Imagine you’re trying to pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time. That’s using bilateral coordination – using both sides of your body together in a coordinated way. It’s like your left and right hand are working as a team, even if they’re doing different things.

Now, picture yourself playing the piano. Your right hand plays the melody while your left hand plays the chords. Even though they’re playing different notes, they both need to work together smoothly to create music. That’s where bilateral coordination comes in!

Bilateral Coordination Needed in Piano:

• Playing Melodies and Chords Together: Most piano pieces involve playing both melody (the main tune) and harmony (chords) at the same time. Bilateral coordination allows pianists to manage both hands independently, making the music sound full and complete.
• Learning New Skills: As you progress on the piano, more complex pieces require independent movement of your each hand. A good foundation of bilateral coordination makes learning these new skills much easier.

Bilateral coordination improves with practice. We can make that practice fun,  and our hands will become a well-coordinated team.

Read more about bilateral coordination research here

“Age-related Changes in Bilateral Upper Extremity Coordination” by Woytowicz, Whitall, and Westlake published in Current Geriatrics Reports (2016) https://doi.org/10.1007/s13670-016-0184-7

Bilateral Coordination from Least to Most Complex

Symmetric: each arm has performs the same activity

• In-phase: simultaneous mirror-image spacial and temporal movements of equal force and amplitude. Like clapping or contrary motion scales.
• Anti-phase: temporal alternation of spatially symmetric movements of equal forces and amplitudes. Like drumming a steady beat with hands left right left right. 
• Complex phasing: spatially similar movements with irregular timing, unequal amplitudes, and or unequal forces. Like each hand taking turns playing different notes, different rhythms and different dynamics.

Non symmetric: each arm performs different activity

• Complementary: each movement is complimentary to the other with interacting opposing forces, typically manipulator and stabilizer task functions. Like holding a chime in one hand and the mallet in the other, or one hand holding chords, with the other hand playing melody.
• Independent: spatial, temporal, and force demands of each movement is independent of the other. Like Bach.

Piano Lesson Activities to Promote Bilateral Coordination

Rhythm Cups

Left hand, Right Hand Awareness Games:

Let’s Learn Left and Right With This Helping Hands Piano Game

Color Coded Drumming

Color Drumming: A Cross-Training Rhythm Printable For Level 2 Students

Pat The Rhythm on Your Legs: Both Hands

We will pat the rhythm of the right hand with our right hand on our right thigh, pat the left on our left thigh, and then put them together.

Pencil Tap Tracking

Clapping games

Using a Ruler to Draw Lines of the Staff

Bilateral coordination activities you can do with a simple ruler to address pre-writing skills, muscle grading & more.

• Juggling (Almost): For a coordination challenge (and a good laugh!), try juggling beanbags – one in each hand. Even if they can’t master the full toss, practicing independent hand movements can be beneficial.
• The Doodle: Challenge students to create mirrored drawings in which one hand reflects the other. This can be surprisingly tricky and promotes focus.

There’s a whole world of activities beyond the piano bench that can help students of all ages develop strong bilateral coordination.