# Hanon exercises, should I or shouldn't I?



## tonystanton

Hello there all you beautiful, intelligent purveyors of music. 
I'm progressing very well indeed on the piano practicing at least 2 hours a day scales, appegios and the pieces I'm learning, along with various other bits and pieces and messing about. 
But the other day I came across the Hanon exercises and thought wow these are incredible and I've been pouring over them since then.
However, I've heard talk that they're not actually all that good for you and could in fact be bad for you. Some people saying they can make an unmusical, mechanical player and can make unnoticed bad habits part of your playing. 
I'd love to hear other people's experience, good or bad, of these exercises. 
Have a fantastic afternoon everybody. 
Xx


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## Ravndal

Hanon is great. Play them musically, but precise.


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## aleazk

Those exercises were useful for me, especially under the supervision of a teacher.

"Some people saying they can make an unmusical, mechanical player."

That's nonsense. You will be "unmusical" if you don't have the correct training and talent. Hanon exercises will improve your technique, nothing more and nothing less. Technique and musicality are two _complementary_ things, i.e., you need one in order to achieve the other. This whole "dichotomy" about technique and musicality is completely false. If you want to be a good pianist, you will need both things.

"...and can make unnoticed bad habits part of your playing."

Maybe, because of the constant repetition. But that would be a problem if you are studying by yourself, a teacher will notice and correct those kind of things immediately.


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## hreichgott

I've always preferred Czerny plus a regimen of scales, chords and arpeggios. Czerny has many books of exercises at various levels. They are public domain so you can sort through them on imslp.org and choose one that's at a good level for you.

I wouldn't be too worried about becoming "mechanical" (sometimes "I don't want to be mechanical" is an excuse for not developing evenness, good technique and steady tempo, or for refusing to practice scales...) I prefer Czerny because he presents technical challenges in a way that's much closer to actual music, which is both more useful and more enjoyable than Hanon. The hand with the physical challenge typically has moments of strenuous work and then moments of rest, as is more common in music; in Hanon, it's just strenuous work from top to bottom, and then you repeat and repeat. And Czerny is still in an organized fashion that introduces new physical challenges in a reasonable order.

Example: Introductory trill exercise in Hanon (Book 1)








Introductory trill exercise in Czerny (Op. 139)








If you must do Hanon, you must for the sake of your health ignore Hanon's written instructions to lift the non-playing fingers as high as possible. This is an older style of technique which does directly cause repetitive stress injuries in many people. However, the same is true for occasional Czerny exercises. Both sets of exercises can be done with a more reasonable physical technique. Teachers SHOULD pay attention to all manner of physical issues/habits, but many good teachers are focused purely on musicality and note-learning and don't really get nitty-gritty about how someone uses their fingers, hands and arms aside from saying "Relax" every now and then.

That said, the scale and arpeggio fingering charts in Hanon book 2 are very useful.


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## Davzon

I've come to think hanon are good but I tend to mix up the rhythm and put a swing feel. and maybe use staccato. but going from on exe1 to exe2 and then exe3 without stopping is really good. I've even used Czerny too. but I think my only problem is that I think if i can play them it will make me a better piano player but it hasn't been the case. it just means I've gotten used to playing the Exercises.


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## Taggart

Davzon said:


> ... I think my only problem is that I think if i can play them it will make me a better piano player but it hasn't been the case. it just means I've gotten used to playing the Exercises.


If you can play the exercises, then your scales and arpeggios will speed up and that means that you will (eventually) be able to play better. Part of the idea of the exercises is the general technique - smooth hand movement up (and down) the piano in exercise 1, directional changes in exercise 2 which you can then apply in other places.


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## Davzon

I can play some of the exercises are you meant to play all of them one after the other, or just a few exercises together? if so that would be like a Olympic workout for piano players lol. One thing I don't know is which ones are better than others ? I mean after all there is alot of them, and too much time being spent on them will take away from time learning pieces. I'd love to know how Beethoven learned cause to me, he's the best in my opinion. even his symphony's where ahead of their time. Mind you wasn't Czerny a pupil of Beethovens?


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## Taggart

Yup start at the beginning and keep going (without the book) until you reach number 60 - about an hour later. Have a small glass of water and then start again.

Basic idea is that you master each one starting about a mark of 60. Get it up to about 108. Once you've fully mastered it move on to the next one and repeat. You will note in the Hanon on IMSLP that he suggests that once you've mastered 1 and 2 you play them through about four times, same again for 3,4 and 5 and so it goes on. 

Try it for a couple of weeks and the see if you can lol - more like rof screaming because your fingers hurt - no pain no gain.

That's why people warn about Hanon because you need a teacher to help you develop the techniques and to guard against injury.


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## Davzon

bloody hell!, I'd have fingers as strong as superman if I could ever do that. but it makes sense though really, cause your fingers are your tools. you have to get them really strong then, that's one less thing to worry about. I'm sure someone will created the superman piano workout at some point lol. I remember there being an Olympic for guitar players even came with a backing track too.


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## Novelette

I've worked through the Hanon exercises, and I've found them an incomplete exercise tool. They can be useful for strengthening and evening out the fingers, but I never found that they conferred any particular ease in performance of challenging pieces.

My practice routine is very much like the one Hreichgott described, with particular emphasis of Czerny's many, many excellent studies of dexterity and speed. But I also seek out challenging works to play; by working through a challenging piece, I quickly learn where I need improvement--and I already thereby have the materials I need for improvement right in front of me. It's a very rewarding practice regimen, if you're very diligent about figuring out the right fingering, _especially_ if you're going it alone.


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## Marisol

I think Hanon is great but not with a metronome.


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## Davzon

One thing that puzzles me, is that how did Mozart or Beethoven get as good as they did, when there wasn't no where near the amount of stuff there is today, Maybe that's the problem there is so much information that we don't know what to do, I mean when they was alive there was no such thing as Hanon at all, so it makes me wonder are they really that good ? cause if Beethoven never used them and lets be honest he was amazing. Not putting other pianists down, but today's Pianists just seem to copy someones work, When has there ever been a pianist so amazing and just blow everyone out of the water is original piano work? Cause if there is such a person please tell me there name so I can listen to them. I know I'm going on but I do have a point though don't I? If beethoven never used them maybe they aint the be and end of all.


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## Taggart

If you don't use Hanon, you do scales and arpeggios and that includes thirds, sixths and octaves. Check out how Liszt got up there.

You've also got Bach - two and three part inventions and WTC. 

You also play music - lots of it. Four five six hours a day!


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## hreichgott

Davzon said:


> One thing that puzzles me, is that how did Mozart or Beethoven get as good as they did, when there wasn't no where near the amount of stuff there is today, Maybe that's the problem there is so much information that we don't know what to do, I mean when they was alive there was no such thing as Hanon at all, so it makes me wonder are they really that good ? cause if Beethoven never used them and lets be honest he was amazing. Not putting other pianists down, but today's Pianists just seem to copy someones work, When has there ever been a pianist so amazing and just blow everyone out of the water is original piano work? Cause if there is such a person please tell me there name so I can listen to them. I know I'm going on but I do have a point though don't I? If beethoven never used them maybe they aint the be and end of all.


Do you have any evidence for saying that Mozart and Beethoven didn't work from a systematic series of exercises?


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## Marisol

hreichgott said:


> Do you have any evidence for saying that Mozart and Beethoven didn't work from a systematic series of exercises?


Good point, and not only that Mozart and Beethoven did not learn to play on a piano.


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## Davzon

> Do you have any evidence for saying that Mozart and Beethoven didn't work from a systematic series of exercises?


 Well with the hanon I do cause they was created after they were advanced pianists. I just look back and think well there isn't any pianist today who just leaps out, they all seem to copy what was already scored in notation. So it makes me think, what are we missing to make the time that we live now not produce another Mozart or Beethoven. Maybe they did go with a systematic way of practice just not what we are used to, or it might have someone to do with them not learning on pianos but, harpsichords which from what I know are much more easy to play and less stressful on the fingers. So of cause by the time the piano came around their fingers would have naturally got stronger cause of all the hours playing, and of cause there wasn't no TV back in them days, so maybe people just go lazy. Of cause I could be wrong about their not being an original pianist, cause Classical isn't really that popular anymore, sadly, well not as popular as Dance music or pop songs.


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## hreichgott

There are plenty of excellent composers working today, many of whom were first trained as pianists.


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## Davzon

Of cause they are a few and It's not to say I'm saying pianists are rubbish lol. But as I said before there must be something we are missing for our generation for there not be another Bach, Mozart or Beethoven. I mean Valentina Listsa and Chenyin Li and Lang Lang are really high up in the pianist world but far as what I know they still only copy what as already been written. Maybe we lack imagination, or everything has already been done before, so all we will say is, oh they nicked that off such and such. I mean take pop music where people nick ideas off really old composers like Alica keys one of her songs of cause she changed the key but you can tell that, it's Beethoven's moonlight. I just wish there was someone that came along and just blow everyone out of the water Beethoven the 2nd ..


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## Taggart

It's down to money. 

Mozart travelled as a keyboard prodigy as did Liszt. Paganini did the same for the violin. Chopin never really got into performing in a big way. Part of the system was the ability to compose, because there was an element of improvisation, and many of them wrote pieces for themselves because that way they could get something special to play.

Nowadays we've split composing from performing - we don't do so much improvisation. People go for playing OR composing not both. There's so much good music already that top class pianists can live off the current repertoire without having to compose.

There are one or two exceptions like Michael Nyman.

The only major sort of player composers who can make a living out of both that I know of are church organists and (unlike Bach) the majority of them do not write large scale popular classical pieces.


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## Davzon

I did think maybe it could be a money thing, the quickest way to get money is to play someone else work, which I guess I can understand but still I just wish there was another Classical great in our time. I do love that song the heart asks for pleasure first. very tricky to play, well for me anyway, it's accenting the notes. Very good one for hand independence though.

I did come across this but I'm sure most people already know it exists?

http://www.hanon-online.com/


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## Taggart

Yes. Also have a look at you tube to see examples. Thomas Lemmon looks interesting.

Don't forget IMSLP.

Now learn some theory and get composing. 

But above all, enjoy your playing.


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## lilmoz

yes i have work one time all the hanon & in the future i restart again maybe in a year!


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## Stephanie Martin

Hanon was wonderful for me!! Another excellent (but more difficult) option is Czerny. The great thing about practicing techniques like this on your own is that you can make them as musical as you want.  In other words, if you're worried about sounding "unmusical" or unemotional when you play them, don't! Use some rubato, allow your dynamics to rise and fall as you ascend and descend the scales, and use different emotions when playing different Hanon exercises. They are excellent technical exercises, and you can have as much fun with them as you like!


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## PracticeReserch

Shouldn't in my opinion. There is a lot of repetition, movements up and down the piano that are not important. I created "Hanon in 60 Seconds" ( HanonPro.com ) which works on what Liszt thought was the most important - the trill - and other most common patterns. Then I use the Chopin studies - I don't see any reason to work on Czerny studies because they are not very pretty.


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## gardibolt

Hanon is really good for loosening up my hands and strengthening my wrists. I like it a lot, and I've been using it off and on for forty-plus years.


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## Bettina

It is a good idea to practice Hanon exercises, at least for a few minutes each day. (The Hanon book indicates that all of them should be played every day, but that is utterly absurd!! ) The exercises target some important techniques: finger independence, stretching, trilling, wrist flexibility, and so on. For maximum benefit, you should transpose the exercises into various keys.


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## millionrainbows

I feel like I wasted a lot of time playing Hanon exercises. I think scales are more useful. If you do, take Bettina's advice and do a little bit, maybe 15-30 minutes.


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## henrikhank

You can do Hanon for warm up but other than that I can't reccomend. You should play something more musical. Play the etudes by Burgmüller. They can also help you understand music theory and harmony. But listen to your teacher!


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## Pugg

henrikhank said:


> You can do Hanon for warm up but other than that I can't reccomend. You should play something more musical. Play the etudes by Burgmüller. They can also help you understand music theory and harmony. But listen to your teacher!


Very good advice. :tiphat:


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## keymasher

A lot of good advice here. Personally, I'm pretty selective with Hanon. If there's a piece that I have lined up that I know is going to be a considerable technical challenge for me, I'll pick out a few exercises that address these issues specifically before tackling the actual work. I also strongly agree with Bettina's advice about NOT practicing the exercises as described by the book. To me, that strikes me as a tremendous waste of time and potentially injurious.

One thing I'd like to add is that if you do decide to start studying Hanon, try not to let yourself fall into a mindset where you're only mindlessly drilling. Remember to focus on tone, clarity and correct movements when playing these. Again, a good teacher will be invaluable in working with you through these issues. Just make sure to avoid shutting the brain off the moment you begin playing them. Just because you're doing something that is repetitive and tedious doesn't necessarily mean it's improving you as a player.


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