Validity of the Brahms Exercises?

[chopinlover01]

So, to preface, my technique is somewhat "unbalanced"; my octaves are good, my thirds and sixths are okay (though nowhere their respective Chopine etudes), my scales are "meh", my arpeggios are bordering on god awful, among other ways I could describe them   
So I listened to the few of the Brahms exercises on YT that I could, and they seem beneficial.
Anyone have any stories with them? Any preferred edition?
Many thanks!

[starlady]

The exercises prove that Brahms hated pianists.   Especially number 14. 

[pianoman1349]

I personally like the BRahms exercises as they isolate specific aspects of piano technique and drill them until the cows come home.  Some of them are incredibly awkward, but they will improve technique tremendously.

Any edition is fine.  I personally used a Schirmer, mainly because it was the cheapest edition available.

[chopinlover01]

Many thanks. Will see if any of my music relatives have a copy they'd be willing to loan, then I'll look into getting a copy (since I'm cheap, and don't care for Schirmer purely because of the binding).

[kawai_cs]

I am glad you asked this question, because I am also interested and was thinking about those exercises, too.
I also think my technique is somewhat unbalanced - one day I can play freely, easily, my fingers on the keyboard feel like if they were submerging into butter, the other day it seems my hands are fighting with the piano to draw the sound out of it (terrible feeling and it instantly makes me finish the practice session - just no point). It is unfair.

[michael_sayers]

Maybe someone here has some background information on these exercises re. why or for whom they were composed?


Mvh,
Michael

[kawai_cs]

I have found this piece of information:
https://www.key-notes.com/brahms-51-exercises.html

That implies that there are no fingerings given in the book so I think it is a pity. I would not like to invest extra time to invent fingerings for 51 exercises!

[michael_sayers]

I have found this piece of information:
https://www.key-notes.com/brahms-51-exercises.html

That implies that there are no fingerings given in the book so I think it is a pity. I would not like to invest extra time to invent fingerings for 51 exercises!

Why don't you try Der Neue Busoni?


Mvh,
Michael

[kawai_cs]

Michael, I haven't heard about this book, or at least I am not recalling anything. Are they good exercises?
I just remember reading here and there about Brahms exercises that is why I was curious to get to know more.

[michael_sayers]

Michael, I haven't heard about this book, or at least I am not recalling anything. Are they good exercises?
I just remember reading here and there about Brahms exercises that is why I was curious to get to know more.

Hi Kawai_cs,

Probably it is best to choose exercises by successful concert pianists such as Liszt and Busoni, and by Czerny [Op. 299, Op. 740 and Op. 365] if one has more limited time to practice.  I've never practiced the Brahms exercises - what I did when I was very young was Czerny and when I was a little older the Liszt volumes.


Mvh,
Michael

[pianoworthy]

The Brahms etudes are very useful, but I found the Liszt exercises to much more comprehensive. Liszt's volumes are huge and I'm convinced there's nothing in there he didn't cover.