Studies/Practice for Improving Dexterity

[zavodovski]

Hello,

I've been a casual pianist for a while now but I've recently decided to try and start playing and practicing again something closer to the proper way. i.e. regular, deliberate practice  Tired of not improving!

To help, can anyone recommend me a good practice book/book of studies which might help my ability to play quicker passages - up and down runs and suchlike.

Just as some indicator as to my current skill level I'm currently playing Clair de Lune (bit ropey with some of the left hand passages, but getting there)

Thanks

[pianoboy91]

Hi there,
     There are many things you could use for technique, but this is what I do:

1. Schmitt Op. 16 - going up a half-step in each exercise while keeping the same fingering until you play through all twelve positions: C-C#-D etc... (some of my personal technical suggestions are: to keep a strong curved finger which you will raise high before striking the note, low wrist, use the metronome)

2. Scales - in 3rds, 6ths, 10ths, Octaves. with metronome (make sure the tempo is slow enough to keep track of what your hand is doing) in Quarter, eighth, triplet, sixteenth, and possibly double-triplets. I normally do one major and one minor (parallel major and minor) in a given practice session.

3. Arpeggios - in 10th, 6th, octaves. The rest is the same as practicing scales.

4. Czerny Selected Studies Vol. I - these are little pieces that deal with many common technical rudiments as it were.
 
5. Any Repertoire I might be doing... (remember - perfect practice makes perfect)

     I hope this helps. Again, there are many methods out there, this is just what I do.

[keyboardclass]

Your dexterity mostly improves through what you don't do.

[iratior]

To improve finger dexterity, I always recommend Scarlatti sonatas.  The nicest thing is that when you practice them, you have something worth listening to.  They come in a wide variety of levels of difficulty.  I swear, some of them are just as difficult as Chopin etudes, if not more so!  And it adds such life to a party, to play Scarlatti sonatas at it!