Hanon Exercises

[hawkranger]

Hey guys how is everyone??
hope u are all doing great

Ok i was having some trouble with my left hand as it get tired easily but right now i can push little by little and am noticing some improvement

The questions are:
1. Should i play hanon with as much strength as i can in each finger ??
like should i try with each finger to get the highest sound possible??
cause when i try doing that my left hand get tired really fast

2. How many hours a day should i dedicate to hanon in your opinion?
right now according to mood some times i go for 2 hours and sometimes i only play 15 min with out stopping at all but after that my left hand is kinda useless xD am having trouble typing with my left hand now after finishing a 20 min straight only exercise 1 and 2 starting at 60 tempo about 4 times without stopping then 66 tempo about 2 times and finally 71 about 2 times xD
it is not much but my left hand couldn't handle all that at first
so i think it is getting better right?
hope to hear what u think about this
thanx alot for the info
takecare all

[mcdiddy1]

Drop the Hanon. This is coming from someone who has actually played the silly thing.  The preface for Hanon of achieving finger independence of the 4 finger is impossible because it is a physical limitation that cannot be overcome. In my opinion there is very little use for it beyond the first exercise because it can be used as a warm-up, getting the fingers to play together, and spacing on the keyboard. All of this can easily be learned by playing real pieces. I

If you insist on playing Hanon, no you do not want to try to play the Hanon with as much strength because as you said your muscles get tired and we can create strength in sound by using other methods beyond fingers such as our core, upper arms, shoulders. It also works against the goal of the exercise which is finger dexterity and over exertion of the muscles works against that goal.

Spending 2 hours on Hanon is a waste of time because it does not teach you about music, you will never play it in a concert, and what could be learned in Hanon can easily be learned by something you would actually play. The fact your hand gets tired is a give away something in your body is being worn out because if you have strong technique you should be able to play for hours and not feel pain ( which you shouldn't because short practice sessions are better than long ones anyway).

The best thing you could do with your Hanon is burn it or use it as paper weight and but music appropriate to your level of ability and matches your interest. Or you could get a teacher who knows what they're talking about and set you on  the right path.

[hawkranger]

Well i have been playing keyboards in a rock/metal band for 6 years now
and i started lately to get interest in studying classics and piano
and i thought that starting with hanon will help building up my left and right hands "specially left as i mostly don't used it other than octaves"
i know it is not practical music but i thought it is good for exercise and when finished could be used for warm ups

if you think that hanon is just a waste of time what do you think i should exercise on to build both hands "My left hand sux BTW" i also practice Berens Training for the Left Hand
and actually no i can't get a teacher if i could i wouldn't be having much trouble learning by my self altho it is fun
thanx for the replay

[mcdiddy1]

You could find some intermediate pieces since you have a back ground in musical experinces, gain a good foundation in being able to play some scales comfortably. Bach Preludes are moderatly challenging for the Lh and would give them a very musical work out. The best way to develop technique is in variety of different musical situations and learning the way to use the body to achieve the correct musical effect. Hanon focus far too much on the fingers and does not mention the idea that technique involves the releasing of tension from the muscles, the use of the shoulders, , arms, the core, feet, wrist ,and finger deterity. All of these elements are subtly in play when ever you play anything ( even when it does not appear so).  If you are focused on developing technique, seek information about the body in relationship to the instrument and play music and lots of it! Learn how to do a technique when you actually need it rather than learning how to do excerse you will never see if music.

[pianisten1989]

Hanon works for some, and for some it doesn't. Try and see if it works, though, don't do it more than 30 minutes a day.