Rechte Hand

As Printed on a Score

Printed in piano music as r. H. or R. H. (the full words are rare), by the notes the right hand should take — often notes written on the lower staff. It applies only to those notes. English R.H. is identical; Italian scores write m.d.

Abbreviations: r.H., r. H., R.H.

How Composers Use It

Use r. H. when the right hand must reach into the bass staff or take over part of a texture the layout suggests belongs to the left. In accompaniments it often marks a melody shared between the hands. Mark it only where needed; too many hand indications clutter the page and suggest the layout itself should change.

Example

Strauss, Cäcilie, Op. 27, piano, m. 11: “r. H.”, in a song headed “Sehr lebhaft und drängend”.

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