Hanon and independence

[Magpel]

Diversion, diversion. Waking up with a curious and anaesthetized feeling that yesterday simply couldn't have happened.

 

Anyway, as I've mentioned in previous posts, I've been pursuing a program of (re)building myself as a keyboardist (I'm a guitarist). I'm trying to do it right, rather than hunting and pecking my way through as I've always done, and one component of my current regimen is the Hanon exercises. They are certainly good exercises for finger strength, eveneness, left and right hand equality, but the text in the book (circa 1900) claims that independence is a another technical virtue that will result from doing the exercises, and I just don't get it. Granted I'm not a yet a third through the book, but I can't imagine how this is developing independence apart from teaching me how to play the same locked-in pattern with different fingerings for each hand. When I think of independence, I think of true liberty of the hands, kinda of a brain thing more than a finger thing. More precisely a brain-finger thing. So: was Hanon full of it on this count? and B) recommendations for developing independence? BTW, I'm enjoying my practice immensely, working on my fingers, re-teaching myself harmony, working on a couple of classical pieces. Just loving it. Cross my fingers that the daily discipline survives.

 

John

[Pat Azzarello]

I never thought of Hanon as anything other than strengthening (though you can do a lot to make them less boring using accents, etc.).

 

My first inclination is to point you at Bach's inventions and fugues. Two and Three part inventions, hand-by-hand, are usually not technically difficult, but putting them together will definitely give you a run for your money and promote independence. From there you can move up to the Well Tempered Clavier, etc.

 

If you want to jump start things a bit, try playing ostinatos in the left hand and working on melodies/improv in the right, then reverse it. Keith Emerson (Jarrett too) use this a lot, and when I was 17 I was really able to build my left hand AND get some independence by playing "Take a Pebble" and other ELP "standards".

 

If you're especially twisted you can invert your keyboard voltages like Joe Zawinul and then your world is turned upside down http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif Now THAT'S hand (and brain) independence...

[marino]

Really excellent advice, Pat. I would add just one thing: Learning to play different rhythms with the two hands. This can be practiced with very simple note patterns (you want to practice the rhythm, not the melody, at this stage). Start with 2 against 3 (then, of course reverse the rhythm for each hand). Later, try 4 against 3. 5 against 2, 3 or 4 are increasingly difficult.

[Bucktunes]

Originally posted by PatAzz:

If you're especially twisted you can invert your keyboard voltages like Joe Zawinul and then your world is turned upside down http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif Now THAT'S hand (and brain) independence...

 

Believe it or not, this is more logical than it seems. Take into consideration the fact that your hands are mirror images of each other. Theoretically it should be no more difficult for your left hand to play a reversed keyboard than for your right hand to play a regular one. Fingerings would be identical if you also transposed so that an E would become a C. A 76 note board would become an A to C keyboard.

 

Realistically of course, it would be very difficult to re-train your left hand if you've been playing for a while. Even Zawinul admits that. But for a beginner it would be relatively easy.

 

BTW, I agree that Hanon exercises build strength and unison skill, but do little to help hand independence.

 

Peace all,

Steve

[Canadian]

I've found latin music to do wonders for my hand independence whereby I tap a clav with my foot, some bass line with the left hand, and a montuno with the right hand. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

[joegerardi]

The Bach 2-part inventions will do wonders for hand independence.