consideration for atonal or non-harmonic forms of music.

Sorry, I think I was bit unclear - root-fifth-octave pattern is what I play with my left hand solely while I play typically the third, fifth (or sixth) and an extension if I play just chords. I have no problems with playing the basic triad or even arpeggiating it with my left hand, but very often I choose to play so low (with the addition of reverb and pedal) that it would start clashing _very_ quickly if I actually arpeggiated the basic triad. So I'm thinking ways around this - one way could be to simply omit the fifth overall (since it's implied so heavily anyway) and another one would be to practice pedaling more so that, at the end of a given chord, I'd have a bit of room for small melodic lines with the left hand (even if it's played low).

But the latter technique in particular is far above my current skill level and I don't think I should be focusing on that yet at all. Having more freedom with voicings with left hand would free up a lot but it seems like any voicing that involves 3 notes will start clashing heavily unless it's the root note, fifth and either of these doubled. Maybe I'm too fixated with utilizing three notes in left hand?

To get perhaps a better idea, this is currently what I can play easily and also demonstrates how low I typically prefer to play chords especially if comping for a singer for improvisation: https://clyp.it/o3skamg3?token=f99d49b8 ... e0975c18ba

[Forgotten]

Just switch it up then. For example, play a major triad with your right hand and play the 3rd and 6th with your left hand. There’s also no reason why you shouldn’t vary the number of notes played with the left hand and right hand, or why you need to always play in the same part of the register.

Can you read music? That makes a huge difference, and check out the Hanon books - you can really learn a lot from them and they start easy and build on what you have already learned.

Best way to figure out what to play is listen to or read what others play.

[Functional]

Can you read music? That makes a huge difference, and check out the Hanon books - you can really learn a lot from them and they start easy and build on what you have already learned.

Best way to figure out what to play is listen to or read what others play.

I can to some extent, but can't sight read at all. But those (Hanon books) seem to have more to do with technique exercises, no? I sort of got lot of those covered thanks to a piano instructor

However, it's kind of helpful to know that I could wary it up

[vurt]

it sounds like youre having ideas, but youre not sure whether those ideas are allowed?

well first of all, yes, they probably are.
the most important thing however, is when you play what you are thinking of, does it sound good?

learning theory is great
but don't let it lead, let the music lead.
write your piece, if it works great, then look at the theory and why it works.
if it doesn't work, not as great, but still look at the theory and learn why it doesn't work.
either way, there is a lesson learned

[Forgotten]

But those (Hanon books) seem to have more to do with technique exercises, no? I sort of got lot of those covered thanks to a piano instructor

However, it's kind of helpful to know that I could wary it up

Not all of them. They publish exercise books, but they also publish books that introduce concepts and styles via well known pieces of music so that you can build your skills page by page.

If not Hanon, something similar that introduces things slowly. For example, something that expects you to know I-IV-V (or V7) chords for the left hand and then builds on that to introduce different diatonic chords, arpeggios, split chords, and progresses to left hand parts that don't involve chord shapes at all.

[Aloysius]

You could drink a cup of coffee with you left hand or smoke a joint.

[Distorted Horizon]

Or you can just play with your balls

[jancivil]

What to do with the left hand vs not is contextual, it depends on the music. You say you want a ninth, in what register?
You could do 1 - 5 - 9 LH if you can reach it, and the 3rd if needed is the next key to the 9th in the RH, 1 - 5 - 9 - 10...; but this is a musical idea, as a model it goes only so far. but in LH it's either a second or you can reach the 9th if the low note is root. elsewhere, eg., 'E - G - D', 'G - D - E' but actually a C root. Whatever, there is no recipe.

For a book of keyboard exercises that is also showing ideas and how to deal, Bartok Mikrokosmos.

[jancivil]

There are A LOT of models out there for pianoi voicings, If you expect to obtain a really good grasp of it study what there is, rather than wonder.

[Functional]

What to do with the left hand vs not is contextual, it depends on the music. You say you want a ninth, in what register?
You could do 1 - 5 - 9 LH if you can reach it, and the 3rd if needed is the next key to the 9th in the RH, 1 - 5 - 9 - 10...; but this is a musical idea, as a model it goes only so far. but in LH it's either a second or you can reach the 9th if the low note is root. elsewhere, eg., 'E - G - D', 'G - D - E' but actually a C root. Whatever, there is no recipe.

For a book of keyboard exercises that is also showing ideas and how to deal, Bartok Mikrokosmos.

Since I play generally speaking so low, it'd have to be on the higher register ("ninth") in most cases with the way I play, but sure, I can do that comfortably (from root to the ninth). Seems like I can also just play the third too with my thumb in addition (depending on the chord though, F#m(add9) isn't doable like that) and get the whole chord with just the left hand, actually.

Bartok (judging by the sheets I see in google) seems interesting, I'll definitively check those volumes, thanks for the tip

[Forgotten]

You seem to be thinking one hand at a time though. If you want to play F#m add9 you could play F# and A# with the left hand and C# and G# with your right hand. It doesn't matter what part of the register you want to play in, which inversions you play, etc. - there should always be a way to play pretty much any chord with the fingers available on both hands.

If you can span a 9th you probably have larger than average hands, but that doesn't mean you have to play those notes exactly a 9th apart. There's also no reason to feel obliged to include every note from the chord if it becomes impossible to play, especially when you are playing a chord with the left hand and playing a melody with the right hand.