I need some advice on what course of study I should take

[aslanov]

So in my other post I mentioned my teacher leaving and I decided to go a month without another teacher, then maybe ill go to the friend my teacher recommended.

Anyway, I need some guidance as too what I should practice.

I recently got a book of hanon and started the first 4 exercises, and i have czerny's book of finger dexterity althought I'm not sure exactly with which studies i should start with the czerny book, I've only went through the first one.

So, what other things should i be practicing or studying to get my technique up to speed? I'd really appreciate it if some of you more experienced teachers/pianists could give me like a few months worth of like an outline of studying to do.
Thanks.

[go12_3]

How about trying some Bach Inventions.  If you already know those, try WTC Book 1.  Fantastic for technique and sightreading. Just do 10  minutes a day on the Hanon though.  The Czerny book, begin at the beginning and go through an exercise a day in the 2 books in the finger dexterity. I don't know what other pieces you have worked on; so keep on reviewing the pieces you have learned for 15 minutes a day. Then find a new piece, which are many to select from, to work on. A sonatina by Clementi or Kuhlau which are good for technique and runs. 
Good luck!   

Best Wishes,

go12_3

[pavb2]

Between Hanon,Czerny or WTC which would be the best or would you recommend all?

Pavb2 

[aslanov]

pavb, the thing about those 3 books is they are all essential to technique.

10 minutes a day of Hanon? thats it? I must respectfully disagree. I'm thinking of doing about an hour of Hanon a day, followed by learning a new Czerny exercise, then i may give the Bach you suggested a try.

Anyone else have some advice?

[go12_3]

pavb, the thing about those 3 books is they are all essential to technique.

10 minutes a day of Hanon? thats it? I must respectfully disagree. I'm thinking of doing about an hour of Hanon a day,

It depends upon your lifestyle and the TIME to devote to Hanon.  For you it may be an hour, but it's a waste of time whereas, 10 minutes is sufficent to hammer away on Hanon.   It's just to warm up the fingers and then 15 minutes of Czerny.  Bach would be more logical to spend an hour on.

best wishes, 

go12_3

[iroveashe]

Between Hanon,Czerny or WTC which would be the best or would you recommend all?

Pavb2 

That question is like asking: "I want to be a poet, should I study grammar rules or read and analyze poems from the great masters of poetry?". What's even more, mindlessly practicing Hanon to "improve technique" or Czerny with no purpose of helping a certain passage of repertoire you're working on is basically like studying the grammar rules of Italian when you want to write a poem in English.

Everything you do at the piano should have a very specific goal. Most people will say the goal of Hanon is technique. But they stop there, and technique alone is of no use. So the question is: what is that technique for? Well, it can be for two things:

1.  Improvising (which I doubt finger exercises will help much, since it involves creativity mostly).

2.  Repertoire, which is what the majority uses technique for. So why not cut the road and practice directly on repertoire? I wish I had the answer to that, but people seem to want to take the long road.

[aslanov]

That question is like asking: "I want to be a poet, should I study grammar rules or read and analyze poems from the great masters of poetry?". What's even more, mindlessly practicing Hanon to "improve technique" or Czerny with no purpose of helping a certain passage of repertoire you're working on is basically like studying the grammar rules of Italian when you want to write a poem in English.

Everything you do at the piano should have a very specific goal. Most people will say the goal of Hanon is technique. But they stop there, and technique alone is of no use. So the question is: what is that technique for? Well, it can be for two things:

1.  Improvising (which I doubt finger exercises will help much, since it involves creativity mostly).

2.  Repertoire, which is what the majority uses technique for. So why not cut the road and practice directly on repertoire? I wish I had the answer to that, but people seem to want to take the long road.

I still kinda think like that, but from my experience, i'd try my hand at a piece i like but it seems really difficult, the passages are unfamiliar, my hands feel like rocks that wont mold to the piece. But after practicing some exercises and some czerny with passage specific exercises, i find when i get to the piece, the learning becomes MUCH much easier.

[iroveashe]

I still kinda think like that, but from my experience, i'd try my hand at a piece i like but it seems really difficult, the passages are unfamiliar, my hands feel like rocks that wont mold to the piece. But after practicing some exercises and some czerny with passage specific exercises, i find when i get to the piece, the learning becomes MUCH much easier.

To become familiar with a piece you should study it away from the piano, try to figure out the fingerings and see in your mind what and how you'd have to play it.
Sometimes a certain piece or passage is hard for psychological reasons, because we fool ourselves into thinking it's going to be hard. For example if you always play Czerny to warm up, your brain could become used to need the exercises previously to practicing the pieces, because you think it will hard if you don't and easy if you do.
Same way I felt nauseous whenever I had breakfast a few years ago, but that didn't mean food was bad for me in the morning, my stomach was simply not used to it.

[go12_3]

I think what aslanov is saying that when working on a Czerny exercises enables the finger pattern to be more familiar and recognizable in learning a piece.  I have found this in my practicing after working on Czerny, that my fingers and mind recognizes the fingering.  As I play through a piece, especially runs and arpeggios, it becomes easier to learn.  I don't ever read the score and what the fingering would go until I play the piece through and then I figure out the fingering.  And many times the editions have such ackward fingerings and so it takes time to figure that out.

Some of us are readers of a score and some of us are audio learners.  It is what we are most comfortable in doing through the process in learning a piece.  I think that exercises is a means to warm up the fingers and mind, not to hinder technique at all.  Technique is found in every piece we play. 

best wishes,

go12_3

[mike saville]

Everything you do at the piano should have a very specific goal. Most people will say the goal of Hanon is technique. But they stop there, and technique alone is of no use. So the question is: what is that technique for?

Agree with this. Practice for goals not for minutes. If you set out to practise for 1 hour most likely most of your time will be wasted. If however you set out to improve fingering in bar 20-28, memorise first 3 lines and play Czerny exercise at crochet=120 then you have a basis for quick improvement.

So before choosing any book or exercise work out what it is you want to do. What's your ultimate aim? Pick exercises and music that will get you there.