Hanon Options

[piano*cello*sax*boy]

Hi all,

I know Hanon has been discussed here alot, I have passed grade 8 and have started work on my first diploma, do you think it would be beneficial for me to look at Hanon?

Any advice welcomed.

Thanks

[Cadence]

Interesting, because you say that you have never played Hanon before and you are at this standard. The main aim of Hanon exercises is finger independance and general velocity, which you can also gain from focused practice of carefully selected pieces that target these areas once they are mastered. You will I'm sure find some who dislike Hanon and prefer not to practice his exercises for various reasons. I personally find it incredibly beneficial to include Hanon in my practice, combined with targeted exercises from Czerny and Berens.

The interest for me in Hanon, is that you can play the exercises in a number of different ways depending on what you want/need to get out of them.

For example, if you play them slowly, with the so called "open fingers position", then it helps develop power and independence, stamina and strength.

If you want in increase your capacity for velocity on the piano, then it can also help - speed is a matter of finger control and comfort with notes and keyboard geography. When you have excellent control of your fingers then you can have speed. When you are comfortable with the notes on the page, then you will have velocity. The basis of the Hanon exercises is to familiarise your mind and fingers in the playing of lots of different finger positions and playing notes in isolated groupings that come up in real pieces. Familiarity breeds comfortability, which leads to speed.

Once you know the basic pattern of Hanon, you should play around with dynamics, in both hands then different dynamics in each hand, voicing, articulation, tempo, rhythm. Play stacatto in one hand and slurred in the other, play with dotted rhythm, loud in one hand and quiet in the other, play in 2 note slurs - there are so many combinations and variations.

Most importantly though are three things:

1 - Listen.

Listen for clarity and precision so that you are aware of what you sound like and how you are playing. You need to be able to identify whether you are working productively. Playing Hanon mindlessly and just playing over and over again without thinking about what you are doing is not useful and is probably detrimental. Make sure you play it consciously, just as you would play your pieces.

2 - Don't practice for speed.

If you practice for speed and push yourself to play the exercises faster than you are currently able, you will make mistakes. You should be practising for practice for ease and comfort. Your fingers will play fast when they are comfortable and in control. One does not practice for speed, you practice for control. Control = Speed. If you have control, you can then play fast and the speed will come naturally.

3 - Relax.

The worst thing you can do when playing Hanon is play stiffly with tension in you fingers and wrists. It also won't help you with strengthening or dexterity, since your fingers won't be working properly. Remember to release the tension as you are playing, just you would when playing real repertoire.

[Alicia Ocean]

Interesting, because you say that you have never played Hanon before and you are at this standard.

I start pupils on Hanon along with grade 1 pieces. I use the series "Burgmuller, Czerny & Hanon" which has some of each in units according to difficulty - 4 units per book, three books in the series. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=se...p;x=12&y=18

[Mad Tom]

Interesting, because you say that you have never played Hanon before and you are at this standard. The main aim of Hanon exercises is finger independance and general velocity, which you can also gain from focused practice of carefully selected pieces that target these areas once they are mastered. You will I'm sure find some who dislike Hanon and prefer not to practice his exercises for various reasons. I personally find it incredibly beneficial to include Hanon in my practice, combined with targeted exercises from Czerny and Berens.

The interest for me in Hanon, is that you can play the exercises in a number of different ways depending on what you want/need to get out of them.

For example, if you play them slowly, with the so called "open fingers position", then it helps develop power and independence, stamina and strength.

If you want in increase your capacity for velocity on the piano, then it can also help - speed is a matter of finger control and comfort with notes and keyboard geography. When you have excellent control of your fingers then you can have speed. When you are comfortable with the notes on the page, then you will have velocity. The basis of the Hanon exercises is to familiarise your mind and fingers in the playing of lots of different finger positions and playing notes in isolated groupings that come up in real pieces. Familiarity breeds comfortability, which leads to speed.

Once you know the basic pattern of Hanon, you should play around with dynamics, in both hands then different dynamics in each hand, voicing, articulation, tempo, rhythm. Play stacatto in one hand and slurred in the other, play with dotted rhythm, loud in one hand and quiet in the other, play in 2 note slurs - there are so many combinations and variations.

Most importantly though are three things:

1 - Listen.

Listen for clarity and precision so that you are aware of what you sound like and how you are playing. You need to be able to identify whether you are working productively. Playing Hanon mindlessly and just playing over and over again without thinking about what you are doing is not useful and is probably detrimental. Make sure you play it consciously, just as you would play your pieces.

2 - Don't practice for speed.

If you practice for speed and push yourself to play the exercises faster than you are currently able, you will make mistakes. You should be practising for practice for ease and comfort. Your fingers will play fast when they are comfortable and in control. One does not practice for speed, you practice for control. Control = Speed. If you have control, you can then play fast and the speed will come naturally.

3 - Relax.

The worst thing you can do when playing Hanon is play stiffly with tension in you fingers and wrists. It also won't help you with strengthening or dexterity, since your fingers won't be working properly. Remember to release the tension as you are playing, just you would when playing real repertoire.

Seems I am now redundant as resident forum piano practice adviser. Nothing to add to the above! (It is waht I would have said, but Cadence expresses it far better and more helpfully than I could/would have done)

[Cadence]

Interesting, because you say that you have never played Hanon before and you are at this standard.

I start pupils on Hanon along with grade 1 pieces. I use the series "Burgmuller, Czerny & Hanon" which has some of each in units according to difficulty - 4 units per book, three books in the series. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=se...p;x=12&y=18

I only discovered that book the other day when it was suggested in a thread - it looks quite good, I'll have to check it out.

Usually I start pupils on Hanon when they get to a stage where their finger strength doesn't match up to their current ability, if that makes sense. Because often an 8 year old plays musically, but doesn't have the strength & dexterity to execute what they want to do, which can be frustrating for them, With children though, the approach is slightly different, as their fingers aren't fully developed, so you can't push them too much with this repetitiveness for fear of stressing their knuckle joints, which are still soft.

Until now, I have been using a book called "Junior Hanon" which is published by Alfred. The printing is larger and clearer than traditional Hanon and it also sets out the whole exercise, rather than the first few bars and then saying "repeat". It makes it much easier for children to follow.

Seems I am now redundant as resident forum piano practice adviser. Nothing to add to the above! (It is waht I would have said, but Cadence expresses it far better and more helpfully than I could/would have done)

Hee hee, You are in no way redundant! Everyone has their pet subject and developing finger strength and dexterity and releasing tension in the body whilst playing happen to be mine.

Don't forget you have given me a fair few ideas on other things over the past few days ... trills and interpretation of Bach most recently if I recall (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[piano*cello*sax*boy]

Thanks for the replies. So it would be useful to try some Hanon exercises?

[pianophrase]

Interesting, because you say that you have never played Hanon before and you are at this standard. The main aim of Hanon exercises is finger independance and general velocity, which you can also gain from focused practice of carefully selected pieces that target these areas once they are mastered. You will I'm sure find some who dislike Hanon and prefer not to practice his exercises for various reasons. I personally find it incredibly beneficial to include Hanon in my practice, combined with targeted exercises from Czerny and Berens.

The interest for me in Hanon, is that you can play the exercises in a number of different ways depending on what you want/need to get out of them.

For example, if you play them slowly, with the so called "open fingers position", then it helps develop power and independence, stamina and strength.

If you want in increase your capacity for velocity on the piano, then it can also help - speed is a matter of finger control and comfort with notes and keyboard geography. When you have excellent control of your fingers then you can have speed. When you are comfortable with the notes on the page, then you will have velocity. The basis of the Hanon exercises is to familiarise your mind and fingers in the playing of lots of different finger positions and playing notes in isolated groupings that come up in real pieces. Familiarity breeds comfortability, which leads to speed.

Once you know the basic pattern of Hanon, you should play around with dynamics, in both hands then different dynamics in each hand, voicing, articulation, tempo, rhythm. Play stacatto in one hand and slurred in the other, play with dotted rhythm, loud in one hand and quiet in the other, play in 2 note slurs - there are so many combinations and variations.

Most importantly though are three things:

1 - Listen.

Listen for clarity and precision so that you are aware of what you sound like and how you are playing. You need to be able to identify whether you are working productively. Playing Hanon mindlessly and just playing over and over again without thinking about what you are doing is not useful and is probably detrimental. Make sure you play it consciously, just as you would play your pieces.

2 - Don't practice for speed.

If you practice for speed and push yourself to play the exercises faster than you are currently able, you will make mistakes. You should be practising for practice for ease and comfort. Your fingers will play fast when they are comfortable and in control. One does not practice for speed, you practice for control. Control = Speed. If you have control, you can then play fast and the speed will come naturally.

3 - Relax.

The worst thing you can do when playing Hanon is play stiffly with tension in you fingers and wrists. It also won't help you with strengthening or dexterity, since your fingers won't be working properly. Remember to release the tension as you are playing, just you would when playing real repertoire.

Seems I am now redundant as resident forum piano practice adviser. Nothing to add to the above! (It is waht I would have said, but Cadence expresses it far better and more helpfully than I could/would have done)

It's great how all you guys take time to explain alot of music related things, it really is appreciated (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)