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PRACTICE TIPS #51: "Fun" In Practicing
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Brent Hugh
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Jan 07, 2001 20:52 PST
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PRACTICE TIPS #51: "Fun" In Practicing
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This week's Practice Tip is more of a provocative quote--something for you
to think about--than a "practice command".
The quote comes from Abby Whiteside's interesting book, _Indispensables of
Piano Playing_ (NY: Scribner's Sons, 1961):
"Should Hanon and Czerny have a high rating as material to be used?
"They should be completely discarded on the sole basis that they are not
sufficiently stimulating musically to further music-making. There is no
time to waste on dull literature, for the excitement and intensity of
desire for accomplishment in the practice period. 'Practice' should never
mean working without any of the fun that is attached to playing. Certainly
Hanon and Czerny are no fun, and they deserve to be permanently shelved on
that basis."
I would be very interested to hear what you all think about the idea
presented in this quote. Do you agree with it or disagree with it? Should
Hanon and Czerny be permanently shelved?
For those of you who don't know who and what Hanon and Czerny are: Hanon
wrote a set of 60 exercises; most consist of short, repetitive patterns
that are played up and down the keyboard. Czerny wrote thousands of short
pieces designed to improve the pianist's technique; most are technical
exercises with little musical interest. In days gone by it was very common
for pianists to plow through all 60 Hanon exercises daily and budding
pianists often worked through hundreds or even thousands of Czerny's studies.
There is no question that this regimen was good for the pianist's
technique. But many teachers and performers in the 20th century began to
wonder what it did to the pianist's musical soul.
Happy--and Fun--Practicing!
--Brent
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PRACTICE TIPS is by pianist, teacher, composer, and internet nerd
Brent Hugh. Brent knows about practicing mostly because he *does*
it, and in fact is toddling off to do some of it just about now . . .
Please remember that this tip is but a small white hair near the
elephant's left front toenail--it's not even close to the whole
elephant that is "how everyone in the whole world should practice
the piano".
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