# LvB Waldstein advice



## tonystanton

Hello all,
Just a quick query to put to the forum,
I've just started on the waldstein third mvt and have been getting on great, 
But I've been watching through some different renditions and I'm playing the melody at the very beginning with right hand and the broken chords with left, the opposite of what everybody else I've seen is doing. 
Is this okay or will this hinder me in any way or come back to bite me on the **** later in the piece? 
Thanks,
T.


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## Balthazar

tonystanton said:


> Hello all,
> Just a quick query to put to the forum,
> I've just started on the waldstein third mvt and have been getting on great,
> But I've been watching through some different renditions and I'm playing the melody at the very beginning with right hand and the broken chords with left, the opposite of what everybody else I've seen is doing.
> Is this okay or will this hinder me in any way or come back to bite me on the **** later in the piece?
> Thanks,
> T.


I assume that you are then crossing your right hand over your left to play the bass notes? Ouch. That is a very awkward reach. I would be concerned that you could hurt your wrist and/or shoulder trying to do that repeatedly. Also, you will have much less control over the tone of those low notes if you are playing them with a crossed right hand at tempo rather than your left hand in its natural position. Given the movement opens _pianissimo_, that control is really important.

I don't know what edition you are using, but I have never seen sheet music that leaves any ambiguity as to the composer's intention that the left hand should cross the right. In the Henle urtext, the upper staff shows the right hand (with a bass clef) while the lower staff shows the left hand (with a treble clef) - it's crystal clear in that regard.

Even if it is not immediately apparent, composers usually have good reason for leaving us the few instructions they choose to mark on the page. In this case, once you get accustomed to it, I think you will find that the left hand crossing the right feels more natural and gives you optimal control.

Have fun!


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