Three Little Pieces for the Right Hand Alone (1983)

For solo piano

In 1983 I was asked by Shirley Harris to contribute to a compilation she was preparing of Piano Music for One Hand for the publishers Allans Music Australia. Shirley had spent ten years specialising in and researching the teaching of piano to students with learning and coordination difficulties and physical handicaps.

I chose to write pieces for the right hand. They’re recorded by Jeanell Carrigan on a Vox Australis CD (VAST026-2) of Australian piano music for children titled Piano Games, and this is available, as is the printed music, from the Australian Music Centre:

PO Box N690, Grosvenor Place, NSW 1220, Australia,
Tel: +61 2 9247 4677
Fax: +61 2 9241 2873
E-mail: info@amcoz.com.au

In her cover notes for Piano Games, Jeanell Carrigan mentions that the tempi of the three pieces are fast – slow – fast and goes on to say that ‘the outer two pieces are dance-like in character and remind the listener of the ‘maninya’ character of other works of Ross Edwards from a similar period. The middle movement is slow with a haunting melody. To be performed using only the right hand, the works are definitely a challenge and require good coordination between melody and accompaniment.’ (If you have a left hand available, please feel free to use it as well).

Three Little Pieces for the Right Hand Alone – Allegro