Czerny "alternative"

[stephenv]

At the risk of boring everyone with another post on technique, I would like to mention a set of exercises you might consider as an alternative to using Czerny.

These "etudes" are: "Reflective Keyboard Studies for Piano" by Vincent Persichetti, Elkan-Vogel Inc.

Persichetti uses the late 20th century harmony technique: "mirror" writing as a basis for these etudes.   He gives a full explanation of this approach at the beginning of the set.  

Basically the notes in each hand are "mirrored" by the other in this form of writing.

I found these fun and helpful in the best sense.   Persichetti lets you know what each etude "features" such as scales, scales with leaps etc.

Hope you find them useful and fun.

[ignaceii]

Where can I find more information on his studies and method ?
I used to mirror my hands also to obtain finger independance. All etudeschools use or right or left hand emphasisbased exercises. Bach came to my rescue.
Intrested in more. Thanks for the post.

[stephenv]

Re: Reflective Keyboard Studies for Piano by Vincent Persichetti

I found them available on Amazon.com for about 16 bucks.  Another source for them is Theodore Presser online catalog.  Online search will find this site.

I purchased them in the 1980's.  At that time they were published by Elkan-Vogel, a subsidiary of Presser.    

Hope you find them.  

[cumin]

stephenv:

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but you have mentioned Guy Maier a lot, and somehow I feel that that he and his approach really click for me, even though all I know of it is the impulse exercise you described in a trills thread from some years back. It sounds like you may even have known Mr. Maier.

Since his books are out of print and essentially unavailable (worldcat lists less than 10 libraries holding them I think), I wonder if you could walk us through some of those exercises and approaches. For such a valuable work, I am surprised I cannot find it anywhere on the web.

Thank you very much.

[j_menz]

Since his books are out of print and essentially unavailable (worldcat lists less than 10 libraries holding them I think), I wonder if you could walk us through some of those exercises and approaches. For such a valuable work, I am surprised I cannot find it anywhere on the web.

Thank you very much.

You might try here.

[cumin]

Do you know if that book has the exercises? That is not clear to me.

[j_menz]

Do you know if that book has the exercises? That is not clear to me.

It is a collection of his columns for Etude magazine compiled posthumously by his widow.  I'm not sure the exercises are notated in any case so much as described. If the latter, they are probably in it - otherwise I do not know.  $18 will tell you, and should be a good read in either case.

[ted]

The keyboard is symmetrical about D and Ab. I have used this for years as a technique builder on the Virgil Practice Clavier. You don't need special studies, just make up anything. Trouble is, the keyboard is not mirror-symmetric with respect to sound or its musical implication, with one of the two figures usually sounding a lot more vital than the other. Aside from that, I am not convinced that the musical sounds which interest me most require precise symmetry of technique. I don't know about other people but the way my fingers strike in the lower registers is often not quite the same as they do higher up. I find it all very complicated.

As a purely physical exercise though, yes, no harm done - provided I don't have to hear it.