Pischna question

[bardolph]

Are Pischna exercises such as 22, 24, 28, 18, and the others of this kind meant to be played in all keys?

[pianopoet]

Hi Bardolph...! Personally, I dont think Pischna intended us to play those exercises in all the keys. I honestly think it'll be very hard to find pianists who are patient enough to transpose and relearn exercises - And I wouldn't. My advice would be to play what is written and perfect it. Don't be bothered about transposing and relearning. (My opinion...) As a matter of interest, I recently spoke to a friend of mine who started playing Pischna abouta  month ago. Turns out he hurt his hand so seriously that he developed tendonitis and was referred to a doctor by his tutor! Now, I am still trying to understand what some people succeed under Pishna and why some don't! Perhaps I'll do a doctorate on it...! Like my post said, I've had amazing success with Pischna. I have been subject to heated dissuasion sessions by teachers and fellow students but I maintain that Pischna works! How long have you been working on Pischna exercises?

[bardolph]

I have only been working on Pischna for a few weeks this time round, but I spent several months once working on Volume I of Liszt's exercises; these gave me enough strength and flexibility to jump right into Pischna with little fatigue.  But I should also say that when I do any of this kind of exercise after not having done them for many months, I always do them pianissimo, staying very relaxed, not trying to do them with strength and high fingers, but merely trying to play the required notes steadily and together.  And I quit as soon as I feel the *beginnings* of fatigue.

After several days of this I gradually begin to work up the strength, volume, duration, etc. Now I find that if I have been faithfully doing Liszt or Pischna for a number of weeks, I can really push my hands hard, long, and fast before I start to feel fatigue.  (The first time I started learning the Liszt exercises I overdid it and hurt my hands and fingers, but fortunately the pain went away after a couple of days.  After that I stopped being a fool.)

Did you do ALL the Pischna exercises?  Do you still run through them all over the course of a week, say?  There are so many, I'd like to skip a few.  I know the first 20 or so.  I suppose I will more rarely do the ones I find very easy and concentrate on the tough ones.

Today out of curiosity I played ex. 10 in all Minor HARMONIC keys, strictly with the indicated fingering!  Try it, it's nuts ... it requires the silliest imaginable thumb jumps, but I'm sure it's good training overall.  I have done a lot of studying of Sandor, Chang, Fink, and Amy Fay, so I have almost completely gotten out of the habit of turning the thumb under.

I should also mention I'm trying to train myself as an improvisational pianist with (ultimately) instant knowledge of the keyboard in all keys, for the purposes of being a composer.  In other words I want to be able to realize instantly at the keyboard any musical ideas.  I think the jazz players can do this, for they are required to be able to instantly play anything in any key, and improvise and so forth.  The mantra of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" (today's bible for jazz theory) is: ALWAYS PRACTICE EVERYTHING IN EVERY KEY.

Now, lunch, bath, and more Pischna, and then scales and arpeggios!