Exercises derived from literature?

[Bob]

Does anyone have any to share?

I'm thinking of taking a piece of music and splitting it up and working on different elements of it.  Writing out the progressions and practicing those.  Or writting up your own little etude based off a scale passage in the piece.

Does anyone have anything like that?  Either written out or a description?

So, I'm looking for the piece of literature, the title, and some exercises you made that go along with it.  Have any?

[bernhard]

If you want a very good “model” on how to go about that, try the Edna Mae-Burnan’s books (“A dozen a day”). The books consist of sets of 12 exercises (each book has 5 sets and there are some five or six books of increasing difficulty), 11 “pure exercises” and the 12th a little tune.

Although one gets the impression that the last exercise – the little tune – is the application in practice of the previous 11 exercises, in fact I believe (and maybe I am wrong here), that Edna started by composing the little tune, and then devised the exercises to make the tune easy to play.

Unfortunately the little tunes are nothing to write home about. (She was a good pedagogue, but not a superlative composer).

However, examining the books form this angle, should allow you to pick up a superb tune and write up 11 exercises leading up to it.

The beauty of this series is that it is very elementary, so the process becomes transparent.

If you want to see a similar process applied to advanced repertory, try the several “Editions de travail” (Work editions) of Alfred Cortot. The Chopin Etudes are very well known, but he produced similar editions for the Preludes, the waltzes, the Nocturnes, etc. and also for other composers, like Schumann.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Bob]

Tell me more about the Cortot please.

What does he do?

(listens intently)

[bernhard]

Alfred Cortot was a superb French pianist with one of the most refined musicalities ever. He also had a very labored technique (Hanon like) that required constant practising. Since he did not have the time for the constant practising that his technique demanded, his playing was very uneven. The musicality shined through (his recording of the Chopin etudes is my favourite), but so did the numerous wrong notes.

At some point he edited most of the Chopin works. These editions are highly suspect, since he often added extra notes, and he consistently changed Chopin's original fingerings for his own. The main problem is that Chopin's fingering imply a certain movement that once figured out actually make the passages very easy (well, almost ) to play. Cortot, on the other hand, instead of using Chopin's technique (= way of moving) imposed his own effort laden and laboured technique and associated fingering. If that was all, his editions should not really be used. However, they have a further feature. Each etude is prefaced by a few pages of suggested "exercises" that will facilitate the playing of the etude. They are meant as "preliminary practice".

Some of the exercises are truly brilliant. Some are tainted with his laboured technique, and should be avoided.

Later in life, Cortot succumbed to the allure of the logical method, and produced a book of pure exercises that do not refer to any specific pieces: "Rational Principles of Piano Technique". The book is neither rational nor conducive to proper technique, so like Hanon, to the bin.

If you want specific exercises (and do not want to buy the Editions - they are worth it though) suggest a etude and I will comment on the exercises.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Bob]

Thanks Bernhard.

I'm still stuck in technique land I guess.