Technical Exercises

[odsum25]

Despite your opinions on Hanon, Czerny, Dohnanyi, etc, let's compile a list of as many technical exercises as we can think of. I'll start (and allow someone else to list all the Czerny.) Let's try to keep opinions on the merits and demerits of these somewhat civilized, please.  (It was worth a try.)

Brahms- 51 Exercises for the Piano
Clementi- Gradus ad Parnassum
Dohnanyi- Essential Finger Exercises
Hanon- The Virtuoso Pianist
Liszt- Technical Exercises
Moscheles- 24 Studies for Perfection, Op. 70

[Goldberg]

Istvan Thoman: Piano Playing
Leopold Godowsky: Progressive studies and Exercises from Master School of Modern Piano Playing and Virtuosity

[bernhard]

Purely technical

Hanon – The virtuoso pianist

Arthur Gold & Robert Fizdale – Hanon revisited: Contemporary piano exercises

Ferdinand Beyer – Preparatory school op. 101

Albert Biehl

The elements of piano playing op,. 30 (similar to Pischna)
25 easy and progressive studies op. 44

Henri Herz – Scales and exercises (Pischna like)

Isidore Phillip Complete School of Technique for the piano

Alfred Cortot Rational principles of pianoforte technique

Erno Dohnanyi – Essential finger exercises for obtaining a reliable piano tehcnique.

Blanche H. Rennie Hand culture – Finger hand and arm gymnastics at the piano giving strength, freedom and independence.

Johannes Brahms – 51 exercises

Pischna

The little Pischna – 48 practice pieces
Technical studies: 60 progressive exercises

Louis Plaidy – Technical studies for the piano

Alloy Schmitt – Preparatory exercises, op. 18

Geoffrey Tankard & Eric Harrisson – Pianoforte technique on an hour a day.

Fredrick Wieck – Piano studies (Wieck was Clara Schumann’s father and teacher)


Melodic exercises


Juan Arriaga – Estudios o caprichos

Henri Lemoine – Etudes Enfantines op. 37

Johann Hummel – Piano forte school – massive keyboard tutor with over 2200 exercises/miniatures.

James Hook – Guida de musica (2 volumes) – exercises and little pieces.

Daniel Gottlob Turk – Pieces for aspiring players (120 melodic studies in 2 volumes)

Anton Arenski – 12 Etudes for piano op. 74

Issac Albeniz – 7 studies op. 65

Moritz Moskowski

20 little etudes for piano, op. 91
Esquisses techniques, op. 97
Etudes op. 72

Cornelius Gurlitt

24 easy melodious studies op. 50
The first steps of the young pianist, op. 82
The easiest studies in velocity, op. 83
25 easy studies without octaves, op. 130
24 melodious studies, op. 131
School of velocity for beginners, op. 141
Melodious studies op. 50
Rhythmical studies op. 80
Studies on scales and arpeggios, op. 85
50 daily exercises in Canon form, op. 90
Very first studies, op. 187

 Muzio Clementi

Introduction to the art of playing the pianoforte op. 42 and op. 43
Preludes and exercises (school of scales) – a prelude in a certain key is followed by technical exercises in that key. The preludes are short and usually interesting. The exercises are boring and (in my opinion) can be skipped. Chopin had a high opinion of them and assigned them to his students.
Gradus ad parnassum

Hermann Berens

School of velocity op. 61
50 piano pieces for beginners op. 70
20 etudes for beginners op. 79

Henry Bertini

24 studies op. 29
24 studies op. 32
25 studies op. 100
A progressive and complete method for the pianoforte.

Streabogg

12 very easy and melodious studies op. 63
12 easy and melodious studies op. 64

G. Eggeling – Melodious studies in octaves, op. 90

Stephen Heller

Etudes op. 45
Etudes op. 46
Etudes op. 47
The art of  phrasing op. 16
Studies for rhythm and expression op. 125


Carl Czerny

Keyboard school – A four volume keyboard treatise. Volume 1: fundamentals and beginning technique. Volume 2: fingering. Volume 3: interpretation and expression. Volume 4: Discusses the interpretation of Beethoven’s works and describes the six styles of playing current at the time. Leschetizky teaching was very much influenced by it (he was a student of Czerny).

Etudes op. 139 (progressive studies); op. 261 (passage playing); op. 299 (school of velocity); op. 337 (daily studies); op. 599 (method for beginners); op. 636 (finger dexterity); op. 718 (left hand); op. 740 (art of finger dexterity); op. 777 (five-finger studies); op. 821 (8 measure exercises); op. 823 (the little pianist); op. 849 (new studies in technique) – Tip of the iceberg. There are more, but these are the most used.

Frederic Chopin

Etudes op. 10
Etudes op. 25
Trois nouvelles etudes

Giuseppe Concone

25 melodic studies op. 24
15 studies in style and expression op. 25
24 Brilliant studies op. 37
20 studies on the singing touch op. 30
15 studies in expression op. 44

Johann Baptist Cramer – 84 etudes op. 50 (Beethoven had a high regard for those)

Adolf Jensen – 25 studies op. 32 (3 books)

Theodor Kirchner - Little studies op. 71

Theodor Kullak – The scholl of octave playing

Louis Kohler

First studies for the piano, op. 50
Studies in easy passage-playing, op. 85
Easiest studies for the piano, op. 151
12 easy studies for the piano op. 157
Elementary studies in piano playing op. 163
The very easiest studies op. 190
Children’s exercises and melodies, op. 218
Short school of velocity without octaves, op. 242
Practical method for the pianoforte. Op. 249
The first lessons in finger dexterity, op. 232

Theodore Lack – Etudes elegantes op. 30

Adolphe Clair le Carpentier – Piano method

Felix le Couppey

25 very easy etudes op. 17
25 progressive studies for mechanisme and light touch, op. 20
15 preparatory studies to Czerny’s School of velocity, op. 26
Studies in expression, op. 6
Exercises in the form of studies, op. 5
L’art du piano (50 etudes con annotations)
Ecole du mechanisme du piano
24 etudes primaires
Cours de piano elementaire et progressif

Alexander Dorn – 24 studies in all major and minor keys, op. 100

Jean Baptiste Duvernoy

The school of mechanisme, op. 120
Elementary studies, op. 176

Benjamin Godard – Etudes enfantines op. 149 (4 books)

Enrique Granados – Six Expressive Studies

Franz Liszt

Etudes op. 1 (S136)
Tranascendental studies
Etudes de concert

Robert Schumann – Symphonic studies

Albert Loeschorn

Melodious studies op. 52
Studies for piano op. 65
Studies for piano op. 66
Universal piano studies op. 169, 170, 171.
Etude melodieuses op. 38
60 melodious practices for beginners op. 84
Children’s hours op. 96

Edward Macdowell – 12 Etudes op. 39

Ludwig Schytte

25 modern studies for the pianoforte op. 68
Special melodic studies (10 volumes)
25 melodious studies op. 108
Easy characteristic studies op. 95
25 easy studies op. 160
School of modern pianoforte playing op. 174

Thomas Dunhill – The wheel of progress – melodious pianoforte studies in various styles.

Camille Stamaty

Singing touch and technique op. 37
Rhythmic training for the fingers (60 studies)

Samuel Adler – Gradus (60 studies in 3 books)

Bela Bartok – Three studies, op. 18 (Sz 72)

John Biggs – Twelve little studies

Claude Debussy – Etudes

Wally Karveno – Etude Impressioniste

Thomas Pitfield – Studies on an English dance tune

Andrzej Panufnik – Six miniature studies.

Alec Rowley

12 little studies op. 13
30 melodious and rhythmic studies, op. 42 and 43
Etudes in tonality, op. 44
Polyrhythms, op. 50

Ernst Toch

10 studies for beginners, op. 59
10 easy studies op. 58
10 studies of medium difficulty op 57
10 recital studies op. 56
10 concert studies op. 55

Alexander Scriabin

Etudes:

Op.2 No.1
Op.8 No.1 - 12
Op.42 No.1 - 8
Op.49 No.1
Op.56 No.4
Op.65 No.1 – 3

Sergei Rachmaninoff - Etudes Tableaux op. 39

Gyorgy Ligetti – Piano etudes

Donald Waxman – 50 etudes (4 books)

Sergei Bortkiewski

Etudes op. 15
Etudes op. 29

I am sure there are more.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[etudes]

dont leave out my favorite
Liszt Grandes Etudes de Paganini
just add in bernhard´s list

[bernhard]

And let us not forget

Charles Valentin Alkan

Etudes op. 35
Etudes op. 39
Etudes op. 76

 

[stevie]

And let us not forget

Charles Valentin Alkan

Etudes op. 35
Etudes op. 39
Etudes op. 76

 

so many more of his pieces are actually etudes too, le preux, le chemin de fer, and even the trois morceaux dans la genre pathetique (sp)

and some more...is becomes hard to define an etude, can any technically challenging piece be called an etude?

[bernhard]

so many more of his pieces are actually etudes too, le preux, le chemin de fer, and even the trois morceaux dans la genre pathetique (sp)

and some more...is becomes hard to define an etude, can any technically challenging piece be called an etude?

This is very true. I tend to regard as an etude, not a piece of challenging difficulty, but a piece where an aspect of music has been singled out and the composer has limited him/herself inthat respect. The problem with this definition is that it would encompass a huge amount of the repertory (e.g. all pedagogical pieces, like Schumann's "Album for the Young"). So for the purposes of this thread, I am only considering studies that have been so named by the composers.

and here is another one I forgot :

Friedrich Burgmuller

Etudes op. 100
Etudes op. 105
Etudes op. 109

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Barbosa-piano]

Where these left out?
Blumenfeld
18 Etudes

Neipert- Etudes

Henzelt
Op. 2 Etudes
Op. 5 Etudes ?

Rubinstein
Etudes Op. 23
Etudes Op. 81
Etudes Op. 93
Concert Etude

Liapunov
12 Etudes

Enrico Bertini
25 studies...

I'll be back with more Etudes...

[stevie]

This is very true. I tend to regard as an etude, not a piece of challenging difficulty, but a piece where an aspect of music has been singled out and the composer has limited him/herself inthat respect. The problem with this definition is that it would encompass a huge amount of the repertory (e.g. all pedagogical pieces, like Schumann's "Album for the Young"). So for the purposes of this thread, I am only considering studies that have been no named by the composers.

but if that is the case, where does that leave some of liszt's free-ranging etudes, and especially pieces like alkan's concerto, where there is a constant barrage of different figurations?

[bernhard]

Where these left out?
Blumenfeld
18 Etudes

Neipert- Etudes

Henzelt
Op. 2 Etudes
Op. 5 Etudes ?

Rubinstein
Etudes Op. 23
Etudes Op. 81
Etudes Op. 93
Concert Etude

Liapunov
12 Etudes

Enrico Bertini
25 studies...

I'll be back with more Etudes...

Yikes!

(Bertini is there though - I call him "Henry" rather than Enrico... )

[bernhard]

but if that is the case, where does that leave some of liszt's free-ranging etudes, and especially pieces like alkan's concerto, where there is a constant barrage of different figurations?

I agree. But as I said, if the composer called it an etude (or study) I count it in, otherwise not.

[stevie]

I agree. But as I said, if the composer called it an etude (or study) I count it in, otherwise not.

good call

were listing sets of etudes here, but of more specific use, perhaps, would be to categorise individual lists of pieces(of musical worth ideally)that develop and focus upon particular techniques that we need to imporve...in fact ill start a thread on this..

[luc]

Anton Diabelli
- 'Melodische Übungsstücke' op. 149. (some easy four hands pieces)

[bernhard]

A few more:

Joan Last - Freedom Technique

Edna Mae-Burnam - A dozen a day (several volumes)

Kenneth Aitken - Modern technique

Hazel Cobb - Technique builders

Fritz Emonts - Poliphonic piano playing (2 books)

Rudolf Ganz - Exercises for piano: comtemporary and special

Walter MacFarren - Scale & arpeggion manual

Ignaz Moschelles - 24 studies op. 70

Claudette Sorel - Compendium of piano technique.

 

[thalbergmad]

Thalberg-L'art du chant applique au piano Op70

[Barbosa-piano]

Thalberg-L'art du chant applique au piano Op70

Thank you, I was going to post it, but I thought it was up there...
I almost forgot about Mendelsohn...
Well.
Mendelsohn
3 Etudes Op. 104
1 Etude (from the Methode of Moscheles and Fetis)

Kohler (adding to Bernhard's list)
Studies of Velocity, Op. 173

Raff
Etudes

Villa-Lobos
Estudo Ondulante (Etude)

Mayer- Etudes

Kessler- Etudes

Robert Schumann (Adding to Bernhard's)
Studien Nach Capricen von Paganini

Yikes!

(Bertini is there though - I call him "Henry" rather than Enrico... )

He he, I am sorry for repeating... My Italian edition says Enrico, so, this name is the first one that comes to mind...

Hey wait, I can think of a few more...
Scarlatti-*500* Sonatas...
They are considered Exercises by some, and they were treated as exercises by the composer. How could I forget?. *Around 500 Sonatas*

Keep going, we will make the collection of essential etudes for piano...

Mario Barbosa 

[Souza]

Some purely  technical:

Moszkowski - Scuola delle doppie note. op 64 - Ed. Ricordi
Moszkowski - 12 Studies for left hand op 92 - Ed Ricordi

Marguerite Long - Le Piano de Marguerite Long - Editions Salabert - Préface, Notes tennues, Cinq doigts, Cinq doigts avec notes tenues, Notes répétées, trilles, doubles-notes, tierces, quartes et quintes, sixtes, gammes, arpèges, jeu du poignet, octaves, accords, exercices pour les déplacements et la maitrisse du clavier, trémolo, glissando.

Alessandro Longo - 12 Studies of thirds op 35
Alessandro Longo - 06 Studies of sixths op 42 - Ricordi
Alessandro Longo - 06 Studies of octaves op 48 - Ricordi
Alessandro Longo - 24 Estudios sobre arpegios en todos los tonos mayores y menores
Alessandro Longo - 40 Pequeños estudios melódicos op 43

Lillie H. Philipp - Piano Technique - Dover Pulications, Inc.

Ettore Pozzoli - La técnica diaria del pianista Libro I...Libro II. Ricordi.

Raff - 30 Estudios Progressivos - Ricordi

Tausig 50 Ejercicios diarios - Ricordi

Heinrich Germer - A técnica do piano op 28 - Irmãos Vitale Editores

Ondine de Mello - Exercícios de Técnica para Piano - Preface Nelson Freire - Irmaos Vitale

B. Cesi -  Piano Technique- Part  I, II, III, IV - Ricordi

Regards
Pedro

[Barbosa-piano]

Some purely  technical:

Moszkowski - Scuola delle doppie note. op 64 - Ed. Ricordi
Moszkowski - 12 Studies for left hand op 92 - Ed Ricordi

Marguerite Long - Le Piano de Marguerite Long - Editions Salabert - Préface, Notes tennues, Cinq doigts, Cinq doigts avec notes tenues, Notes répétées, trilles, doubles-notes, tierces, quartes et quintes, sixtes, gammes, arpèges, jeu du poignet, octaves, accords, exercices pour les déplacements et la maitrisse du clavier, trémolo, glissando.

Alessandro Longo - 12 Studies of thirds op 35
Alessandro Longo - 06 Studies of sixths op 42 - Ricordi
Alessandro Longo - 06 Studies of octaves op 48 - Ricordi
Alessandro Longo - 24 Estudios sobre arpegios en todos los tonos mayores y menores
Alessandro Longo - 40 Pequeños estudios melódicos op 43

Lillie H. Philipp - Piano Technique - Dover Pulications, Inc.

Ettore Pozzoli - La técnica diaria del pianista Libro I...Libro II. Ricordi.

Raff - 30 Estudios Progressivos - Ricordi

Tausig 50 Ejercicios diarios - Ricordi

Heinrich Germer - A técnica do piano op 28 - Irmãos Vitale Editores

Ondine de Mello - Exercícios de Técnica para Piano - Preface Nelson Freire - Irmaos Vitale

B. Cesi -  Piano Technique- Part  I, II, III, IV - Ricordi

Regards
Pedro

Oh, yes, I almost forgot about Germer, his Irmaos Vitale Edition is great, but very rare in the U.S.


P.S. Seja Bem Vindo! Voce e Brasileiro tambem? Eu ja estou nesse forum por bastante tempo, mas parece que mais e mais Brasileiros estao entrando... Voce e o segundo que eu conheco, pelo que saiba so existem 2 aqui, Eu e Lucas. E interessante conversar com alguem do Brasil que tem um conhecimento do piano.

Mario Barbosa.

[thalbergmad]

Dreyschock Op29
Sorabji-Transcendental Etudes
De Schlozer-Op1

[Goldberg]

Istvan Thoman: Piano Playing
Leopold Godowsky: Progressive studies and Exercises from Master School of Modern Piano Playing and Virtuosity

......

um...

May I be excused?

[janne p.]

Karl Wohlfart: Pianotekniken - Tekniska övningar i två band (The piano technique - Technical exercises in two books)

Paul Zilcher: Acht Etüden zur Einführung in das Staccato-Oktavenspiel, op. 49

Also, Arensky wrote some etudes, I think?

[Souza]

I guess  that  nowadays we should include as Technical Exercises : "The Taubman Approach" books and videos,  "Peter Feuchtwanger - 18 Piano Exercises" book and video, Thomas Mark "What Every Pianist Needs to Know about the Body" book and video, Seymour Fink "Mastering Piano Techinique", his books and videos, and others...

This way, we could have the opportunity to choice in the direction for the right or proper movement. 

So, with these moderns technological possibilities and directions, playing Thecnical Exercises of Cortot/Brahms/Marguerite Long/Plaidy/Pischna/Godowsky/Hanon... or playing Studies of Moszkowski /Czerny/Cramer/Chopin/Rachmaninoff... or playing Scherzos, Sonatas, and so on  repertory pieces of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Schubert, Debussy, Bartok ... and,  with the helpful mastering of a  conscious/cognizant Teacher, we realy lessen the risks of physical injury or damage, and then could be initiated/introduced to the the Music's World.

Sorry for my difficulties with English language.

Best Regards

Pedro

ps...Prezado Mario Barbosa, sou brasileiro e teclo daqui do Brasil! 
Muito bom poder ler vc  na lista, estou aprendendo muito aqui neste forum com os generosos conselhos dos mestres. Escrever em Inglês é muito difícil pra mim. Se for possível te escrever em pvt em português me avise ok? Já conheci o Lucas também.

Abraços
Pedro

[BoliverAllmon]

Some purely  technical:

Moszkowski - Scuola delle doppie note. op 64 - Ed. Ricordi
Moszkowski - 12 Studies for left hand op 92 - Ed Ricordi

he also wrote a set of supervirtuoso etudes.

[hannon_freek]

Hanon - the virtuoso pianist, a superb book. 
***** highly recommended

[BoliverAllmon]

Hanon - the virtuoso pianist, a superb book. 
***** highly recommended

recommended by you. used for toilet paper by others.

[hannon_freek]

recommended by you. used for toilet paper by others.

I apologise profusely if I may have come across a salesman, I realise that Hanon is not for you - his work can come across as dry, just as I feel Moszkowski's etudes seem dry compared to Chopin's.

Different opinions 

[grazioso]

to a certain extent i agree with hanon freak. I mean if you r posting these comments under technical exercises then i think hanon must take quite a leading role. The virtuoso pianist does offer a comprehensive grounding and i cannot c an argument against using it instead of any other 'technical exercise'

[BoliverAllmon]

to a certain extent i agree with hanon freak. I mean if you r posting these comments under technical exercises then i think hanon must take quite a leading role. The virtuoso pianist does offer a comprehensive grounding and i cannot c an argument against using it instead of any other 'technical exercise'

do a search here about Hanon. You will see some serious arguments.

[BoliverAllmon]

oh and I play the Moskowski simply because they are easier than the Chopin. HEHEHEHE

[grazioso]

lol.... yeh they r certainly usefull for that

I agree that mentally they can be tiring and i do agree with some of the arguments higlighted. But if concentrated upon and used efficently i think they can be just as useful as some etudes. musically obviously not on a par but for simple exercises they are effective

[Barbosa-piano]

ps...Prezado Mario Barbosa, sou brasileiro e teclo daqui do Brasil!  
Muito bom poder ler vc  na lista, estou aprendendo muito aqui neste forum com os generosos conselhos dos mestres. Escrever em Inglês é muito difícil pra mim. Se for possível te escrever em pvt em português me avise ok? Já conheci o Lucas também.

Abraços
Pedro

Nao e preciso escrever em Ingles! Assim eu posso treinar o meu Portugues, porque moro nos Estados Unidos e nao escrevo em Portugues com frequencia.   Eu moro aqui no Texas, mas morava em Sao Pedro D'aldeia, Rio de Janeiro. A maioria das pessoas do forum sao estudantes de universidade ou faculdade, alguns "amadores", e outros professores. Mas toda a informacao das experiencias de todos sao muito interessantes. Eu adoro o forum, e um bom ponto para conhecer pessoas de outras culturas com um conhecimento do piano. Espero que voce desfrute desse site e aproveite o conhecimento. Eu estarei em contato.   Divirta-se.

Mario Barbosa  

[bernhard]

I apologise profusely if I may have come across a salesman, I realise that Hanon is not for you - his work can come across as dry, just as I feel Moszkowski's etudes seem dry compared to Chopin's.

Different opinions 

Er… It has little to do with dryness, opinion, or even salesmanship (actually, it is more likely that a Hanon supporter to be involved in sales – of his book – than for someone who disavows him, after all what would he be selling? )

Have a look here (tip of the iceberg) :

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2998.msg26268.html#msg26268
(Scales HT, why? – why and when to practise scales HS and HT – Pragmatical  x logical way of teaching – analogy with aikido – list of piano techniques – DVORAK – realistic x sports martial arts – technique and how to acquire it by solving technical problems – Hanon and why it should be avoided - Lemmings)

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,2619.msg104249.html#msg104249
(Scaled fingering must be modified according to the piece – Godard op. 149 no.5 – yet another example of the folly of technical exercises)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,2502.msg21594.html#msg21594
(Independence of the 3rd and 4thfinger – it is impossible, one should work towards the illusion of independence: it is all arm work)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,3987.msg36197.html#msg36197
(etudes and alternatives to them)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4082.msg37362.html#msg37362
(one cannot learn technique in a vacuum. At the same time one cannot simply play pieces – comparison with tennis)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4182.msg38775.html#msg38775
(Hanon: pros and cons – Robert Henry’s opinion)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4385.msg41226.html#msg41226
(technique is personal and relative to the piece – Fosberry flop – the best books on technique)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4887.msg47334.html#msg47334
(more on Hanon)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,5034.msg47829.html#msg47829
(The finger strength controversy – some excellent posts by xvimbi)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,5352.msg50998.html#msg50998
(Exercises x repertory – why technique cannot be isolated from music)

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,5375.msg51272.html#msg51272
(Defending technicalexercises – two different philosophies regarding exercises – chopstick analogy)

https://www.pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,7887.msg79326.html#msg79326
(why the lifting of the 4th finger is a non-problem)

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,7341.msg114168.html#msg114168
(repeated note-groups for difficult passages – correct technique is never uncomfortable – rotation as the solution to 5th finger weakness – criticism to misguided technical exercises – trusting the unconscious)

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[burstroman]

York Bowen, 12 Studies, Op 46
Liapunov, Transcendental Etudes

[da jake]

There is a big difference between a technical exercise and what some composers label "etude".

Etudes by Liszt, Chopin, Alkan, Godowsky, etc. will all improve a certain aspect of technique, but they are also pieces of music. Calling Liszt's Harmonies du Soir or the first movement of Alkan's Sympony a technical exercise is completely ridiculous, imho (although you could blame silly Liszt and Alkan for that misunderstanding). 

Technical excercises such as the Hanon and Czerny all improve a certain aspect of technique (obviously!) but they should not be considered serious music.

That being said, I just tackle real pieces of music and reap the technical rewards. There are some legitimately useful technical exercises, but as a general rule, why muck about with Hanon studies that deal with articulation when you can learn Bach Prelude in C minor from Book I? If you have a good teacher, he or she can help you tackle any technical problem while learning a nice piece of music at the same time. 

[grazioso]

I agree that hanon can not be over used or used exclusively and is admittedly weak on chords and other technical aspects but it does provide a good level of finger strength if practiced efficently. I have been shown by various professionals many varieties in wrist movements and subtleties no one would notice to look at but all are useless without the basic strength of fingers that hanon provides. Although hanon is not the only way to achieve this oit is still good as a means to an end.

[jehangircama]

does anyone play ALL the exercises in bernhard's list??

[shoshin]

Seriously these "excercise" posts are making me sick.

Do you people actually ENJOY music?

With so much REAL music out there why waste your time on these mechanical boring monstrosities?

[BoliverAllmon]

not all of the studies listed are boring and musicless.