good ways to keep technique in shape?

[bumbah]

I was wondering how to keep my technique in shape and improve it?
First time in 8 years havent got a teacher and would like to keep shape

[cosine]

Scales, arpeggios, chords, Bach, Scarlatti. 

[rc]

hahah, well that's simple, keep playing! Use it or lose it.

[steve jones]

Hmmm, I was going to say Actimal? 

We all know how important friend bacteria is for a young pianist's technique!

[donjuan]

what rc said

but be careful not to overpractice.  I practiced for 5 hours solid on the weekend, just out of boredom, and for the past 2 days my fingers have been shaking and aching when I try to hold a pen and take notes in university.  baaaad...

[emmdoubleew]

I like the Schmidt excercises. And I actually think the Czernys are really fun. Especially since you can go through them so fast, and they so cute 

[faulty_damper]

Learn how your body works.
Learn how the piano works to make sound.
Learn how to use your body to make the piano make sound.

When you learn how your body works, you will soon realize that playing scales, arpeggios, etudes, studies, and others are a waste of effort.  There are only so many things your body can do.  Learning how to coordinate them allows you play without "keeping up" your technique.

[anda]

chopin - esp the etudes, but not only. i'm not a big chopin fan or anything, but his works are the best written (in terms of pianistic natural technique)

best luck,
anda

[cloches_de_geneve]

chopin - esp the etudes, but not only. i'm not a big chopin fan or anything, but his works are the best written (in terms of pianistic natural technique)

best luck,
anda

Yep, pick a few chopin etudes, for example 10/2 (for 3,4,5 independence), 10/8 (for velocity and smooth passage of thumb), 10/11 or 25/1 (for wrist flexibility) and pick a few Bach WTC -- that should do it.

[Bob]

How do you use those?  Play the etudes everyday, or just work them up and move on to something else?

[Motrax]

Try to play them every day, or at least every other day if you don't have a lot of time.

It's good to know all of them in general so that if you notice a particular aspect of your technique faltering, you can pick up the etude which most closely corresponds to it and be back in shape within a week or two.

I've so far learned Op. 10 No. 1, 9, 12, and Op. 25 No. 6 and 11, and I play them just about every day. When you practice them as warmup pieces, though, be careful not to play any faster than is 100% comfortable, even if that means playing at half or a quarter the suggested tempo.

[franzliszt2]

Chopin etudes keep the technique in shape, and I use Tankrd and harrison for warming up.Also scales,arrpegios, and othretudes, and hannon for warming up, that getsthe fingers moving