Most violinists use their left hand for intricate fingerwork, so why is the right hand used for more complex key pressing on the piano? (continued)
Jo Murphy
Waikanae, New Zealand
Advertisement
The hand used for intricate key pressings on the piano depends on which composer鈥檚 piece is being played. Mozart鈥檚 compositions are renowned for having a strong and extremely expressive left hand. You can observe this left-hand facility in the way he often composed a lively, intricate right-hand phrasing and echoed it by transferring the dominant phrase to the left hand in repetition, with the right as continuo.
So, perhaps Mozart was either left-handed or ambidextrous? We will never know.
As to hand dominance, that is a different question. At university in the 1990s, I did some research on left-handedness. I found that the incidence was lowish (12 per cent) and possibly underreported in the 1950s. However, in the 1990s, there were more left-handed people recorded (a greater than 20 per cent incidence). I posited that the increased use of screens in the digital age has increased our facility with both hands.
Daniel Hunter
Norwich, Norfolk, UK
Any debate on left-handed violinists or other musicians, must understand 鈥渟urvivor bias鈥�.
Many left-handers who are given a right-handed instrument will struggle and give up. Only the left-handers who are able to adapt to a right-handed instrument are likely to end up in orchestras, hence the survivor bias. I have never seen a left-hander, using a left-handed instrument, playing in a classical orchestra.
A counter-example is rock must, where you will find Paul McCartney, Kurt Cobain, Courtney Barnett and many others who played left-handed guitars.
To answer this question 鈥� or ask a new one 鈥� email lastword@newscientist.com.
Questions should be scientific enquiries about everyday phenomena, and both questions and answers should be concise. We reserve the right to edit items for clarity and style. Please include a postal address, daytime telephone number and email address.
New Scientist Ltd retains total editorial control over the published content and reserves all rights to reuse question and answer material that has been submitted by readers in any medium or in any format.