Exercises for developing technique

[NetherMagic]

Hey I just wanna get a list of like exercises for developing pure technique, no musicality.  Like to increase finger dexterity, accuracy, etc.  So far I can only think of these:

Hanon
Czerny

can anyone plz add to this list?  And please specify what kind of technique is focused.  Also please look for any exercises training octaves, i'm kinda lookin for one, cuz i can't play octaves really fast  

thank you

[Irock1ce]

Brahms 51 exercises.

[Irock1ce]

ohh ohh i kno what'll help octaves... try playing chopin's revolutionary etude in octaves.... once u master that. ull have octaves down with no problems!  

[la_carrenio2003]

Definitely Brahms's.

[NetherMagic]

aah Brahms, gonna check that out very soon  

[la_carrenio2003]

You won't regret, NetherMagic, those exercises cover a wide range of difficulties, are good not only for the fingers but for the brain-finger connection and they're also very musical. For octaves, don't be shy: start learning Chopin's op. 25 no. 10, it might not be ready soon, but its beauty will help to achieve the technical skill. There is a Moszkowsky etude for octaves but right now I don't remember the number and the opus, I think he has only one book of etudes. And talking about the brain-finger connection Safonov -the piano teacher of Scriabin and Rachmaninoff- has one of the most clever collection of exercises,after Brahms's,of course  .

[Irock1ce]

Brahms > Czerny, Hanon.. not too sure about Czerny but  Brahms >>>>>>>>>>> Hanon definitely

[NetherMagic]

aaah okay la carrenio thx for your suggestions, i'm the type of person that can do fingerwork really nicely but suck horribly at anything that requires octaves or bigger, since i have very small hands for my age, which is a month from 15 (I can reach compound 2nd, but when I'm actually playing I can only reach octaves)
i'm dying in chopin's ballad no.1 right now in that part where all those octaves are, if you know wut i'm talkin about, like you havta play ascending scale in octaves for RH while LH does jumps around the bass, just madness for my hands  

[la_carrenio2003]

If your hands are small watch out: maintain the wrist as low as possible -this makes your hand's extension wider- . In fast passages of octaves like in your ballade you have to keep your wrist a little lower of the keyboard level and  use the impulse of the 5th finger and help the hand with a lateral movement of the elbow in the passage's direction. -The left hand you have to solve separately:is another difficulty. Read the forum about "Accuracy in jumps", there are interesting suggestions there-. Maybe would be interesting for you to buy the Heinrich Neuhaus's book "The art of playing the piano" -for me, is like the Bible for pianists. Neuhaus,as I already wrote in another forum, was the teacher of Richter and Gilels and the father of modern russian piano school. And his hands were small either, these advices about the wrist I took from his book. But it isn't a book only about technic: he was a great artist, so it will be really nice for you to read it.

Hope didn't overwhelm you...

[la_carrenio2003]

And hey, Chopin's 1st ballade for a 15 years old is quite good... congratulations and good luck.

[BuyBuy]

For octaves, I started on Czerny school of octaves, and once completed, I did the famous Kullak octave studies.

It worked well for me, and it's an excellent preparation for ocatves in the most difficult pieces and studies.

[NetherMagic]

haha *blush* carrenio thx for the compliment, i dun often get these unless i'm playing in front of my friends at skool (whom are total music newbies btw)

newayz BuyBuy I'm gonna go check for those kullak stuff as well but seems like they're out at tom lee, wutever thx for all your suggestions doods!  

[Irock1ce]

theres also a good variation in one of Mozart's pieces.. i forgot the piece... but its like something Mr. duport or somethin..... but one of those variations are pure octaves and its very good..... if you can find it... its really helpful.. it was to me at least..

[bernhard]

For octaves you could try G. Eggeling: 18 Melodic studies in octaves (Op. 90 nos. 1 – 18). It is ridiculously easy (and a bit silly). On the other hand, sometimes the way to work on an octave problem is not to jump to the most difficult octave exercise in the literature, but start at the beginners level. It means that you will get over it very fast and move on to better things.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[guven]

Try Liszt 'Technical Studies' ..

(Editio Musica Budapest No. 12266 (Vol.1) , 12267 (Vol.2), 12268 (Vol.3) )

[The Tempest]

For the relative beginner, go with Hanon, Czerny and the earlier Clementi exercises.

For the intermediate - advanced, go with Brahms, Chopin, Liszt and Debussy.

[Clare]

A little book called Tone Touch and Technique by Max Cooke changed my life. There's one for advanced pianists too.
It's Australian, though, so it might be hard to find everywhere else.

[GPierce]

Diminished Excercise

5 minor 3rds per hand moving up the cromatic scale. Thumbs held down, fingers alternating between 2-4 and 3-5rh and 2-4 and 5-3lh. It is a highly demanding excercise, but builds the strenth of the hand enormously.

[steinwaymodeld]

No one mentioned Bach Preludes and Fugues?

it's so good for your fingering, if you are more than a beginner,try that, you will be 100 times faster learner then using old Hanon and Cznery Beyer stuff.

As told by Chopin, without Bach, there is no tehcnique, there is no music.

[GPierce]

I have to agree. Bach preludes a fugues are completely essential in honing your technique, touch and accuracy. I think they are way more effective than any czerny or hanon excercises and the best part is you end with a product you can perform!

[eddie92099]

I have to agree. Bach preludes a fugues are completely essential in honing your technique, touch and accuracy.

Nothing is completely essential,
Ed