ABC Exercises

[awesom_o]

Hello everyone,

Here are the videos on the ABC Exercises which I promised to make.

https://the-music-blog.com/

I haven't yet made the videos for the LH, but rest assured the exercises are exactly the same for both hands. They should always be done hands separately, with the other hand resting by your side (not on your lap!).

I've given very little text explaining the exercises: it's important that they are done precisely in the manner shown.

Hold down the keys silently first. Keep your fingertips on the keys the entire time of the exercise! As soon as one key makes a sound, the next key is let up. There must be no delay. The overall tempo for the exercises is SLOW!

Best of luck, and let me know if you have any questions. I will do my best to answer everyone!

[gvans]

Carlisle: These are great exercises. They do remind me of some of the exercises in Cortot's Rationale Principals of Piano Technique to promote finger independence, but, of course, are somewhat different. You do have some collapse of your PIP and DIP joints from time to time, not something I noticed in the video of you playing your own composition. Is that intended, or a visual anomaly?

[awesom_o]

I think it's probably a visual anomaly. I'm usually quite outspoken against all manner of colapsation!

[nick]

Hello everyone,

Here are the videos on the ABC Exercises which I promised to make.

https://the-music-blog.com/

I haven't yet made the videos for the LH, but rest assured the exercises are exactly the same for both hands. They should always be done hands separately, with the other hand resting by your side (not on your lap!).

I've given very little text explaining the exercises: it's important that they are done precisely in the manner shown.

Hold down the keys silently first. Keep your fingertips on the keys the entire time of the exercise! As soon as one key makes a sound, the next key is let up. There must be no delay. The overall tempo for the exercises is SLOW!

Best of luck, and let me know if you have any questions. I will do my best to answer everyone!

Very difficult for me after the 1st 2. Thumb on e and f very tight especially my right hand, and I'm right handed. It forces one to stretch. I assume it gets easier as one does it often?

The purpose of this is what exactly as I cannot think of any works that had this configuration or need. Not saying it doesn't work wonders, just wondering.

Nick

[awesom_o]

Very difficult for me after the 1st 2. Thumb on e and f very tight especially my right hand, and I'm right handed. It forces one to stretch. I assume it gets easier as one does it often?

The purpose of this is what exactly as I cannot think of any works that had this configuration or need. Not saying it doesn't work wonders, just wondering.

Nick

You have to be relaxed when you do these. You might not be ready for them yet.
They are for developing the connection between the fingers and the mind. If you already have a good connection developed, i.e. you are a very good pianist, then these exercises will be quite simple!

If they seem really difficult, then your fine-motor coordination needs more work! 

[nick]

You have to be relaxed when you do these. You might not be ready for them yet.
They are for developing the connection between the fingers and the mind. If you already have a good connection developed, i.e. you are a very good pianist, then these exercises will be quite simple!

If they seem really difficult, then your fine-motor coordination needs more work! 

My fourth rubs against the adjacent key when there is a big stretch. I have no trouble keeping correct fingers down and lifting correct ones at the right time. Seems like stretching is my problem. It's like my hamstrings. Doesn't matter how relaxed I am, no way I can sit on the floor feet straight in front and touch toes, no where near them! Stiff. Daily it would loosen up.

Nick

[awesom_o]

You should consider doing some yoga!

[brogers70]

I'm giving them a try. I assume it's wise to start slowly and do just A for a while. It does not feel too awkward. I'll just do a bit of it every day for a while and see where it leads.

[awesom_o]

I'm giving them a try. I assume it's wise to start slowly and do just A for a while. It does not feel too awkward. I'll just do a bit of it every day for a while and see where it leads.

Good! If you are beginner/intermediate, stick with A.
B and C are much more advanced. 
Don't spend too long on them either: the goal with these isn't to do them over and over again.
 
The goal is to be able to get through ABC once smoothly without error, with beautiful control of tone.

[cabbynum]

Good! If you are beginner/intermediate, stick with A.
B and C are much more advanced. 
Don't spend too long on them either: the goal with these isn't to do them over and over again.
 
The goal is to be able to get through ABC once smoothly without error, with beautiful control of tone.

Not too long ago I finally got through all ABCs with no errors. I lept up from my bench when I finished and danced around my house! It felt really good to be able to do these. Thank you so much for the help with them.

[awesom_o]

Not too long ago I finally got through all ABCs with no errors. I lept up from my bench when I finished and danced around my house! It felt really good to be able to do these. Thank you so much for the help with them.

Congratulations, Clarke. You are now officially in control of your fingers!

You can now safely move on to Philipp book 1!

[cabbynum]

Congratulations, Clarke. You are now officially in control of your fingers!

You can now safely move on to Philipp book 1!

Aye Aye Captain!

[brogers70]

Good! If you are beginner/intermediate, stick with A.
B and C are much more advanced. 
Don't spend too long on them either: the goal with these isn't to do them over and over again.
 
The goal is to be able to get through ABC once smoothly without error, with beautiful control of tone.

Yes, I'm only doing them a little bit, concentrating on relaxation and tone. My impression, anyway, is that these exercises are not designed to change anything physical in the hands or fingers, but to develop the brain. So you want to have the experience of doing the exercise correctly and then let the brain process that experience overnight and then do it again the next day. I would guess that normally the brain calculates where the fingers are based both on the proprioception of the individual fingers and assumptions about the shape and normal position of the hands. And I imagine that the exercises train the brain to rely more completely on the proprioception and less on its expectations about the "standard" configuration of the hand. So you are learning to control the fingers in a slightly different way. And perhaps also learning to turn off as many of the unneeded muscles as possible.

In any case, I'll keep at it and see.

[awesom_o]

Yes, I'm only doing them a little bit, concentrating on relaxation and tone. My impression, anyway, is that these exercises are not designed to change anything physical in the hands or fingers, but to develop the brain. So you want to have the experience of doing the exercise correctly and then let the brain process that experience overnight and then do it again the next day. I would guess that normally the brain calculates where the fingers are based both on the proprioception of the individual fingers and assumptions about the shape and normal position of the hands. And I imagine that the exercises train the brain to rely more completely on the proprioception and less on its expectations about the "standard" configuration of the hand. So you are learning to control the fingers in a slightly different way. And perhaps also learning to turn off as many of the unneeded muscles as possible.

In any case, I'll keep at it and see.

How very astute!

[nyiregyhazi]

I like these exercises a lot, but just one thought. Why stop short of the thumb on g too? It's rather difficult for B and C, but I don't see any reason not to work up to it.

Also, it's interesting to see how you coordinate the lifting fingers exactly to the depression of another finger. Originally I was returning to all five fingers first and then releasing the next separately. I think there are different benefits from doing it both ways.

By the way, I think one of the biggest things this trains is for fingers to subtly but actively exert forces against the keys when not moving them. Keeping resisting keys down while moving others fingers means that fingers rarely get to "relax" altogether. Over relaxing non playing fingers tends to leave them flying around uncontrolled. When they continue to interact with the keys (on a more subtle level than when keeping a note depressed in the exercise) that makes them much better at being stable in a simple and healthy fashion (that is totally different to general clenching for stability). It's not about tension but these teach the fingers not to make the mistake of total relaxation whenever they are waiting to play. They keep just the tiniest actions, after getting used to linking all the fingers properly via the exercise. Generic intent at "firmness" usually causes people to become tense, but this teaches the useful firmness (which is not a tension against nothing but a perfectly balanced interaction between the finger and the force exerted upwards by the springs in the keys).

[awesom_o]

I like these exercises a lot, but just one thought. Why stop short of the thumb on g too? It's rather difficult for B and C, but I don't see any reason not to work up to it.

Apparently they used to be done that way, using all five positions. It would be pretty uncomfortable. The 4th position is already pretty extreme!

[brogers70]

Carlisle,

Wow, I like these more every day. A is now pretty easy for me and I've started on B. The really interesting thing is how the brain can look at a finger or a pair of fingers in those positions, tell it to move, and have the wrong finger move instead. Sort of like learning to tie a knot while looking at it in a mirror. I'm taking it on faith that these will actually help my playing, but in the meanwhile it's just fun to mess with my nervous system.

Bill

[cabbynum]

Carlisle,

Wow, I like these more every day. A is now pretty easy for me and I've started on B. The really interesting thing is how the brain can look at a finger or a pair of fingers in those positions, tell it to move, and have the wrong finger move instead. Sort of like learning to tie a knot while looking at it in a mirror. I'm taking it on faith that these will actually help my playing, but in the meanwhile it's just fun to mess with my nervous system.

Bill

I felt the same when he first told me about them. I didn't know how much it would actually help if any. I didn't tell my teacher I was doing these. When I finished B my teacher started making comments on my sound and my control. As well as tackling confusing passages. It all became easier. Because now I have control over my fingers, where as before . I just thought I did.

[awesom_o]

Carlisle,

Wow, I like these more every day. A is now pretty easy for me and I've started on B. The really interesting thing is how the brain can look at a finger or a pair of fingers in those positions, tell it to move, and have the wrong finger move instead. Sort of like learning to tie a knot while looking at it in a mirror. I'm taking it on faith that these will actually help my playing, but in the meanwhile it's just fun to mess with my nervous system.

Bill

Fantastic!

As you guessed, these exercises are all about developing a connection between the brain and the fingers that goes DEEPER than the 'default' connection that many people rely on to play the piano, which is largely visual.

The ABC's are about developing real control over your own body. Control that we can trust, regardless of our senses, which can easily be deceived.

The more control you have over your body, the more control you will be able to apply in your piano-playing!

[nyiregyhazi]

Fantastic!

As you guessed, these exercises are all about developing a connection between the brain and the fingers that goes DEEPER than the 'default' connection that many people rely on to play the piano, which is largely visual.

The ABC's are about developing real control over your own body. Control that we can trust, regardless of our senses, which can easily be deceived.

The more control you have over your body, the more control you will be able to apply in your piano-playing!

Not to disagree, but it's interesting how much easier it is when not over holding. I don't have any problem going up and down the fingers in the same order when playing one note at a time, but I have to focus very precisely when releasing only one finger at a time (in order to feel just the right level of action, rather than press down into overheld notes with extra force). For me, it's the combination of perceiving the fingers in an unusual order, but most importantly, also having to get a specific balance of action from ALL FIVE fingers at once. For anyone who really struggles, starting without the overholding is a good introduction to a less difficult preparatory coordination.

[awesom_o]

Not to disagree, but it's interesting how much easier it is when not over holding.

That's why it's important to hold all keys down silently as the default! It's the difficulty of that precise timing, coupled with the difficulty of the extreme positions that makes these exercises so winning!

[nyiregyhazi]

That's why it's important to hold all keys down silently as the default! It's the difficulty of that precise timing, coupled with the difficulty of the extreme positions that makes these exercises so winning!

True, but some people aren't ready for that without generic tension to stop the keys coming back up. For beginners, I'd either use overholding only in normal positions, or unusual positions without over holding, as a preparation. That way you only have one category of coordination difficulty at a time, before trying both at once.

[swagmaster420x]

Tried it today. Seems reaeaallllyyyy interesting. A was learned pretty quickly and easily (kinda, my hands shake whenever I exert myself hopefully this will help,fix that cuz it screws me over in public presentations, sigh). C was frustratingly difficult, but I managed to do five straight correct(ish) repetitions of each fourth interval alternation for each exercise after thirty mins. I think I'm definitely gonna mess up if I try again though lol. Also, I tacked on one more "c" exercise where the thumb is on g.. Honestly the one with thumb on f seems harder

[swagmaster420x]

K having taken a short break I tried c again after having done it for thirty mins to see if my brain would retAin the connections or w.e

C - ex 1(thumb on c): actually easy now.
Ex 2(thumb on d): moderately difficult for the first two or three tries, but then I focused a bit and got it
Ex 3(thumb on e): a bit easier than 2, cuz the thumb isn't moving hehe
Ex 4(thumb on f): still frustrating, but by not being a pu ssy and forcing my mind to do what it wasn't inclined to do, despite there being a barrier of unpleasant mental sensation hindering me from doing so, it actually got it pretty fast (relatively)
Ex 5*(thumb on g ): in between ex 2 and 5 In objective terms of difficulty, but I picked it up quick because my mind had gotten used to doing dis

I'm curious to know the effects of practicing this with eyes closed. I tried it, and doing so made it easier in one way and harder in another. Because you can't see the keys and your fingers, and mostly I've been relying on sight in addition to muscle memory to play, I wasn't used to playing with what I depended on taken away, so in that respect it was harder. But, if I just focused on which fingers I wanted to move, divorcing my mind from visual stimulus helped me achieve the correct motion.

[awesom_o]

True, but some people aren't ready for that without generic tension to stop the keys coming back up.

MANY people aren't ready for these exercises. They are NOT for beginners.

[maitea]

Brilliant! I had my own version of these, a bit simpler. Yours is fantastic.

[awesom_o]

Brilliant! I had my own version of these, a bit simpler. Yours is fantastic.

Interesting! Where did you find your version and how did it differ from mine?

[thalbergmad]

I do like these. Sort of works for banjo as well, but of course that is a lifting exercise only.

Thal

[maitea]

I invented my own!

First, I did depressing the keys without sound, one by one. I did your A but without the thumb under positions. I also used combinations where 2 notes where held and play the others. Never systematized it though. I like your version much better.

[nyiregyhazi]

MANY people aren't ready for these exercises. They are NOT for beginners.

Sure, but you can prepare for them quickly with related exercises.

Also, it's never too soon to start training students to use these kind of procedures in practise within positions from actual pieces- to organise the hand properly around well prepared positions. I taught a beginner today who read well but was really grinding things out slowly. By breaking the piece into a CEG chord and CDF chord (and using this type of premise within those three note shapes) he quickly learned to flow between properly prepared fingers rather than get stuck after each note. I like the regimented version of these, but I find that they're even more effective still when you use the basic principles to improve on the organisation and clarity of hand positions in pieces (both for beginners and advanced repertoire).

[awesom_o]

Sure, but you can prepare for them quickly with related exercises.

Is it really necessary to use exercises to prepare students for other exercises? 

I put the grin smiley there because the ABC's prepare students for other exercises, which would be foolish to attempt before successful completion of the ABC's.

[swagmaster420x]

do you also do them with the thumb on G?

[awesom_o]

do you also do them with the thumb on G?

You don't have to, no.

[brogers70]

So it took a month at a few minutes per day, but I have them down pretty well now. How interesting they were to learn. One thing I found was that even though none of the motions required any strength or effort at all, I still had to resist the tendency to strain. When the brain was struggling to figure out which finger was where and moving the wrong one, it's first response to the problem was to exert a lot of tense force. Just to be forced to separate mental effort from physical effort is helpful, I think.

As to how much it helped my playing overall, I'm not sure yet. A few months ago my teacher had a group recital and I played the Brahms Op 117 Intermezzo in C# minor. It was tentative and often harsh. We just did another one and I played the first movement of the Pastorale Sonata by Beethoven, and it went much more smoothly. My teacher and the other students all thought my tone had improved a great deal. But I've been doing other exercises and working on tone and reducing tension in a lot of ways over the past months, so I can't definitely tie the improvement to the exercises. In any case they were a lot of fun to work on. If you have more in the same line, I'd love to hear about them.

[awesom_o]

Hmm. The repertoire you have played in your teacher's recitals is highly advanced. Only a virtuoso with renowned musicianship could emerge unscathed from a close-quarters encounter with men such as Beethoven and Brahms!

There are many other exercises. None that I can think of which are in the same line as the ABC's.

I got a great deal of benefit from studying Book I and Book II of the following:

https://imslp.org/wiki/Exercises_for_Independence_of_the_Fingers_(Philipp,_Isidor)

But the routine was grueling and goes beyond what most piano students are willing/able to commit to. Without expert supervision, these exercises can do more harm than good.

Do you practice major and minor scales in all keys every day separated by different intervals?

[brogers70]

Yes, I go through the circle of fifths for all major and minor scales every day, once relatively slowly with "high stepping" fingers a la Russian school, and once a good bit faster and more legato with fingers closer to the keys. Then I pick one scale and do it in thirds, sixths, tenths, octaves, broken octaves, double octaves, three against two and two against three. Then I do pretty much the same thing for arpeggios. I have a good teacher who checks all that weekly to make sure I'm not furiously engraining bad habits. I'll take a look at those exercises you linked to; if my teacher is comfortable supervising them maybe I'll give them a try.

I wish I could say I had emerged unscathed from those encounters with Brahms and Beethoven, but I was certainly a lot *less* scathed in the more recent (post-ABC) recital. Thanks for your help and suggestions.

[awesom_o]

If your current teacher encourages you to play scales with 'high-stepping fingers', I can almost guarantee she won't want anything to do with the Philipp.

It may be best to not even mention the ABC's to her either.

Make sure when you practice scales that you always practice what is called the Formula Pattern, rather than just going straight up and down.

Here is what the 2 octave formula pattern looks like, which is for children and beginners only. More advanced students must do the pattern over 4 octaves!

[quantum]

One of my teachers taught me a similar set of exercises when I was in my early teens.  All five positions were explored (up to thumb on G).  Started with single notes hands separate.  After that, hands together using parallel positions: AA, BB, CC, etc.  Following that, all possible permutations of mixing hand positions: AB, AC, AD... etc. 

It was somewhat based out of exercises appearing in Ernest Hutcheson's The Elements of Piano Technique. 

A similar sequence could possibly extend your given exercise.  As well, shifting the position to all major and minor pentachords. 

[awesom_o]

One of my teachers taught me a similar set of exercises when I was in my early teens.  All five positions were explored (up to thumb on G).  Started with single notes hands separate.  After that, hands together using parallel positions: AA, BB, CC, etc.  Following that, all possible permutations of mixing hand positions: AB, AC, AD... etc. 

It was somewhat based out of exercises appearing in Ernest Hutcheson's The Elements of Piano Technique. 

A similar sequence could possibly extend your given exercise.  As well, shifting the position to all major and minor pentachords. 

Interesting! I've tried shifting the position to other major and minor scales.

It seems to me as though being too elaborate with various permutations of this could risk bringing us into the realm of diminishing returns, but I think people can make their own minds up about this.

I love to practice scales in all permutations, as that has great musical relevance. These exercises were introduced to me as a sort of preliminary hoop through which the aspiring virtuoso must pass. They aren't intended to be a lasting, permanent addition to one's practice routine.

[gvans]

Re scales and arpeggios: I've been learning the Brahms C major trio, Op. 87, which has a lot of skips and white key passages...I've been practicing various scales and arpeggios with great care to NOT LOOK at my hands. This is easy enough with scales, but not so much with arpeggios, especially white key triads, major sevenths, and the like. I'm finding, though, it is helping me enormously with chamber music in general and the Brahms in particular.

Anybody else doing this? Curious.

[j_menz]

Anybody else doing this? Curious.

Not looking at my hands? I'd have thought it was essential to good sightreading.  I haven't seen my fingers strike a note in years.

[gabeteoli]

These exercises look pretty good. I will give them a try.

[nyiregyhazi]

Not looking at my hands? I'd have thought it was essential to good sightreading.  I haven't seen my fingers strike a note in years.

So you're saying you read scales from music? Or that you don't practise them?

[awesom_o]

So you're saying you read scales from music? Or that you don't practise them?

It is very beneficial to practice scales with the eyes closed!

[j_menz]

So you're saying you read scales from music? Or that you don't practise them?

I don't practice them. So any scales I play are in music I'm playing, so I read them. They are obviously easy to read, but I still look at the page.

[gvans]

Not looking at my hands? I'd have thought it was essential to good sightreading.  I haven't seen my fingers strike a note in years.

Not even a teensy-weeny peek? Especially with a two or more octave jump, e.g., the opening to the Hammerklavier?

Ah, well, you're a better man than I.

[j_menz]

Not even a teensy-weeny peek? Especially with a two or more octave jump, e.g., the opening to the Hammerklavier?

That's not a two octave jump, it's just chords that happen to be two octaves apart.

Having always read, the ability to navigate the keyboard blind was something that developed as I went. Whereas those who look at their hands do that two octave gap by looking, I learnt to do it be feel straight up.  That's probably harder at first, but pays off in spades in the long run.  Eventually, even those who memorise everything have to copy with to "leaps" at opposite ends of the keyboard, in different directions and different distances, and simply can't do it by sight.

[cabbynum]

That's not a two octave jump, it's just chords that happen to be two octaves apart.

Having always read, the ability to navigate the keyboard blind was something that developed as I went. Whereas those who look at their hands do that two octave gap by looking, I learnt to do it be feel straight up.  That's probably harder at first, but pays off in spades in the long run.  Eventually, even those who memorise everything have to copy with to "leaps" at opposite ends of the keyboard, in different directions and different distances, and simply can't do it by sight.

How can I better my keyboard geography?
I do chromatic chords up and down all the way and that's helped a bit but how else do I help it?

[awesom_o]

How can I better my keyboard geography?

The two words in J_menz's post you'll wish to focus on are "keyboard" and "blind".

Literally. Think about how a blind person would think about it.

[j_menz]

How can I better my keyboard geography?
I do chromatic chords up and down all the way and that's helped a bit but how else do I help it?

Your keyboard geography is probably a lot better than you think. Trust your instincts more.

And play the notes, not the leaps between them. That's a conceptual issue. Leaps vary a lot, the notes don't move.