Hannon Hannon Hannon !!!!

[Keyman]

OK! Enough for the gear/name bashing ! Let's discuss some fresh topic. How about the Hannon dicussion ? http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

I think a lot of people here did go through the Exercise from Hell - The infamous Hannon's 60 excercises for virtual pianist- Yup ! the classical one ! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif According from the book and my teacher, in order to become a true virtual pianist, you have to go through these 60 exercises in 120 bpm daily within 90 min time limit !- No But's, no Er's, no Exception's ! Ouch!

 

I've grown up with classical background and transformed into a techofreak afterward. Although I don't do Hannon anymore(getting married; raising some kids), that terrible feeling is still haunting me when I think of it. Yes, that terrible feeling of the fatigue transmitted from my knuckles to my nerve when I was running the excercise at my full speed in lession 55! Oh man, when it was finally over, all my fingers were numb to a degree that if someone chopped my fingers off, I wouln't even feel a thing!

 

I would like anyone out there can share your opinion/feeling of Hannon exercise in your training days here ! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif please !

[MacPhearson]

I think 90 minutes a day is a bit extreme, but there is much to gain from doing daily exercises......any exercises, Bach Inventions, etc. I would suggest finding some group of exercises that do not make for "burn out." Find something that will give you a feeling of pleasure and relaxation. The tricky thing is having the discipline to stick with it on a routine basis. Doing exercises daily is not nearly as hard to maintain as opposed to doing them once a week or so. I personally find that the more days I put between doing exercises, the easier it is to get completely out of the habit of doing them at all.

[stratman_dup1]

Originally posted by MacPhearson:

I think 90 minutes a day is a bit extreme, but there is much to gain from doing daily exercises......any exercises, Bach Inventions, etc. I would suggest finding some group of exercises that do not make for "burn out." Find something that will give you a feeling of pleasure and relaxation. The tricky thing is having the discipline to stick with it on a routine basis. Doing exercises daily is not nearly as hard to maintain as opposed to doing them once a week or so. I personally find that the more days I put between doing exercises, the easier it is to get completely out of the habit of doing them at all.

 

I fully agree with you. I was recently out of action for app a month due to a back injury, I COULDN'T practice. Now I've had a hell of a time getting back into it when I was practicing 2-3 hours a day, guitar and piano total, easily.

 

 

This message has been edited by Stratman on 02-15-2001 at 02:28 AM

[joegerardi]

I guess I was lucky(?): I sarted out on the MacFarran Scale and Arpeggio Manual instead.

[Graham English]

Don't know about 90 minutes. I think quality of practicing is much more important that quantity. If you're mind is in the right place, you can accomplish a lot in very little time. Not that I'm against practicing- I don't want to stop playing my instrument.

I've been using a wonderful exercise book by Clair Fisher. He created these exercises after being frustrated with the Hannon exercises. It's some very creative and harmonically interesting stuff. Not sure where I found it, but an internet search will probably do the trick.

[Keyman]

Originally posted by transrational:

Don't know about 90 minutes. I think quality of practicing is much more important that quantity.

 

I fully agree all you guys opinion ! But that Hannon classic was originally created at aournd 100 years ago. The method was kind a classic(olddie). The music of that era was mainly classical/opera type which could be up to 1~2 hours a piece. I think the purpose of the Hannon was also train your durability so your finger won't fail on you after running a 32th note 40 bars apperggio in a symphony play.

 

The modern song is much shorter. The longest one is around at 10 ~ 20 min. So the modern exercise is much better fit to today's music than the Hannon--- in my opinion. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

I have heard Hannon have come out the mothod book for Jazz Pianist that I've yet seen it. Does anybody use it ? Please post it .. I want to know your opinion... http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

This message has been edited by Keyman on 02-15-2001 at 02:20 PM

[Graham English]

I've got the jazz Hannon but I don't find it to be very useful. I've got plenty of jazz exercises from miscelaneous sources that kick it's ass and many jazz piano books that give you more of a workout and an education. But it does try to take you through many of the jazz idioms. If you see it at your local music store, a simple look through will tell you all you need to know.