All round work-out

[klavieronin]

Are there single pieces you consider to be a great all round work-out for fingers/hands/arms? For example, if you found yourself with little time but wanted to maintain your technique using a piece your could play daily just to keep your technique tuned up.

Pieces of all difficulties are welcome but maybe mention which level you consider the piece a good work-out for.

[themeandvariation]

For years, I used the Goldberg Var.s  - run through all of them.
Also, many of the fugues from WTC1 and II.

Of course, one could also do well with Chopin etudes.. (though the are more than a few sections in the Goldbergs that require virtuoso technique).
But, I am biased, and think Bach elevates the sense of technique with his polyphony, and along with that, the ear is also inclined to hear more descriptively.

[klavieronin]

Yes, there are a good few Bach pieces the fit the bill. I also think Godowsky's arrangement of Bach's violin and cello suits are a good example for more advanced pianists.

[lelle]

I think the Chopin Etudes fit the bill put it's not exactly one piece The whole set takes around an hour in tempo, but you can pick and choose different ones each day to work slowly or quickly depending on your needs. So it doesn't exactly fit your request actually...

[klavieronin]

I heard an interview with a student who Rachmaninoff, Ruth Slenczynska, who said she played all the Chopin etudes before breakfast everyday. Apparently she had a technique that impressed even the likes of Horowitz.
Definitely a work-out but yes, not exactly what I was looking for.

[visitor]

Brahms 51 exercises numbers
7,8,15,16

[anacrusis]

Can't believe there isn't already a piece like this. I almost feel like I wanna compose one now.

[xdanielyj]

Are there single pieces you consider to be a great all round work-out for fingers/hands/arms? For example, if you found yourself with little time but wanted to maintain your technique using a piece your could play daily just to keep your technique tuned up.

Pieces of all difficulties are welcome but maybe mention which level you consider the piece a good work-out for.

Just as themeandvariation said, starting your day off with Bach is an amazing way to warm up. It warms up hands (obviously), but more importantly it gets your mind and brain warmed up as well. I found the sixth partita great for warming up. I can't speak for the Goldberg Variations since I haven't learned it, but I'm sure its great (It IS my favorite piece in all of piano literature though).

Personally I always start off with scales octaves, arpeggios, etc., then I go to Beethoven sonatas (21 is my go to sonata these days... that second theme is always stuck in my head for some reason).

[transitional]

K 545 first movement was the first thing that came to mind. It doesn't cover everything, but it's accessible to many people.

[klavieronin]

Brahms 51 exercises numbers
7,8,15,16

Hmm, I'm sure those make a great work-out but I was really asking about pieces in the repertoire. I do like the Brahms exercises though.

Just as themeandvariation said, starting your day off with Bach is an amazing way to warm up. It warms up hands (obviously), but more importantly it gets your mind and brain warmed up as well. I found the sixth partita great for warming up. I can't speak for the Goldberg Variations since I haven't learned it, but I'm sure its great (It IS my favorite piece in all of piano literature though).
Personally I always start off with scales octaves, arpeggios, etc., then I go to Beethoven sonatas (21 is my go to sonata these days... that second theme is always stuck in my head for some reason).

If I was short on time I'd hate to have to waste what little time I did have on scales, etc. Beethoven sonatas would probably do the job but I think the C Minor variations probably fit the bill a little better.

[fignewton]

The piece that comes to my mind is the Schumann Toccata. I remember reading that Argerich used to warm up with this piece a lot and would use it as a way to tell if her technique was in optimal condition, or something like that.

[lelle]

The piece that comes to my mind is the Schumann Toccata. I remember reading that Argerich used to warm up with this piece a lot and would use it as a way to tell if her technique was in optimal condition, or something like that.

Good suggestion! I think that's actually the purpose behind why Schumann wrote the piece. To serve as a high level technical workout.

[klavieronin]

The piece that comes to my mind is the Schumann Toccata. I remember reading that Argerich used to warm up with this piece a lot and would use it as a way to tell if her technique was in optimal condition, or something like that.

Yeah, that’s a good one.

[klavieronin]

I want to open this topic up a little. Instead of single works, what about collections of pieces that make a good all-round workout. I'll set some criterion; First, you can't cherry pick pieces from different works or composers. It must be a complete collection of pieces from a single album by a single composer. Second, it must be playable within 15-20 minutes, so WTC etc. are out. Lastly, it should be something worth playing in a concert or recital, or at least, something you would enjoy listening to.

Any suggestions?

[transitional]

Schumann's op. 3 paganini studies invoke the Liszt paganini etudes, but they're much shorter (~16 minutes), aren't as horrendously difficult technically (but still quite a challenge) and burn the fingers to action. They're also less frequently played. Never played any but they're something to keep in mind.

At my level, k 545 still works fine as a warmup 

[pianistavt]

Great topic. 
The WTC has become famous as a warm-up package - various stories about great pianists playing through book 1 or 2 before breakfast.  I'd be proud to play through 3-4 of them every day but I'm not working on those right now.
Another well known warm-up set are the Chopin Etudes, as a few have already mentioned.  Personally, I don't care to go through Chopin's cathartic minor-key emotions first thing in the morning (as found in 10/4, 10/12, 12/11, 12/12, to name a few), but his major key ones work...
I typically warm-up with Czerny etudes from Op 299 and 740, and mix in some by Moskowski and/or Chopin.

[pianistavt]

The piece that comes to my mind is the Schumann Toccata. I remember reading that Argerich used to warm up with this piece a lot and would use it as a way to tell if her technique was in optimal condition, or something like that.

Another option, a bit more accessible, is the Czerny Toccata.  In fact, it appears Schumann's was modeled/inspired after Czerny's...

[lelle]

Great topic. 
The WTC has become famous as a warm-up package - various stories about great pianists playing through book 1 or 2 before breakfast.  I'd be proud to play through 3-4 of them every day but I'm not working on those right now.
Another well known warm-up set are the Chopin Etudes, as a few have already mentioned.  Personally, I don't care to go through Chopin's cathartic minor-key emotions first thing in the morning (as found in 10/4, 10/12, 12/11, 12/12, to name a few), but his major key ones work...
I warm-up with a bunch of Czerny etudes from Op 299 and 740, etc
I also mix in some Moskowski etudes from Op 72

I think the WTC is a great all-round work for developing many fundamental things. But maybe it's a bit too long to fulfill the purpose OP asked about. I think a play-through is maybe 1,5 hours?

[pianistavt]

I think the WTC is a great all-round work for developing many fundamental things. But maybe it's a bit too long to fulfill the purpose OP asked about. I think a play-through is maybe 1,5 hours?

Maybe he or whoever doesn't need to play the whole thing?

[klavieronin]

Yeah, WTC is certainly a good work-out but I was looking for a complete work or complete collection of works that could be played in 15-20 mins. I specified this because I thought it would make it more interesting. Obviously it's easier to get a all round workout with longer works like WTC.

[pianistavt]

Yeah, WTC is certainly a good work-out but I was looking for a complete work or complete collection of works that could be played in 15-20 mins. I specified this because I thought it would make it more interesting. Obviously it's easier to get a all round workout with longer works like WTC.

Yes, make sense.
So what are your thoughts about the all the suggestions so far?

[klavieronin]

Yes, make sense.
So what are your thoughts about the all the suggestions so far?

The Schumann's op. 3 paganini studies suggested by transitional fit the bill but I've never been that keen on Paganini's music, even the Liszt versions don't excite me that much.

The Schumann and Czerny toccatas are also definitely good workouts, though their focus seems to be largely double notes. I'd would be nice to get a suggestion with a bit more variety.

One possibility I've just now thought of is Karol Szymanowski's 12 Etudes Op.33. Nice challenge, lots of variety, can be played in about 15 mins.

[pianistavt]

One possibility I've just now thought of is Karol Szymanowski's 12 Etudes Op.33. Nice challenge, lots of variety, can be played in about 15 mins.

I  wasn't aware of these etudes, thanks for mentioning them - interesting pieces!  Little musical gems.  Let us know how it goes in learning/mastering them...

[dizzyfingers]

I'm surprised there weren't more responses to this interesting question.

You can define it narrowly or broadly (a single piece or a set from the Chopin etudes or Bach's WTC) but what's most interesting is how pianists actually DO warm up, as opposed to ideas about warm ups.

TBH, I don't have a warm up routine.  Sometimes I'll read new music first, sometimes I'll dive into whatever I'm working on, sometimes I'll run through a bunch of etudes I've been working on over the past year (multiple composers).

More importantly, especially as you get older, is that you do some stretching and limbering up away from the piano before you start...