What would be the best piano exercises to improve fingering?

[caryljamesthompson]

Greetings fellow pianists,

       I have been teacherless since the age of 12 (I am 28 YOA now), and was wondering what technical exercises/scales would be best for me to improve fingering?

      I remember my teacher trying to get me to do Hanon exercises when I was younger, so I began working on those late last year, however, I haven't felt any improvement in fingering dexterity yet, even after memorizing some of the exercises (As Franz Liszt once told his students, it is not a bad idea to read a book while working on scale exercises, as this will eliminate the boredom of its repetitiveness).

       Searching the internet for different opinions, I've looked at Chopin's, Liszt's, and other composers exerices and am not sure which I should concentrate on...any suggestions?

P.S.-  I KNOW that my best bet would be to find a good piano teacher, however, as hard to believe as it sounds, I would be surprised to find an advanced piano instructor in my area.

[danhuyle]

Depends on what you're playing. When you learn pieces, use a fingering that works for you and stay with it.

[outin]

      I remember my teacher trying to get me to do Hanon exercises when I was younger, so I began working on those late last year, however, I haven't felt any improvement in fingering dexterity yet, even after memorizing some of the exercises (As Franz Liszt once told his students, it is not a bad idea to read a book while working on scale exercises, as this will eliminate the boredom of its repetitiveness).

I assume you are actually not talking about fingering but general finger dexterity?

Even though I have very little experience to back up my opinion in this case, I would still say there's very little to gain by exercising something that you feel so bored with that you have to read a book while doing it

I have done some Hanon during the past 2 weeks and it's not so bad as "warm up" but I doubt it will do anything for my finger dexterity. And that's not why I am doing them, it's because I need something simple enough to be able to concentrate on fixing the problem parts I have (back, neck, shoulders, arms and my "mouse  hand") before working on the actual pieces. It seems to relieve some of the tension.

Generally I think it's my brain that needs to get more dexterity, not my fingers.

[4greatkeyboards]

Rachmaninoff, I read, used to spend the first hour of each day of practice doing only scales and arpeggios.

Liszt said that fingering was spontaneous and proved it to his questioner by playing then replaying the same piece with and without a cigar clenched in his hand.

[leroy199]

I personally find that my girl friend helps me a great deal with my fingering other then that a serious persevering dedication to Hanon will bring results