Keyboard familiarity

[theodore]

I am searching for a good set of exercises or drills which would allow the right hand to accurately reach for the intervals in a melody without looking at the keyboard.

The melody may be within an octave or slightly over the reach of an octave. Also the note reaches could gradually climb up and down the keyboard from the beginning note.

This would involve accurately reaching for any of the intervals within the 12 semitones of the octave. Does anyone have any tips or drills which might help in achieving this objective ??

Theodore

[db05]

I find that learning scales and arpeggios does wonders for remembering the reach of intervals. Also, we started lessons on keyboard harmony, which means A LOT of chords + inversions + how they are used, and reading has been much easier.

[sharflower1]

A good exercise would be to ascend major and minor scales up to the dominant, but returning to the tonic after each note.  Try all different keys.

(Example: C-D-C-E-C-F-C-G-C)

Add this to practicing chords and their inversions.  (Major, minor, dominant and diminshed 7ths, broken and solid forms)

[scottmcc]

A good exercise would be to ascend major and minor scales up to the dominant, but returning to the tonic after each note.  Try all different keys.

(Example: C-D-C-E-C-F-C-G-C)

Add this to practicing chords and their inversions.  (Major, minor, dominant and diminshed 7ths, broken and solid forms)

sounds kinda like hanon to me (eg exercises 5 and 6, and one in the mid-teens that I can't remember)...

(runs before the inevitable and stupid hanon/anti-hanon fight breaks out)

[j.s. bach the 534th]

A good exercise would be to ascend major and minor scales up to the dominant, but returning to the tonic after each note.  Try all different keys.

(Example: C-D-C-E-C-F-C-G-C)

Add this to practicing chords and their inversions.  (Major, minor, dominant and diminshed 7ths, broken and solid forms)

that is a good one. I also have to recommend this

[sharflower1]

sounds kinda like hanon to me (eg exercises 5 and 6, and one in the mid-teens that I can't remember)...

(runs before the inevitable and stupid hanon/anti-hanon fight breaks out)

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it closely resembles some of those exercises - I haven't played them in years (and years), so I don't remember exactly...

(runs after scott)

[db05]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it closely resembles some of those exercises - I haven't played them in years (and years), so I don't remember exactly...

(runs after scott)

No problem with doing Hanon for familiarity. It's only harmful if you expect to get virtuoso technique by hammering Hanon over and over, imo.

Also try hands separate, and in different octaves.

[loonbohol]

tryu Franz liszt La Campanella

[clintonjohnson9606]

Here in the piano street music collection are at least 20 composers etudes who do precisely what you wish.

But here are three I'd recommend:
Czerny's excercise collections;
Bach's Inventions and Sinfonias;
and as my piano professor would gladly point out:
ANYTHING by Haydn.

Hope this helps.