Is working through the cortot book neccessary to have prolific technique?

[fairy211]

Hello,

I am studying cortot at the moment an hour a day but cannot help and start to wonder if the techniques are really necessary to develop great technique.
Does it not suffice to practice pieces that have the exact same techniques in them?

[klavieronin]

My opinion, and I believe it is a fairly widely held opinion, is that it is not necessary to practice technical exercises. That's not to say that there isn't value in studying them, but the truth is that you can, and should, turn difficult passages in the pieces you are playing into exercises of your own. I've always found this a much more enjoyable and effective method of building technique. In the end, though, it matters less what you practice and more how you practice.

[lelle]

Cortot's book is written with the purpose of training international standard virtuoso technique with the goal of students being able to play in big concert halls in front of thousands of people with complete technical mastery.

It also assumes that you have a knowledgeable teacher to guide you through the book. He had assistants teaching the exercises to his pupils at his music school.

The instructions are very sparse since he assumed that you or someone guiding you already knows what to do (this is confirmed by one of his students). It's easy to misunderstand the exercises and make your technique worse or even injure yourself, which makes this book quite dangerous.

You don't need that level of skill to play a lot of repertoire well enough to enjoy yourself at home, or for smaller audiences in lower pressure concerts. I'd also be very careful if you decide to go ahead and keep using this book.

[fairy211]

Thanks that’s very helpful. I did not see much value in many of the exercises and only play those that seem worth it.

So I should work with a teacher who knows the exercises right?