What are your opinions on Hanon?

[MikeT156]

I usually go through each exercise 4 or 5 times without stopping and move onto the next. I only play as fast as I can play while maintaining even playing and sounding each note for the same duration and at the same time. I usually end up slowing down because I'm not quite up to snuff.

 

 

Mike T.

[Michelle ggurl]

Do you guys play the series of three or so exercises four times through without stopping, as instructed?

 

No. I just play a few selections randomly selected (well not really randomly, I kinda know what all of they are and what each one works on), once, maybe twice thru, then stop, then pick another. That is, WHEN I do Hanon ...

[MikeT156]

Michelle:

 

 

That's cheating.

 

 

Mike T.

[GovernorSilver]

Do you guys play the series of three or so exercises four times through without stopping, as instructed?

 

I'm still using the 2 (out of 3 total) presented in the Alfred's book, which never mentioned the repeat-3/4-times without stopping instruction.

 

So I'll say "no".

 

Tried doing one of them in the key of A. While it was an interesting change of pace, I wonder if it's just getting away from the main point of the exercise, which was to get the dynamics of notes played with the 3rd and 4th fingers in line with the other fingers - so anything done outside the key of C is just extra work for the sake of extra work.

[kanker.]

Tried doing one of them in the key of A. While it was an interesting change of pace, I wonder if it's just getting away from the main point of the exercise, which was to get the dynamics of notes played with the 3rd and 4th fingers in line with the other fingers - so anything done outside the key of C is just extra work for the sake of extra work.

There are going to be control issues playing from a white note with one finger and a black note with the other, and vice versa and all that sort of stuff.

[Bobadohshe]

There are going to be control issues playing from a white note with one finger and a black note with the other, and vice versa and all that sort of stuff.

 

Which is exactly why you do them.

[Michelle ggurl]

Michelle:

 

 

That's cheating.

 

 

Mike T.

 

Mike,I do the best I can with the time I have, LOL.

[GovernorSilver]

Tried doing one of them in the key of A. While it was an interesting change of pace, I wonder if it's just getting away from the main point of the exercise, which was to get the dynamics of notes played with the 3rd and 4th fingers in line with the other fingers - so anything done outside the key of C is just extra work for the sake of extra work.

There are going to be control issues playing from a white note with one finger and a black note with the other, and vice versa and all that sort of stuff.

 

I stand corrected, and gladly so.

[kanker.]

Tried doing one of them in the key of A. While it was an interesting change of pace, I wonder if it's just getting away from the main point of the exercise, which was to get the dynamics of notes played with the 3rd and 4th fingers in line with the other fingers - so anything done outside the key of C is just extra work for the sake of extra work.

There are going to be control issues playing from a white note with one finger and a black note with the other, and vice versa and all that sort of stuff.

 

I stand corrected, and gladly so.

I should add that I don't know exactly which exercises you're running, and that can make a difference regarding how effective they may seem for addressing different fingers in different keys. Also, different hands will encounter different difficulties, although 3 and 4, and 4 and 5, tend to be issues for most folks as they begin to work on technique.

[allan_evett]

Do you guys play the series of three or so exercises four times through without stopping, as instructed?

 

No. I just play a few selections randomly selected (well not really randomly, I kinda know what all of they are and what each one works on), once, maybe twice thru, then stop, then pick another. That is, WHEN I do Hanon ...

 

Funny, I've been taking almost the exact same approach to Hanon over the past year or so. Instead of getting creative and trying the exercises in different keys, I'm just practicing 'creative selectivity'. Though the masochist in me is tempted to try the first five in A, today....

 

[GovernorSilver]

I should add that I don't know exactly which exercises you're running, and that can make a difference regarding how effective they may seem for addressing different fingers in different keys. Also, different hands will encounter different difficulties, although 3 and 4, and 4 and 5, tend to be issues for most folks as they begin to work on technique.

 

I forgot what number or other designation was used by the Alfreds book for the first of the 3 Hanon exercises in the book, but the ascending pattern in the key of C is:

 

CEFGAGFE DFGABAGF EGABCBAG... etc.

 

I took on key of A because I'm learning a fiddle tune (on viola, not keys) in the key of A major and been practicing the Graham Clark Scale Method in A major. GC's method is doable on viola too, but I'm having a much easier time getting the drilling the sounds of the intervals and chords (part of his method) on keys instead of viola.

[Moonglow]

I religiously run through the first few Hannon exercises before every gig or rehearsal. For my purpose (warming up the fingers) it works marvelously well.