Can't play with two hands at once!

i've been playing piano for three years on and off yet i still can't manage to play pieces with both hands! it is extremely aggravating and i don't know what to do. i can read sheet music fairly well but i can't seem to get my hands to register at the same time. please if you know any tips or techniques that i could do i would really appreciate it. thanks! (:

There is no trick, just start playing very very slowly with both hands, until you manage this, then speed up. For me sometimes it is even simpler to play with both hands (once your fingers knows the notes), because then it is usually easier to play all notes with the right tempo, if the bass line is simple and is some kind of metronome for the melody.

Alot of practice, slow practice, but it'll get easier and faster after a while. There are probably some independence exercises out there to to help your hands. I found one with Jordan Rudess explaining some different technics he use/used that I found helpful.

Here it is, there are some extreme exercises at the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fJe_kbuP_M

It's when you start playing with both hands that you really see how much you actually need to practice to make it work, but aslong as it's fun, its cool ^_^

play slowly with both hand until your finger know the structure of music
need patient to perform this boring slowly thing ^^

thanks. hopefully, this will help. i also have another question: how can/do you learn to play songs by ear?

It is all about the speed.

Initially you need to know each hand on its own and only then attempt to play hands together at a slow tempo. It doesnt matter if it is several bars a a time. In addition, split it up and try not to always go back to the beginning as you will eventually know the beginning only.

amanda121 wrote:i also have another question: how can/do you learn to play songs by ear?

I don't know how to play songs yet by ear yet but I know how to recognize all ascending, descending and harmonic intervals (minor 2nd to an octave).
I learnt this by a really good ear training software. First watch the creator of the program's introduction video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3kC_lYLAZw&fmt=18
And here's the software (it's online and for free):
http://www.trainear.com/

The first step is learning to recognize single intervals and the next step is using song mode to recognize several intervals successively (which I find quite difficult). Also it's good to repeat recognizing single intervals at least once per week as it's easy to forget and repetition makes it easier to remember.

Learning to play a song by ear is essentially memory more than anything else. if you remember the melody just sit down at the piano and hum it as you play - alternatively, purchase a copy of the music being performed and play it whilst figuring out the melody on the piano.

This is it in its simplest form, I known, but after a while, you'll get the hang of it. It can be made easier if you know about your various intervals as parts of the melody will remind you of other pieces and you'll know that respective interval.