I need Dohnanyi exercises

[SteinwayTony]

Well, I think my technique needs a little work.

Fine, a lot of work.

I'm pretty sure I'm ready to invest a hard copy of Dohnanyi's Essential Finger Exercises.  The only edition I could locate is the Editio Music Budapest that's $10 ($8 after my discount).  I want to know if you guys recommend any other editions, and if so, where I might find it.

I don't think the edition should matter but if you guys have any input I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

P.S.  If these are available online, could a kind soul please post the URL so I can get cracking on these until my score arrives?  Thanks much.

[pianoannie]

That's the edition I have.  I'm not familiar with any other.  You might be able to find some sample pages online, but I am not aware of any particular websites.  Enjoy life before the book comes--your mental health may not be the same after you spend some time on these exercises!    (actually I do believe these exercises are helpful, but I'm glad my teacher only recommends doing a few measures each day!)

[SteinwayTony]

I completely believe it.

My teacher photocopied the first page for me and I thought I was going to have a breakdown after half an hour.  I don't think I've ever been so frustrated with my digits...   

[chopinguy]

Dohnanyi is so frustrating, but it feels so nice once you're able to get over that inital barrier.  It actually does not take too long if you concentrate really hard.

Anyways, my teacher gave me a photocopy of the first two pages.  I could scan them in and post them here.  But then again, I think that's illegal.

When you do get the exercises, after you get over the physical barrier, create mental barriers for yourself.  For instance, on exercise two, solfeg the notes.  On exercises 3-6, solfeg either the bottom trill or the top trill.  These exercises have made my brain ache like no other!

I'm not sure how many Dohnanyi exercises there are, but the one I have is titled something like "Essential Exercises for a Sure Piano Technique", something along those lines.

[bardolph]

Disclaimer: I'm just an intermediate pianist.  But I have had quite a lot of practice at a number of Dohnanyi exercises, I'm currently working on Pischna, and I can play all of Book 1 of Liszt's exercises; and I feel confident saying the following (real pianists feel free to sort me out if necessary!)

Despite what the instructions and markings say, don't play this type of exercise hard and loud at first because it's a great way to injure yourself.  When learning an exercise, for example the first page of Dohnanyi, play one hand at a time.  Play softly, slowly, and with complete relaxation, and if the exercise seems impossible legato, play it staccato (but still softly and very easily and relaxed.)  Experiment with legato and staccato and different tie groupings until the exercise as written comes naturally, you'll see this speeds up the learning process for each exercise.

Only after at least a couple of weeks of doing the exercises in this very gentle fashion, until they are thoroughly learned, should you begin to play them with high fingers and loudness and so on.  Learn to feel the BEGINNINGS of fatigue in your muscles and act accordingly.  Try to get the maximum sound with least effort, and if one finger is doing something, the others should be as relaxed as possible.  If for example you are holding down three notes while playing two, the three holding fingers should be applying only the minimum pressure to keep the notes down, and the whole hand should be as relaxed as possible while still applying enough effort to actually play the exercise.  You'll see what I mean as you learn them.

Experiment with your muscles as you play the exercises, always trying to relax muscles that aren't being used; as for those which are in use, be aware that one can play notes loudly either in a cramped, tense fashion, or in a minimum-tension fashion, and strive for the latter.

It is VERY easy to tense up all over when learning this type of exercise.  Awareness is the key. 

This is the way I learned Book 1 of the Liszt exercises; it was only after many weeks of doing them daily that I arrived at playing hands together and with plenty of force.  I didn't want to end up like Schumann!

While you are waiting, take any Bach 2 part Invention and play a few bars, hands separately, and turn it into an exercise.  Play at different dynamics, with different groupings, staccato, legato, hold down all the fingers where possible, etc.  This will kill several birds with one stone while you are waiting for Dohnanyi!

[xvimbi]

bardolph, your general advice as to how to approach exercises is excellent. The biggest mistake that people usually do is to do exercises without knowing how to do them. If one follows Hanon's or Czerny's instructuctions, one will end up with injuries. Having a good teacher to competently guide through exercises is as much as or even more important than to guide through regular music, because certain motions are repeated thousands of times, which will give problems if they are not done correctly.

While you are waiting, take any Bach 2 part Invention and play a few bars, hands separately, and turn it into an exercise.  Play at different dynamics, with different groupings, staccato, legato, hold down all the fingers where possible, etc.  This will kill several birds with one stone while you are waiting for Dohnanyi!

I would go farther and say, why do exercises at all? If there is a troubling spot in a piece, practice it or find an exercise that covers just that particular problem. But why not make that passage into an exercise? One only ends up being able to play a lot of exercises, but no music. Playing Bach prepares for practically anything that the repertoire throws at us (except maybe large chords and huge octave runs), while making music and adding pieces to one's repertoire.

[bardolph]

Thanks for your commendation.  I have a thing for piano exercises and pure technique practice; I have this inescapable feeling that they're all worth doing in the long run, despite what certain experts like Chang, Bernhard, yourself, and many virtuosos say.  Gina Bachauer studied with Rachmaninoff, who is considered one of the greatest pianists of the entire 20th century, and she said he did Hanon daily "because he believed in the Hanon exercises so very much."  If Rachmaninoff believed in doing at least some pure exercises every day, then that's good enough for me

My long-term ambition with all this technique stuff is to play my way through pretty much all of it at least once, then boil it down to a smaller and more manageable number of things, or a schedule that I can play a small part of every day.  I mean in addition to the usual scales and arpeggios:  Hanon, Pischna, Liszt's exercises, Dohnanyi. 

[xvimbi]

Thanks for your commendation.  I have a thing for piano exercises and pure technique practice; I have this inescapable feeling that they're all worth doing in the long run, despite what certain experts like Chang, Bernhard, yourself, and many virtuosos say. 

Yes, it will be useful. There is no doubt. Playing any kind of music is expected to increase one's skills. My concerns are: Is it worth spending all that time hoping that it will come in handy at some point? Isn't it possible to pick up technique by playing real pieces?

Gina Bachauer studied with Rachmaninoff, who is considered one of the greatest pianists of the entire 20th century, and she said he did Hanon daily "because he believed in the Hanon exercises so very much."  If Rachmaninoff believed in doing at least some pure exercises every day, then that's good enough for me

Rachmaninoff also had severe injuries, so that he could not play without pain and was forced to quit at some point.

My long-term ambition with all this technique stuff is to play my way through pretty much all of it at least once, then boil it down to a smaller and more manageable number of things, or a schedule that I can play a small part of every day.  I mean in addition to the usual scales and arpeggios:  Hanon, Pischna, Liszt's exercises, Dohnanyi. 

What's wrong with Bach's inventions? They are exercises and musical ones to boot.