diff --git a/lib/song.py b/lib/song.py
index c993c71b..fd6f09d1 100644
--- a/lib/song.py
+++ b/lib/song.py
@@ -56,6 +56,13 @@ class Note:
     strum_group: int = -1
     scale_degree: int = -1
     ignore: bool = False
+    # Keys hand assignment ('lh'/'rh', None = unassigned) — authored per-note,
+    # e.g. from a MusicXML grand staff import in the editor. Lets the notation
+    # hand split and hands-separate practice honor the author instead of the
+    # mean-pitch heuristic. Distinct from `right_hand` (the bass plucking
+    # finger); spelled-out `hand` on the wire because `rh` is taken.
+    # Default-omitted on the wire; older readers ignore it.
+    hand: str | None = None
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -272,6 +279,10 @@ def note_to_wire(n: Note) -> dict:
         out["ch"] = n.strum_group
     if n.scale_degree != -1:
         out["sd"] = n.scale_degree
+    # Keys hand assignment — default-omitted; validated on emit so a
+    # directly-constructed Note can't put junk ('LH', True, …) on the wire.
+    if n.hand in ("lh", "rh"):
+        out["hand"] = n.hand
     return out
 
 
@@ -532,6 +543,10 @@ def note_from_wire(d: dict, time: float | None = None) -> Note:
         strum_group=_wire_int_optional(d.get("ch"), -1),
         scale_degree=_wire_int_optional(d.get("sd"), -1),
         ignore=bool(d.get("ig", False)),
+        # Keys hand assignment — strict enum decode: anything but 'lh'/'rh'
+        # (junk, wrong case, bools) falls back to unassigned rather than
+        # poisoning downstream hand-split/practice logic.
+        hand=d.get("hand") if d.get("hand") in ("lh", "rh") else None,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_song.py b/tests/test_song.py
index 30b2a546..e92f6348 100644
--- a/tests/test_song.py
+++ b/tests/test_song.py
@@ -249,6 +249,34 @@ def test_note_teaching_marks_tolerate_malformed_optional_ints():
         assert n.scale_degree == -1
 
 
+# ── Keys hand assignment ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+def test_note_hand_round_trips_under_literal_key():
+    """The keys hand assignment survives the wire as the literal `hand` key
+    (spelled out — `rh` is taken by right_hand, the bass plucking finger)."""
+    for hand in ("lh", "rh"):
+        n = Note(time=0.0, string=2, fret=12, hand=hand)
+        wire = note_to_wire(n)
+        assert wire["hand"] == hand
+        assert note_from_wire(wire) == n
+
+
+def test_note_hand_omitted_when_unassigned():
+    wire = note_to_wire(Note(time=0.0, string=0, fret=0))
+    assert "hand" not in wire
+    assert note_from_wire(wire).hand is None
+
+
+def test_note_hand_junk_never_emitted_and_decodes_to_unassigned():
+    """Emit side validates ('LH', True, … stay off the wire); decode side is a
+    strict enum so a hand-edited pack can't poison hand-split logic."""
+    for junk in ("LH", "left", "", True, 1, ["lh"]):
+        assert "hand" not in note_to_wire(
+            Note(time=0.0, string=0, fret=0, hand=junk))
+        assert note_from_wire(
+            {"t": 0.0, "s": 0, "f": 0, "hand": junk}).hand is None
+
+
 # ── Scale-degree derivation helpers (§6.2.2 / §7.7) ──────────────────────────
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("key,pc", [