I of course welcome any comments and criticisms in response to this gargantuan post. I hope that these thoughts can add to the body of knowledge that has already been amassed here at the Piano Forum.
it seems to me anything you practice at the piano must help you (unless done in a painful or ridiculously contorted way of course)
But only if you are ACTIVELY AND INTENSELY FOCUSSING on what you're doing. Mindless repetitions won't do you any good, and in fact are actually detrimental. We have a brain, so we need to use it.
This is in fact what I. Phillip suggests in the opening to his ridiculous Finger Independence book. He says that it is left up to the student to do the transpositions so that the brain is actively engaged all throughout the process. However, that's misapplied logic as well.We know scientifically that our brains are not capable of multitasking very well. That is, if the quality of our work when we do one thing is 100%, the quality of our work when we do two things will be significantly less than 50% each. The problem, then, is that the brain has to work on two fronts in the Phillip exercise:1) Simply hitting the notes in all the transpositions2) Keeping the fingers relaxed and working for "independence" (whatever that is).I guarantee you that your brain will dedicate itself to #1 first. There is both auditory and tactile negative reinforcement when you fail at number 1 and so your brain will not leave it until it's solved. And then, by the time your brain has absorbed all the different transpositions of the exercise, it has become as mundane as Hanon once again. You'll turn off your conscious brain and really get nothing from the exercise.Putting down all the fingers and lifting one at a time is good for two things, as far as I know. The first is making sure that your brain has sufficient neural pathways to each finger to engage it. (I know I'm not being very technical.) The second is to make sure your wrist is relaxed. These two goals take thirty seconds maybe to accomplish. Any more than that and you risk injuring yourself.
This of course aids in general playing of music, but it will not aid in tackling combinations of unique notes that you will find in a given peice. [...]Repetition is very important but it should be with a point.
What do you mean by "general"? The way I see it, all pieces are "given pieces". When I go to perform on a recital, I'm not playing general music. I'm playing a specific piece that has specific technical difficulties.....The only repetition, therefore, that is going to do any good is repetition of figures taken directly from repertoire. Repetition must have a musical context or it either becomes mindless or meaningless or both.
Well, I simply do not believe a properly approached and executed Hanon study is a waste,
In the meantime, may I suggest that Hanon serves well for some, in particular those that saw at the onset that "all keys" is a wasted effort...It would mean nothing for the purpose of Hanon, which is aimed at a few specifics, the most important being the more EQUAL ability of all dexter application...John Cont
Rachmaninov practised Hanon too, so there must be something going for them.
Another expert it would seem........,We find it to be "anatomically impossible"....You have a reasonable source for the statement? I demand it...It is not as if such has not been stated before; and denied...May we assume you have a degree in orthopedics? I simply do not know except from my own experience, and to that I give much credence....it has worked for me..As to the other statements, I need only your antecedents to help me accept them, but you either give none, or I missed them, in which case please refer me to the proper source again...I simply do not know which leg I should start my pants on...
Another expert it would seem........,
We find it to be "anatomically impossible"....You have a reasonable source for the statement? I demand it...It is not as if such has not been stated before; and denied...May we assume you have a degree in orthopedics? I simply do not know except from my own experience, and to that I give much credence....it has worked for me..
As to the other statements, I need only your antecedents to help me accept them, but you either give none, or I missed them, in which case please refer me to the proper source again...I simply do not know which leg I should start my pants on...
I am not without an understanding of some of the devotees of different ideas ..and members here as well...It is so at all forums, and many change their source and server, even having a friend run material to prevent tracing...I assume such is not the case with Xvimbi..or any other respondant PERIOD..., but we all seem to want to keep our secrets, so we should include our documentation from other sources in our statements...if we want to make the best and most positive impression.Abain, I am a sometimes observer and only recently a member, so I havn't a handle on previous material; it is too voluminous to cover it all...If I have missed something so be it....
For, in fact the cross tendons do make playing a keyboard a difficult task for a human. However, I am speaking in relative terms, as in fact a grip meter shows that the separate fingers can be trained for great strength by exercise, as used by the growing sport of rock climbing. It has been shown that the forth and fifth fingers are capable of a greater strength level than previously thought. (We will get to dexterity).
We are left with equal facility, or execution, and that goal is within reach at least in a relative way, and a lot of users of Hanon suggest it to be an approachable goal for many..To require an absolute definition of "equal" in terms of human anatomy is of course not reasonable..It seems to me to be understood.
Surely we are aware that the design of the hand, a marvelous combination of suspension and cantilever devices, leaves us in a bit of a problem for using a keyboard...in particular the base of the extensors for the second, third and forth fingers, which are dependant upon one another...hence a real problem for true "equality"... (It might also be pointed out that the word dexterity, from dextris, is not used, and would refer to the right hand if it was, sinistris being the Latin base word for the left hand...Hanon intended the hands to be equal..)
My contention is that your straight statement of impossibility is overstated in line with the intent of the material prepared in the exercises...Human results in anatomy are not that easily captured; nor should they be...and we surely are all certain that Hanon never meant any true exactness as we might measure with scientific equipment.
As a result I still believe it becomes a matter of personal desire and pref. regarding the use of Hanon, or for that matter, any other special skill development tool...For this reason I drop the subject, as it is of course obvious you dislike Hanon...Probably very much...However it is still widely used, and with good results, so some realize success with it...
If I may be heard,Don't discard your Hanon and Czerny too quickly; you may well be sorry later...John Cont
For a certainty, I will not delve into the murkiness of Hanon on this forum again. It accomplishes little of use...
Interesting subject, ("What every pianist needs to know...etc"),But in my own hunting, the text doesn't make ANY points about any particular methodology accept as it regards the overall re-training for natural technique, from the reviews I have found. The implications of T. Mark, the author, seem to be that it is IMPROPER use of the hand and wrist for ANY playing, that causes most injury...(as well as seat height, forearm position, and wrist alignment...)I am looking for more info. and approval before I lay down the requisite purchase price...Does anyone have more info?Best, John
Even though it's only been a short time, I think I notice a big difference in one of my pieces: Beethoven Sonata no. 14 no. 1 in E Major, Ist Mvt., m.s 39 to 44. When I started this piece about two months ago, the right hand of these measures was difficult to play cleanly because it has a turn G# F# E#F#, with RH fingers 4 3 2 3, which must be played with the upper part of the RH while the lower part of the RH is playing something else. After one week of Pischna, I seem to be able to play these measures and this turn with much more clarity and control. I think it may be psychological: but it is undeniable that Pischna makes one get one's fingers into tight little squeezes and work out the kinks. My point is, I think there IS a place (not a huge one) for some mechanical technique exercises. Thins like Hanon and Pischna may be something it is good to have gone through once in one's pianistic life, and then you won't have to do it again. tell...
So this is just something else I'm trying, primarily because my teacher recommended it, and if I'm going to keep paying her, I should at least try what she recommends, don't you agree?