Product Description

This collection of exercises has been a "Must Have" for many years. Designed to build independence and dexterity.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4252 in Books
• Published on: 1986-11-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 116 pages

Customer Reviews

Done a 180 on this book
I used this book in grade school when I took piano lessons and HATED it with a passion. Some decades later, I'm picking up the piano again, and my weak fingers made me think about these exercises. I acquired the book, and have been working through the exercises again, and over just the space of 6 weeks have noticed dramatic improvement. It's taken a while because I don't practice every day, or for the same length of time. Just for giggles I've tried playing the first exercise a couple times at the fast end of the recommended metronome speed (60-108). At first I just couldn't do it. Now I can get through about half of it at top speed, and I can play the first two exercises with quality at 80. I find that by practicing the exercises first without the metronome, then with at the low end, then slowly increasing the speed, that I get a real sense of accomplishment and progress in smaller doses, which is very satisfying and motivating to work on the longer term goals of learning whole pieces of music.

Excellent Book
This book is great and is in great shape. Perfect for strengthening and training fingers.

Useless finger exercises
This book is written by Charles Louis Hanon, who lived through 19th century. Pianoforte was invented little before the beginning of 19th century. Piano has not developed much since 1880's. Charles Louis Hanon, who was born in 1819 and died in 1990, was at the time when piano's pedagogy was not developed well. Hanon was only thinking about using fingers to play the instrument, which was applyed in playing clavichord. However, for playing pianoforte, which has large range between piano and forte, the whole body must be used, not just fingers. If one plays the piano with trained fingers through Hanon's exercises, then he may feel good about his strong fingers. However, the shortage of playing just with strengthened fingers is that it will produce not a good quality of sound. Furthermore, using just fingers to play the instrument can cause serious injuries and tension. Some people recommend Hanon's Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises. But I wouldn't recommend this book for above reasons. You may like using this book for a short period of time. But after the short period of time, you will get bored and some of you will give up practicing this book. I strongly suggest that this book is not useful in practicing pianoforte playing.