The Virtuoso Pianist with Downloadable MP3s

by Charles-Louis Hanon, David Dutkanicz

Overview

Almost anyone who has played piano for more than two years has encountered The Virtuoso Pianist, an essential part of the repertoire for more than a century. In this edition, author and musician David Dutkanicz distills the essence of the original book's core exercises to create a vital guide that provides training in speed, agility, and strength of fingers and wrists. Downloadable MP3 recordings accompany this volume, offering an accessible approach that creates a firm foundation for every student's technique.
Intended for those who have studied piano for about a year, the exercises are also helpful for more advanced students as well as pianists and teachers who need practice to regain the dexterity of their fingers. The entire volume can be played through in an hour, and after its contents have been thoroughly mastered, frequent reviews will continue to reward pianists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780486823904
Publisher:	Dover Publications
Publication date:	06/13/2018
Series:	Dover Classical Piano Music For Beginners
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 10.88(h) x (d)
Age Range:	4 - 18 Years

About the Author

Former Dover editor David Dutkanicz holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, New York University, and Columbia University. He is the arranger and author of more than a dozen Dover collections of classical, jazz, blues, ragtime, and other piano books, including the Big Book of Beginner's Piano Classics.

Read an Excerpt

INTRODUCTION

If all five fingers of the hand were absolutely equally well trained, they would be ready to execute anything written for the instrument.

— C. L. Hanon, The Virtuoso Pianist (1893)

Charles-Louis Hanons (1819–1900) The Virtuoso Pianist is an iconic staple of every piano regimen, creating an athletic workout for each and every finger. This edition is specially prepared to bring an accessible approach and to create a firm foundation for every beginner's technique. Notes are written out in greater rhythmic value for clarity, and the early exercises have pauses introduced between phrases. Fingerings have been added over each note to help guide through the dizzying repetition of patterns. These changes allow a chance for the performer to regroup, to absorb the concepts of each exercise, and to keep on the right track.

Hanon did not indicate specific tempos for individual pieces. Each exercise should be learned solidly, and increased in speed gradually without sacrificing any execution. The downloadable recordings are meant as a guide, and not as an absolute.

Some tips on practicing:

• Before beginning any exercise, look over the finger pattern and tap it out. This can even be done away from the piano.

• Isolate trickier sections of each phrase and practice separately. Each exercise lists which fingers are being focused upon.

• Be mindful of the center of gravity in your wrist and its angle. This will help put fingers in the proper position.

• Resist any temptation to alter fingerings; they are designed to build specific techniques.

• Use a metronome to keep the rhythm steady and even at all times.

• After you've mastered a number of studies in sequence, link them together as one continuous exercise.

Once learned, these exercises will greatly improve your technique and can be played for a lifetime. As Hanon wrote in the closing of his introduction: [I] offer this work as giving the key to all mechanical difficulties ... rendering a real service to young pianists.

(Continues…)

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