Practising Hanon,and Czerny Exercises= A waste of time ?

Re:

I see you point. Well I see one reason why people keep on using Hanon: that is to keep the hands in fine playing condition day to day. I think that this habit came out of studying Hanon early in one person's piano career, and that person would not be using Hanon if he or she was not so habituated. Well honestly I also used Hanon exercises back then but I now, nah I'm an anti-Hanon school. Czerny, Cramer-Bulow, and related lesson pieces have many of these disadvantages. Hanon maybe a good example of how intuitive methods can suck entire populations of pianists into using methods that are essentially useless, or even harmful. So yeah, it's a waste of time.

 

Try my "Hanon in 60 Seconds" at http://hanonpro.com . I think the old Hanon is a waste of time since there is too much movement up and down and there is no evidence that trying all finger combinations is that useful. Czerny is prettier but why not just play the masters instead?

 

I am an amateur player. Studied classical when young. Never did Hanon. I think they are fun.. it works my note reading skills at the same time serves as dexterity skills.

 

That makes total sense. I am an amateur with years of ear playing. But learned classical when young. Lately I revisited Alah Turca Fur Elise and love the Bach menuette in g.

 

According to my training, experience and teaching method, I divide it thusly in three streams: exercises, etudes 1 (more mechanical) and etudes 2 (more artistic). Exercises are mechanics in which one can most purely apply the principles of technique that the instructor promotes. The importance of stating it like this, is that mechanical studies do not bestow technique, they are instead the ground in which it is intelligently and watchfully cultivated.

So for more specific examples,
Exercises in progressive order: Primer level: A Dozen a Day; Prep/Elementary: Czerny Op. 283 and Eric Steiner's At Ease in All Keys bks 1&2; I: A. Schmitt Preparatory Exercises Op.16, Wolf's "The Little Pischna;" II: begin I. Philipp "Exercises for the Independence of the Fingers" and his "Complete School of Technique," Berens' Exercises from his "Training for the Left Hand" Op.89, Czerny Daily Exercises Op.337, begin Kullak's School of Octaves Op.48 bk 1; III: add Moszkowski School of Double Notes Op 64 part 2, consider Brahms' 51 exercises; IV: continue Moszkowski and Philipp.

For etudes (1): Elementary: Kohler Op.157 and Op.242; Intermediate: Czerny School of Velocity Op.299; Lower Advanced: Czerny Op.335 and the Cramer studies (50 selected by Bulow); Upper Advanced: Clementi "Gradus ad Parnassum (Tausig Ed) plus Czerny Op.740.

For etudes (2): Elementary: Streabbog Op.63 (& Op 64), Burgmuller Op.100; Intermediate: S. Heller 50 Studies (from Op. 47, 45, & 46) or Burgmuller Op 109, MacDowell Op.39; Lower Advanced: Continue Heller or Burgmuller Op.105, Berens Etudes from Op.89, Chopin Trois Nouvelles Etudes; Upper Advanced: Moschles Op.70, MacDowell Op.46, Haberbier Op.53; Artist Level A: Moszkowski Op. 72 and 64 Part 3, Henselt Op.2, Moscheles Op.95, Kullak Op.48 Bk2; Artist Level B Chopin Op. 10 and 25 plus selected Preludes from Op.28. Moszkowski Op.64 part 3 continued, Liszt Transcendental, Paganini and Concert etudes, Rubinstein Op.23. Whew that is a demanding curriculum that is sure to make a pianist. Of course I would also use etudes of Debussy and Rachmaninoff where appropriate.

 

I practiced Hanon's for about a year then got bored, so I quit. Took too much time. Honestly, I have not seen any difference in my playing before and after. I agree with you. But I do think that it is very important to play scales and cadences whenever you practice. I don't play scales every single time I practice, but occasionally I will run through the circle of fifths in all the major keys. I don't really play the minor scales because I feel like I just don't use them as much.

 

Hanon can be a waste of time if it becomes an automated process without thought given to it consciously. I find Chopin etudes incredibly important for building technique. Here is a video on why and also how to practice them: