Hand Independence Exercises for Piano Using Sixteenth Notes (Part 2)

To build hand independence over sixteenth notes, play a funky Gm7–C7 chord rhythm in the right hand while the left hand keeps a steady root-and-fifth bass pulse on every beat, then add an Eb9 or D7b9 turnaround in the fourth bar.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 14 min

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This lesson from Jason Zac at Nathaniel School of Music shows you how to build hand independence over a sixteenth-note time feel. Your two hands do different jobs: the right hand plays a funky chord groove, while the left hand holds its ground like a bass player. It suits students who can already play basic seventh chords and want a groove used a lot in funk music.

Counting sixteenth notes

Each beat is split into four, counted 1 e and a, 2 e and a, 3 e and a, 4 e and a. A shaker is a great way to feel this steady subdivision before you play.

The two chords and their voicings

One bar holds two chords: Gm7 and C7.

• Gm7 in root position: G, Bb, D, F.
• C7 as an inversion, kept close to the Gm7: G, Bb, C, E.

Because both voicings share G and Bb, your hand barely moves between them.

The right-hand pattern

1. Play three stabs of Gm7 at the start of the bar.
2. On the last sixteenth of beat two, just before beat three, move early to C7. This anticipation gives the groove its funky push.
3. Play two stabs of C7.
4. At the end of the bar, instead of hitting the whole chord again (which can sound aggressive), break up the C7: play the remaining notes Bb, C, E one at a time, then come back to G as the bar repeats.

This broken ending gives a nice rolling feel, especially at faster tempos.

The left-hand bass

The left hand plays on the pulse, the main beats 1, 2, 3 and 4. Rather than repeating one note, alternate the root and fifth, just like a bass guitarist would.

• Over Gm7 alone: G, D, G, D.
• With the chord change: G, D under Gm7, then C, G under C7.

Think of this as an ostinato, an unchanging pulse rather than a melodic pattern.

Adding articulation

For another layer of independence, play the right hand staccato and the left hand legato. You can also shape the right hand further, for example making the first stab legato and the next two staccato. If this feels too hard, playing staccato in both hands also works well.

Turnaround options

To break the monotony, play Gm7–C7 for three rounds and use the fourth bar as a turnaround:

• Eb9: an Eb dominant seventh with F on top, which has a bluesy sound. You can hit it four times and stop, then restart the loop.
• Eb9 then D7b9: add the dominant of the key, D. D7 is D, F#, A, C, and the flat nine adds Eb. You could also use a plain D7 or D9, but the flat nine has a strong pull back to G minor.

The left hand keeps the same idea: root and fifth of each chord (Eb and Bb, then D and A).

How to practise

• Keep the pulse running all the time. You do not have to count every sixteenth, but feel it in the other hand.
• Practise the left-hand pulse while doing something else, such as talking or reading, until it runs on its own. You can even practise the rhythm away from the keyboard.
• Start the hands together over just Gm7, then add the changing bass.
• Begin slowly, then bring it up to tempo. Once comfortable, try singing a line over it.

Questions about this lesson

What does the left hand play in this hand independence exercise?

The left hand plays the root and fifth of each chord on the main beats, like a bass player. Over Gm7 that is G and D, and over C7 it is C and G.

Why is the C7 voiced as G Bb C E?

Using this inversion keeps the C7 close to the Gm7 voicing, since both share G and Bb. Your right hand barely moves, so the quick sixteenth-note changes stay smooth.

What turnaround chords can I use with Gm7 and C7?

After three rounds of Gm7–C7, play Eb9 in the fourth bar, either hit four times before stopping, or followed by D7b9. D7 or D9 also work, but D7b9 gives a strong pull back to G minor.

How do I keep my hands independent?

Keep the pulse running at all times and practise the left-hand ostinato until it continues while you do other things. Start over one chord, go slowly, then add the chord change and build up the tempo.

Practise it

• Groove MetronomeWork with tempo, accents and polyrhythms instead of a single unchanging click.
• Voicing RoomA hands-on lesson room for piano chord voicings.
• 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

• 3 Funky Piano Rhythm Patterns Over the Andalusian Cadence (Part 8)To play the Andalusian cadence (Dm, C, Bb, A) in a funky style, count in sixteenth notes (1 e and a) and let the right-hand chords and left-hand bass interlock, so the bass fills the gaps the right hand leaves and the two hands rarely play together.
• 3 Modern Piano Chord Voicings and Arpeggio SetsPlay a C7sus4 arpeggio (C F G Bb) in the right hand over C minor, Ab and F in the left hand, voiced three ways (sparse sevenths, open fifths with ninths, and jazz tensions), then group the arpeggio in sets of 2, 3, 4 or 5 while the beat stays divided into 4 or 3.
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