I have a piano pupil who is a pretty fast learner - grade 2 last Spring after restarting the year before, now grade 3/4ish. She tends to practise things she enjoys (like Einaudi) but more technical things like Hours With The Masters 2 seem more problematic.

We have worked through the Dozen A Day books, but to be honest it feels like plodding at the rate she is moving. The danger is missing out vital technical issues or getting bogged down in such a slow paced series and I don't feel experienced enough to pick and choose. I don't think Hanon is the best thing at this point and Czerny can be very mixed. The Gillock-Czerny book (Breitkopf) seems rather bitty though the Gillock pieces are fun. What about the 101 Exercises?

Quite an understatement I would have thought: I predict she would hate Hanon, almost never practice it, get rapidly disillusioned and become demotivated. Even the advocates of Hanon would not claim it to be other than a repetitive chore. One might enjoy the results of practicing Hanon (eventually) but you would have to be somewhat twisted to claim actually to enjoy Hanon for its own sake. I'm sure those recordings of Barenboim, Brendel, Ashkenazy etc. playing Hanon are not on the catalogues for a reason!

If she is grade 3/4 why not progress with grade 3/4 music? There's plenty of it about and she is far more likely to practice it if there is a tangible result in terms of a beautiful piece learned rather than a "mere" technical skill. It has been suggested that Hanon took most of his exercises from Bach, specifically the Inventions and Sinfonias. Perhaps now may be a good time to introduce Bach. It's not Einaudi (thankfully) but it is very rewarding to play.

I enjoy working with Hanon Exercises

Wise words.

Czerny's studies have a bad reputation (for being boring, mindless, finger drills) but many, if not most, of them are lovely pieces of music. But most of them are not easy. They are more suitable for the higher grades. The same can be said of Clementi's magnificent Gradus ad Parnasum - if you can find an original with the 100 or so pieces and exercises that Clementi created, rather than the cut-down heavily-edited edition of 30 or etudes that is generally sold under that title.

There were literally dozens of composers churning out studies and instructional pieces in the 19th century and it is fun to explore what they were up to. They are mostly neglected or forgotten but much of it is good music as well as good material for learning to make your fingers do what you want them to. There is material for every level from beginner to virtuoso.

Stephen Heller's studies (Op 45, 46 and 47) are worth a look, as is anything by Burgmuller, Hummel or Kalkbrenner. Also Cornelius Gurlitt wrote a huge amount of music that is simple in form, very beautiful, quite instructive, and not at all hard to play. From more modern composers Renie Stoym's descriptive pieces are pitched at children and younger teenagers in the middle grades - are very enjoyable, and have some technical challenges.

Q.E.D.
(just kidding! )

I used to find Hanon a good way of getting rid of the tensions of the day (both as a teenager and when I first started teaching).

There are days when I still feel an urge to come home and play them but unfortunately the rest of the family don't like them.

A pianist would have to tell you whether this is an appropriate alternative or not, but son's piano teacher has just given him Czerny's "Little Pianist" (Op. 823) instead of the usual 100 or 101 etudes sets. It starts at the very beginning but quickly ramps up.

I believe that she gave Viohazard this collection because it's on the short side (less than 70 etudes??) and maybe more musical in the second half of the book...but he's only just started using it (he's maybe Grade 1 level, not Grade 3-4), and I am not able to judge, either.

Why not try the Burgmuller Op 100 - I've had a few Grade 3/4 pupils enjoy them and they offer a variety of standards so that you can have a change from hard to easier.

So do I! Only in recent years though, as a teen I hated it. Now I find it almost meditative!



Burgmuller op100 is great, highly recommended. The pieces are varied, very attractive and accessible with obvious techniques to be gleaned from each one.