Technique books

[mwf]

Hi,

What is the best book of excersises to practice daily? considering my technique is already advanced, I need something useful instead of just playing pieces all the time and boring scales. I have a choice of buying the hanon 60 excersises or czerny art of finger dexterity, or his other one for daily practices or something, I have three to choose from. I need to develop my left hand more and need to have overall more finger strength in both hands in order to play the pieces I want to that are more difficult such as the chopin sonatas or rach sonata.

Thankyou

[BoliverAllmon]

play etudes, not technique books.

I just recently moszkowski's virtuosic etudes. They aren't as hard as say a Chopin etude, but I think they are a good place to begin.

[bernhard]

Hanon is probably cheaper.

If your technique is advanced, you will derive little benefit from either Hanon or Czerny. Why not play the Chopin etudes and the Liszt Transcendental studies instead?

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[pianiststrongbad]

I agree with the above posts, play etudes.  They tend to be more challenging and more fun in my opinion

[hazypurple21]

play etudes, not technique books.

I just recently moszkowski's virtuosic etudes. They aren't as hard as say a Chopin etude, but I think they are a good place to begin.

Speaking of Moszkowski, have you ever played his etude op.72 no.6? I'm curious about it's difficulty, especially since I'm considering buying a book of his etudes.

[Barbosa-piano]

 I believe (as people do above ) that Etudes are the best way to acquire technique, they ask for different touches and positions of the hand (at most times we just bang the studies ), with the Etudes you experiment both technique and touch, and it also is something musical that you can add to your repertoire (I don't think people would sit to hear you play the books of Hanon ). I would practice exercises only to eliminate little technical problems.

Mario Barbosa.

[xvimbi]

Another set of nice etudes are the Bach inventions and sinfonias, the WTC, French and English Suites, hmmm, did I forget something, oh yes, of course, the Goldberg Variations. All those will definitely take care of the left hand.

[Kassaa]

Liszt technical excercises (not his etudes). There are 12 books (compiled into 3 thick books) and the book will eliminate each technical problem there is.

Imo, the first page of the Liszt excercises is more useful than the complete Hanon book.

[mwf]

Ok, thanks for the replies, I do play some of the chopin etudes and they are very useful, I just wondered if that was enough, for example I have soley based my left hand development at present on the great revolutionary study, it is working though, but is that enough I ask.

[musicsdarkangel]

I would play Chopin etudes (they are pieces with brilliant technique)

and Liszt technical excersizes!

They are genius.... Liszt knew what he was doing, I'm already noticing a huge difference in my technique.

[mrdaveux]

Somebody was asking about Moszkowski op.72 #6 (the chromatic runs etude). It is quite difficult, I find, at the level of most Chopin etudes. Good recordings are Horowitz and Pletnev. Op. 72 #11 is the most famous, very fun to play and listen to. It's difficult, but once you get the notes, they fall pretty well under the hands (bringing it cleanly to top speed is tough, though). Op. 72 #13 is not known but very beautiful : it's a study in double notes with a powerful Russian melody, deep, melancholic and all that... Hamelin has a good recording of it.

Now for daily exercices for the advanced pianist, have you guys heard of I. Philipp ? He was a famous piano teacher (performer and composer as well) at the Paris Conservatoire end of XIX beginning of XX century, contemporary of Saint-Saens, Ravel etc. He published under opus number 8 a daily set of exercices for the advanced pianist ("Exercices journaliers") that are very effective and original in my opinion. The basic principles : the book is divided in mechanical devices (scales, trills, wrist staccati...), and each device comes with several exercices and several examples of use in the repertoire for further practice (like this, you get to use what you learn right away in the most horrible sections of pieces that you are very likely to come by as a performer). For instance, if you are in the octaves section, you have a couple of exercices to help you improve, plus several excerpts from famous pieces with octaves (Chopin op. 53, Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody #6, Beethoven Waldstein...). Very useful and highly recommanded.

Now I don't know where to get it (I have an old edition from 1946 given to me by a teacher), but I recommand you llok for it.

[ramseytheii]

I remember getting enjoyment (and some progress, I hope) out of Gaby Casadesus' "Ma technique quotidienne" (My Daily Technique.)  It had excellent exercises for stretching the hand and warming up, and the harmonies were all very French and somewhat melancholic.  I recommend you to search for this book.

Walter Ramsey

[brsmpianist]

I actually go through the entire Hanon book every day as a warm-up, takes about an hour, hour half... probably other people will think this is stupid, since my technique is pretty advanced, but it still helps me out quite a lot.  I also have the Liszt, but rarely use it because I dont know which exercises I should be focusing on and such... theres just so many!

[orlandopiano]

Best technique book in existence is Philipp Complete School Of Technic. 

For more beginner student's I use Schaum.  And if I have to, I will use Hanon, but with rhythmic variations and transpositions.

[stevie]

Best technique book in existence is Philipp Complete School Of Technic. 

For more beginner student's I use Schaum.  And if I have to, I will use Hanon, but with rhythmic variations and transpositions.

what makes philipp the best?

the most comprehensive technique book ive ever seen is cortot's

how does philipp compare with cortot?

[raffyplayspiano]

when i was younger i was given hanon...i would do anything to take that time back and spend it on something else.  I feel that I could learn more technical skills dealing with actual music than practicing these excersices.  they work for some people, but for me, my mind would wander off and i would really just waste time. 

i think if u can play chopin etudes you are done with the need for hanon, also, someone suggested BAch--i would agree strongly.  Bach is great for the fingers.   

but in short, etudes that deal with ur specific need are more beneficial!

raffy