Necessary
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.
onto
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
piece
perform a magnificent peace 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
Hanon; take
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.
Bold
● 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
extra indent
ritardando
Play fast going up and retard coming down. Or vice versa.
● Vary dynamics
Crescendo up, diminuendo down.
● Finger preps
push-ups
Practicing finger preps is like doing finger pushups. It promotes finger
performed
strength for better overall technique. Finger preps are preformed 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
fingers
actual piano pieces. It creates strength in your figures 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.
extra space
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
choose ‘have to’
OR ‘seem 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.