Piano Hand Independence With Sixteenth Notes: Glam Rock Bass Riff (Part 3)
To build piano hand independence, keep the right hand on steady quarter-note chords (D minor, F major, G major) while the left hand plays chord roots at offbeat hit points such as the and of two and the and of four, then adds a B–C pickup, with the C optionally pushed to the e of four as a sixteenth note.
Key points
- Right hand plays steady quarter-note chords: D minor (F A D) for two beats, F major (F A C) for two, G major (D G B) for a bar.
- Left hand plays roots at offbeats: D on 1, F on the and of 2, G on the and of 4.
- Playing the bass before the chord is rhythmic anticipation and creates the syncopated groove.
- A B–C pickup in the G bar walks back to D as a turnaround.
- Move the C to the e of 4 for a sixteenth-note variation with more drive.
What this lesson teaches
This lesson from Jason Zac at Nathaniel School of Music builds independence between your hands. The right hand holds a simple, steady chord pulse, while the left hand plays a punchy, syncopated bass riff inspired by 80s glam rock bands such as Toto. It suits pianists who can already play basic triads and want to get the left hand doing something rhythmically interesting instead of just doubling the right hand.
Usually the right hand does the fancy work and the left hand keeps things simple. Here it is the other way round: the right hand is very simple, and the left hand carries the rhythm.
The right hand: a steady quarter-note pulse
The progression uses just three chords over two bars of four beats:
- D minor for two beats, played as F A D
- F major for two beats, played as F A C
- G major for a whole bar (four beats), played as D G B
Play one chord on every beat. Nothing fancy, just hold the pulse.
Count the beat division
A groove is a pattern played over a steady pulse, and that pattern sits on a beat division you choose before you play. Count eighth notes aloud while the right hand plays: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. You can also count sixteenths, 1 e and a 2 e and a, which gives more spots for the left hand to land on. Stick with eighths at first.
The left hand: roots at the hit points
The left hand plays the chord roots, but not at the same moment as the right-hand chords. Playing both hands together sounds like an epic rock song, but there is no real independence. Instead, stab the roots at specific offbeat hit points:
- D on beat 1, together with the D minor chord.
- F on the and of 2, just before the right hand plays F major on beat 3.
- G on the and of 4, just before the G major chord arrives on the next bar's beat 1.
Playing the bass before the chord is called rhythmic anticipation, and it is what makes the riff feel syncopated. In the second bar you can leave the left hand silent and let the G major chord run. Try mixing short, detached stabs with held notes for a legato and staccato interplay.
Turnaround: the B–C pickup
To make the loop less monotonous, add a little walk back to D at the end of the G major bar. Play B on the and of 3 and C on the and of 4, landing on D at beat 1 as the loop starts again. The full bass line becomes D, F, G, B, C, then back to D.
Sixteenth-note variation
For more excitement, push the C slightly earlier. Instead of the and of 4, play it on the e of 4, the sixteenth note just after beat 4. So B lands on the and of 3 and C on the e of 4. Count in sixteenths to place it accurately. If it feels too tricky, go back to the eighth-note version.
How to practise
- Play the right-hand chords alone while counting aloud until the pulse is rock steady.
- Add the left-hand D, F and G one hit at a time, keeping the count going.
- Practise slowly; speed up only when both hands stay independent.
- Add the B–C pickup with eighth notes, then try the sixteenth-note C on the e of 4.
Questions about this lesson
What chords are used in this hand independence exercise?
Just three: D minor played as F A D, F major played as F A C, and G major played as D G B. D minor and F major get two beats each, and G major lasts a full bar.
Where does the left hand play in the bass riff?
It plays D on beat 1, F on the and of beat 2, and G on the and of beat 4, so the F and G arrive just before their chords in the right hand. A B–C pickup then leads back to D.
How should I count this exercise?
Count eighth notes, 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and, while the right hand plays the steady chords. Switch to sixteenths, 1 e and a, when you try the variation with the C on the e of 4.
Why not play the bass notes with the chords?
If both hands strike together there is no real independence between them. Placing the roots on offbeats creates syncopation and trains each hand to do its own job.
Practise it
- Rhythm TeacherBuild accent patterns, divide beats and explore odd metres and polyrhythms.
- Groove MetronomeWork with tempo, accents and polyrhythms instead of a single unchanging click.
- Piano classes at Nathaniel School of MusicLive online or in Bangalore, with a teacher.
- All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.
Related lessons
- Piano Hand Independence With Sixteenth Notes: Syncopation Workout (Part 5)To build sixteenth-note syncopation between your hands, split all sixteen subdivisions of a 4/4 bar unevenly between the hands, with the left hand playing a root-octave-fifth bass pattern and the right hand playing off-beat chord stabs, like a percussionist on bongos or tabla.
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