I've got this book as something to work on as I need to improve my technique before I attempt my Grade 8.

I've got a few questions though. some of the exercises are quite hard. Would you recommend just learning them in the key in which they are written before attempting to play them transposed into other keys?

Also I don't quite understand the "modulating pattern" which they talk of.

The five finger exercise 1 on page 5 starts off in C major, and has a repeat mark after 1 bar. The next bar seems to be in c minor (e flat accidental), with a repeat mark. The bar after that has e flat, d flat and g flat accidentals with a repeat mark and the nexct bar has a key signature of D flat major.



I'm probably being very slow but I don't recognise a "pattern" in this at all!

Can anyone enlighten me how these exercises are supposed to be played? Presumably each bar is repeated twice? Or is each bar played through in every key and then you go onto to next bar?

Hi LadyMoonlight,

I think I recommended the Tankard to you a couple of weeks ago on another thread. It sounds like you have got the Green Book which is Grade 8 upwards. You might find the first book by Tankard (without Harrison) a more gentle introduction called 'Foundations of Pianoforte Technique' which goes from Grade 2 to Grade 8. (I think I suggested this one rather than the Green one between Grades 7 and 8).

To help answer your question I play each bar up to each repeat mark twice and make a pattern like this:

C D E F G F E D C D E F G F E D then loop straight into C D Eb F G F Eb D C D Eb F G F Eb D then loop again into C Db Eb F Gb F Eb Db C Db Eb F Gb F Eb Db then put your thumb on Db and repeat the whole major/minor/modulate pattern all over again in Db hand position - and so on (edit: moving up in semitones until you land on C again).

To work out the modulations from the minor hand position just flatten the 2nd and the 5th keeping the same fingering.

You need to be careful with the Prelim exercise on this page with the notes holding down and some of the stretching exercises in the book. I would definitely say go for the Blue Foundations book first. Do you have a teacher to supervise this?

Good luck

Busybee, on the strength of your recommendation I bought the Foundations book so can I hijack Lady Moonlight's thread and ask how you suggest using this. Should I just start on the first page and gradually work my way through to the last or should I do a few exercices of each type each day?
Thanks

Just to provide a bit of background detail. I prepared everything for grade 8 around twenty years ago but didn't sit it because I couldn't cope with the stress of that at the same time as my A levels. I have played on and off over the years and this year have finally managed to fit in time to play a little almost every day. I bought the Tankard book because I am frustrated by the loss of agility in my fingers (particularly the left hand) and the fact that I can no longer play the grade 8 level pieces that I could when I was 18.

I'm sure LadyMoonlight won't mind!

I would recommend your second suggestion to do a few exercises of each type, or even better, a selection each day. You could use the 'five a day' fruit and veg analogy - variety is good. I have just started using the Foundations book with my adult pupils although I am more familiar with the Green book which my teacher used with me back in the late 80s.

I'll select a few of my favourite exercises:

The five-finger exercises but not too many. I tend to go for contrary motion and dotted rhythms as well as the patterns that addle your brain!

Page 9 the 'Slowly and smoothly' etc exercise - great for listening and co-ordination.

Page 13 -14 for agility and definition

I love the thumb exercises on p16 - great fun

All the arpeggio ones on p20

Phrasing and independence p24, wrist staccato p26, tone and gradation and pedal exercises p31.

It's fun having a go at the opening of Rach C# minor Prelude on p32!

I'm certainly not an expert on the use of this book but very happy to share my own experience of Tankard's methods so far.

I'm sure the agility will return with lots of unforced exercise on a regular basis. There is some helpful advice on the very first page which is worth reading.

Lots of luck with the practice