Question by Dave U: Query for piano players/teachers about technique?
I give encouragement and advice to a 13 year old intermediate level piano student who is keen to develop her technique and has asked my opinion of “Hanon – The Virtuoso Pianist”. Her teacher says he does not believe in books like this as “the only thing Hanon teaches you is how to play Hanon” and that there is a real risk of bringing on RSI, or muscle strain if overused. The best way to develop technique is simply to learn pieces of increasing difficulty and tackle problems as they arise.
Another teacher (and concert pianist), who I know personally, insists on her students rigorously working through Hanon and another book “Beringer – Daily Technical Studies For Piano” to a point which, I feel, may be excessive.
I’d be interested to know the thoughts of others more experienced than myself as to the merits, or otherwise, of these type of exercises. Is there some happy middle ground here, or are these books just a dull waste of time?
Best answer:
Answer by Peter
“The only thing Hanon teaches you is how to play Hanon” is a fairly short-sighted view of technique books. I assign Hanon to my younger students whose hands are not yet developed enough to work on finger independence exercises. There is a lot to be gained from Hanon, particularly the more advanced studies in parts II and III.
Anything can lead to repetitive stress injuries if done improperly, no matter what the piece. The thing about Hanon is that you can’t just tell your student to simply do it, but you must show them the proper way of practicing as far as the body is concerned. They have to be shown how to play without tension and by using arm weight as opposed to finger height in order to avoid injuries, and something simplistic musically like Hanon is the perfect thing to work on that. Scales work well for this too, and as you may know, they’re included in Hanon! If your brain isn’t too preoccupied thinking about what note comes next, you can work on body issues instead, which Hanon provides the perfect opportunity for.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!