Warm-up/Technique excercises

[stoyo]

Hello, after almost a decade of not playing i am trying to start again. I was playing for nearly 3 years before i quit, now i want to play mostly contemporary stuff - Yann Tiersen as an example - and some classical, i love Chopin!

I decided to have a schedule of ~30' of warm-up/technique stuff and the rest whatever is, for the pieces. I do some scales and arpeggios but nothing structured.

Do you have specific excercises to suggest?

[briansaddleback]

I say keep doing what you are doing. I do primarily scales everyday and Schaum finger power sometimes. When doing them the most important thing is to not just do them for the sake of doing them but really focusing on movement sound of accent different articulations fluency really study your wrist hand finger arm movements ( you will discover so much about your ability or inability to play within unlocking the secrets of your own body movements)

[kawai_cs]

Scales and arpeggios are always good to play. You can also do exercises away from piano that will help you regain strength and flexibility much faster, e.g.
 

[ted]

Good on you for starting again. I am sure you will get dozens of suggestions for specific exercises. The only thing I would caution against is reaching a state wherein you feel that you cannot enjoy your music without the prerequisite of a statutory half hour of exercises. It is good you are working on your technique regularly, but isn't that better kept as a long term, background thing, its effect gradually being absorbed unconsciously into your music over time ? Surely you would want to just sit down and enjoy yourself anytime, anywhere ?

I work on my technique myself, perhaps not as much now at my age, but it is in no way time related to my actual music. Whether it occurs before or after playing music doesn't matter. I know one or two people who think they cannot play anything until they have had an hour's daily grind of scales. I don't know about you, but that prospect doesn't appeal to me at all.

[stoyo]

Until yesterday i would just sit and start playing from easier to harder pieces and repeat that once. The reason i want to make a warm up/technique schedule:

I searched for a "proper posture" video cause i had strain, stiffness and even some pain on my shoulders mainly and i also saw other videos that mentioned how important scales and arpeggios are. Besides realizing i was doing almost anything wrong from the bottom of my feet to the top of my head i also realized how much important the warm up is. For a little amount of time spent i get the blood pumping, my fingers are stretched and warmed up and also i start remembering sharp/flats within the playing. Now i think i can see a meaning on these, not just fingers going up/down the keyboard, not that i love them but i not like "Oh, i got a 30' warm up "

Also i feel if i stick to playing, after some time 10-15' will be enough time to warm up.

@kawai Thanks for the suggestion but its not my type, i can do some quick stretching but thats all. I prefer more concentrated contact with the instrument.

@brian What you are saying is something i learned really late , anyway better late than never!

[pianocat3]

I warm up maybe 10 minutes with anything, maybe reviewing repertoire, scales, whatever, then switch to my hard stuff. I find I burn out after 45 minutes total and need a break. Well maybe I don't get my second shot at practice until evening, and I'm too tired to focus on my hardest stuff. If I had done my exercises first, for a half hour, I would have blown it. Better to do those harder tasks when fresh, IMO. Maybe you can focus longer than me or practice more. I do 1 to 2 hours most days.  I plan to play some of that Amelie music soon. You may also like Ludovico Einaudi. Sounds like you're about the same level I am.  It didn't take me long to get my skills back after a 10 year hiatus. 3 months, maybe, but I was less advanced than you at that time.

[pianocat3]

Oh for exercises, I do scales etc, plus custom stuff on a need to know basis, like 3 beats against 2 which is hard for me!!  I practice sight reading. I haven't been doing arpeggios as an exercise, well, a wee bit, and I suppose if i ask my teacher about it, I'll be adding them in.

[stoyo]

3 beats against 2 which is hard for me!!

Timing is one of my weaknesses too, great suggestion, i didn't think of it. When i meet strange rythms, dotted or double dotted notes, triplets etc. i need to play like 1/10th of tempo and count out loud to figure out whats going on! Also for arpeggios i'll try Chopin's Etude Op. 12 No.1 (i think its his least musical piece, its more like an excercise) as far i remember some of his etudes are great for technique.

[pianocat3]

I am trying all sorts of tricks to get that timing better! It is so hard for me.  I never learned to use the metronome well, either, so i am doing metronome on my easier work and timng exercises and scales. I think you are more advanced than i am.I am working on Chopin's Revolutionary Etude, but I am not good enough to get it up to tempo and my playing of it could be prettier.  It's my teacher's way of getting me to stretch, but not so far out of my league I can't play it at all.

[kawai_cs]

I am working on Chopin's Revolutionary Etude, but I am not good enough to get it up to tempo and my playing of it could be prettier.  It's my teacher's way of getting me to stretch, but not so far out of my league I can't play it at all.

Just keep practicing and don't worry. If your teacher assigned you this etude that means you have potential to tackle it. Just keep on with work and do not over-analyze your abilities or their lack in your opinion Chopin's etudes are difficult and they take time to play well, especially if it is your first one.

[piano6888]

Pretty much what others have said, and what I may add is that I often start out with the exercises to warm up my hand, adapt to the action of the keys, and also to get my hands ready for playing. 

[georgey]

Scales and arpeggios are always good to play. You can also do exercises away from piano that will help you regain strength and flexibility much faster, e.g.
 

My left hand was possibly starting to develop a problem.  I tried these exercises away from the piano and this seemed to make my left hand feel better. I will continue to do these as well as read material recommended to me (e.g.: Dr Mark's books that I have yet to receive).  Thank you!

[themusne]

It'd be interesting and funny to play scales faster and faster,but the most crucial thing is to control the fingers to play evenly and with some dynamics.It's a good warm up exercise.

[reiyza]

My left hand was possibly starting to develop a problem.  I tried these exercises away from the piano and this seemed to make my left hand feel better. I will continue to do these as well as read material recommended to me (e.g.: Dr Mark's books that I have yet to receive).  Thank you!

This is actually pretty good! I wasn't aware simple exercises like that were actually pretty helpful.

Since I'm too lazy with exercises(dull and boring, though thay have their uses) I follow the repeat 20 times per exercise(gradually speeding up). But once in a while i get really lazy and do about 10 reps(should be enough for a beginner like me.)

[pianotv]

I warm up maybe 10 minutes with anything, maybe reviewing repertoire, scales, whatever, then switch to my hard stuff. I find I burn out after 45 minutes total and need a break. Well maybe I don't get my second shot at practice until evening, and I'm too tired to focus on my hardest stuff. If I had done my exercises first, for a half hour, I would have blown it. Better to do those harder tasks when fresh, IMO. Maybe you can focus longer than me or practice more. I do 1 to 2 hours most days.  I plan to play some of that Amelie music soon. You may also like Ludovico Einaudi. Sounds like you're about the same level I am.  It didn't take me long to get my skills back after a 10 year hiatus. 3 months, maybe, but I was less advanced than you at that time.

This is me! My brain/technique goes WAY downhill at night, so like you said, I do about 10 minutes of exercising before doing the bulk of my practice, and ideally the most difficult stuff in the morning. If I do 2-3 practice sessions in a day, it ends up working out to the same amount of technique, but since it's more spread out, I don't burn out on it.

[louispodesta]

Hello, after almost a decade of not playing i am trying to start again. I was playing for nearly 3 years before i quit, now i want to play mostly contemporary stuff - Yann Tiersen as an example - and some classical, i love Chopin!

I decided to have a schedule of ~30' of warm-up/technique stuff and the rest whatever is, for the pieces. I do some scales and arpeggios but nothing structured.

Do you have specific excercises to suggest?

["This is me! My brain/technique goes WAY downhill at night, so like you said, I do about 10 minutes of exercising before doing the bulk of my practice, and ideally the most difficult stuff in the morning. If I do 2-3 practice sessions in a day, it ends up working out to the same amount of technique, but since it's more spread out, I don't burn out on it."]

After 35 years of being a devotee of this commonly/universally prescribed regimen, I found what I consider to be, in my opinion, a better way.  And, that utilizes the pedagogical philosophy of my technique coach, Dr. Thomas Mark www.pianomap.com, who is a philosopher (as am I).

It is a whole body approach, which started out as a Taubman/Golandsky technique, and then was combined with an Alexander Technique Whole Body viewpoint.  The bottom line is this:

1)  I do not warm-up:  that is no exercises, scales, arpeggio, et al.  What I do is my morning calisthenics, take a shower, and then I practice, with multiple breaks, for two hours.

2)  I take a two hour mid-day break, and then I practice for another two hours.

The point is that, since my introduction to Thomas Mark www.pianomap.com, who came from Taubman/Golandsky, I suggest that first you obtain a copy (from any music school library) of Dr. Mark's book, "What Every Pianist Needs To Know About The Body."

That will introduce you to the reality of playing the piano with something other than your hands and fingers.  Then, you need to seek out, and I can help you out on this by PM, to a Taubman coach for further detailed instruction.

If after that, so you can learn how to utilize your whole body (normally, every day in pursuit of piano excellence), I can then refer you onto Dr. Mark for further coaching.