Ruth Kenney

The Neccessary Hanon for Better Piano Technique If you want to be a tennis pro or a football star, you could not expect to improve your game performance if you did not spend time in the gym lifting weights and running. In order to play well, you have to have a base to build from. A lot of time and sweat is hiding behind the buff, sculpted athlete who steps on to the field on game day. The same applies to piano. A performer does not sit down on stage and perform a magnificent pieeace without hours of practice and training beforehand. Technique, finger power, and form all have to be broken down and refined to come together to create the good pianist. It’s not the glamorous or exciting part of playing piano, but it’s a necessary one to create the best possible pianist in you. Hanon will help improve your speed, note definition, and overall technique in its collection of sixty exercises for you to warm up with when you sit down to practice. Simply spend a few minutes out of your practice time and reap the benefits. There are different ways you can practice Hanon. Take these Hanon variations and apply them the next time you play. Just as written This is a given. Simply play what is on the page. Dotted sixteenths Long-short, long-short/short-long, short-long. Practicing with a different rhythm (while still keeping a steady beat) helps with “uneven” rhythms you will come across in other songs. Staccato Play every note staccato, being sure to keep your wrists loose. This helps you learn to keep yourself relaxed and yet still play strongly. Vary speed Play fast going up and rietard coming down. Or vice versa. Vary dynamics Crescendo up, diminuendo down. Finger preps Practicing finger preps is like doing finger push-ups. It promotes finger strength for better overall technique. Finger preps are perreformed by lifting a finger at a slight angle and slapping the pad of the finger down on the key. You may feel a little silly at first, but it’s guaranteed to improve your playing. Even Turn your metronome on and practice keeping a very strict beat. Whichever way you choose to practice Hanon, be sure to make each note clean and separate—don’t slur the notes together. You need to distinctly hear each note, whether you are playing quickly or slowly, loudly or softly. By practicing this way, you are setting up an invaluable habit to carry over into your actual piano pieces. It creates strength in your figuresfingers and an articulation that allows people to enjoy every note you play. Keep your body relaxed and comfortable while you play Hanon. The tendency is to tense up, especially in your shoulders and wrists. If you notice your muscles starting to tighten, immediately stop, take a deep breath, shake your muscles out, and begin again. Being aware of how your body is during these warm-up exercises will help you learn to relax in any piano setting you find yourself in. Lean your wrists into the angle the notes are moving. If the scale is going up the keyboard, move your wrist in that direction instead of staying stiffly in line with your hand. This helps you to anticipate each note, and you don’t have to seem to drag your body along with your fingers as you move up (or down). Watch your fingering while playing Hanon. It will already be written in for you and is there for a purpose. The fingering is the most efficient and proper way to play. Don’t ignore it.