Lack of technique in Bach & Beethoven:(

[ajspiano]

I had the same exact problem!!!

Not playing hannon is almost a criminal act. pick up some czerny exercises.

The fact that you did this, and it helped, does not make it the best option..  or even close to a good one.

Personally, I did play about the first 25-30 exercises of hanon as a kid - all I got sore fingers and a horribly tense wrist as a result - AND, I was under the impression that that was a good thing.

I've never played a single czerny piece.

...

At present, I do not have trouble quickly overcoming technical problems with any advanced repertoire from any composer - and that has nothing to do with hanon. Only conscious thought and practice on real music.

[kclee6337]

Personally, I did play about the first 25-30 exercises of hanon as a kid - all I got sore fingers and a horribly tense wrist as a result - AND, I was under the impression that that was a good thing

never should you ever become tense or feel any strain or soreness while playing everything should be free flowing the point of hanon and czerny is to help you play correctly and not look like a mess playing the piano and to help become coordinated at decants speeds. to play romantic music is one thing to play bach and beethoven is completely different, those exercises from them will only help, they cannot hurt. sure he can go one to play simple two and three part inventions and slowing gain technique there but to say exercises cannot help and is a bad idea is simply foolish. doesn't matter what instrument you play, everyone will always return to the fundamentals.

[j_menz]

everyone will always return to the fundamentals.

If Hanon and Czerny exercises represented the fundamentals of piano music, I'd have given up after 2 weeks. 

[ajspiano]

those exercises from them will only help, they cannot hurt. sure he can go one to play simple two and three part inventions and slowing gain technique there but to say exercises cannot help and is a bad idea is simply foolish.

I actually didnt say hanon hurts always, it can be practiced in a way that does help... and obviously we should never feel tense, lets not forget I was probably not more than 9 years old at the time I experienced that.

Now, a two part invention 'motif' can..

• AS an isolated idea, be transposed to C major and function exactly like a hanon exercise - practice of which will make the invention (an actual performable piece of music) far easier
• Be learnt in numerous physical and melodic/harmonic configurations both modally, and through modulations directly from the score which makes for very easy teaching of modulations and modes as well as further development of technique
• Simultaneously be used to teach more indepth composition and improvisation, as well as contrapuntal thinking in both composition and performance
• Once HT, the pieces make massive headway into hand Independence applicable to all repertoire

...I can go on.

If you're going to insist on assigning a hanon exercise(s), STOP..  and assign a bach motif(s), or tell me how exactly is hanon a better option? ...hell, tell the student its just an exercise without any reference to the piece at all if you like.. That way atleast the inventions will come a bit easier if/when they are tackled later on.

Also, while we're at it..  lets consider how much baroque music there is that is constructed in similar ways, and see if we can't replace the entire first half of hanon with musically applicable exercises taught in conjunction with repertoire.