Hanon/Czerny

I'm just delving into Hanon and Czerny at the moment. I can't quite figure out where they should be in my order of priorities.

Should I be practising scales as my number 1 priority, then improving my sight reading ability, then learning how to play tunes and then trying some Hanon and Czerny?

Or would H & C be a better starting point, giving me the finger dexterity and knowledge of the keyboard I need so I can master the other areas more easily?

Your thoughts on this would be most welcome.

For me, my highest (and really only) priority at the moment is learning new music. I have done technical exercises in the past but was bored to tears. (much of which, by the way, I've already forgotten. So it seems to me that if I don't use it, I lose it)

I've found that a lot of technical practice has come out of learning and playing these different songs, so it's still happening, but in a much more enjoyable fashion and with a much faster gratification. (we are learning how to play piano, right? )

Now, that's not to say that there isn't room for technical exercise, but I'm still a beginner and there is still plenty of time for that (later perhaps, when it's needed). In the meantime, I'm making music and happen to enjoy it immensely.

Just my own opinion.

That looks like a pretty good opinion to me. Thanks.



PS. What's that piano/keyboard you're playing in the YouTube clips? It looks pretty tasty.

It's a Roland Fantom G8.

http://www.roland.com/products/en/Fantom-G8/

I like it. I got it used on Ebay.

Nice one.



PS. I've just see how much the Roland Fantom G8 costs. Gulp. Maybe I'll wait till Christmas and Santa will bring one in his sack...

I know many people don't think of Czerny as anything more than a composer of piano studies but in fact, he was a very prolific composer (some say the most prolific).

I have a charming little book of 6 of his Sonatinas which are completely delightful to play and perfectly manageable to sight read. I haven't memorized any of these yet, but they are delightful to read.

By contrast I find Hanon pure drudgery -- and not very rewarding. Just my opinion.

KeyboardGal wrote:I know many people don't think of Czerny as anything more than a composer of piano studies but in fact, he was a very prolific composer (some say the most prolific).

I have a charming little book of 6 of his Sonatinas which are completely delightful to play and perfectly manageable to sight read. I haven't memorized any of these yet, but they are delightful to read.

By contrast I find Hanon pure drudgery -- and not very rewarding. Just my opinion.

What are the piece numbers on those Sonatinas?

Hi Circle...
The Czerny Sonatinas are from a collected from Schott publishers -- titled Czerny, 6 leichte Sonatinen 6 Easy Sonatinas - 6 Sonatines faciles
the ISBN 3-7957-5474-7 -- this number can be useful in tracking down the publication.

Hi everyone.

I wouldn't recommend Czerny or Hanon to any beginner. To really use that material you need a good knowledge of the piano, else it's just... hmm... dumb work, not musical, and with a vague (i.e. not precisely targeted) purpose.
Hanon is, of course, even drier and more boring as Czerny.

To stay in Czerny's style, I recommend Clementi's Gradus ad Parnassum more (which was also Beethoven's opinion).

If you want effective, purely technical work, try Brahms' exercises... But be careful! Most of them are REALLY hard and you'll need to pick some of them up (they are not sorted in order of difficulty so don't be afraid to look at them all) in order to progress.

In the end, exercises should be selected precisely for each case, each pupil, because not all people have the same weaknesses... So... ask a (good) teacher to watch your playing first

I'm using a Czerny book, among some others, some selection for students. It's funny how I can play most of those etudes at half tempo only.. damn 16th notes at Allegretto
but I don't mind, they help me. They also sound pretty, well compared to Hanon for sure