Piano Playing Technique

Build your piano playing technique step by step:

1. Begin with Edna Mae Burnams A Dozen a Day Preparatory Book, Technical Exercises for Piano(not Mini if you are an adult) as soon as you have learned how to read both hands together in a five finger position. Keep working through Preparatory, Book 1 and Book 2 for a great foundation of basic movements in piano playing. Yes, I know they are for kids- put another cover if you like- but these piano exercises are great!

2. Start also with scale practice- you don’t need anything fancy at this stage, it is better to learn scales and chords by heart anyway. On this page you will learn an easy way to start playing 10 major and minor scales by ear: Piano scales the easy way.
   

3. During book 1 of “A Dozen a Day”, add on Expressive Etudes, Book One (Expressively Etudes Series), which is your etude book. Continue with book two as well parallel with “A Dozen a Day” book 2.

4. Time now for Hanon: "The Virtuoso Pianist" Hanon: The Virtuoso Pianist: Complete Edition (Just the title makes you feel great- doesn’t it?) And this is an investment for many years, so get a great edition, even put plastic on it!
   The best edition of Hanon's exercises I have found so far is the "shortened" version by Walter Rehberg.

   Only a small part of each exercise is shown, and since it is just repeated over and over- you don't really need all the rest.

   I love it! You can find it here: Hanon Le Pianiste Virtuose (Rehberg)
   

5. This is also the time to get a good quality scale book, unless you are OK with the tiny note scales in Hanon. Alfred’s The Complete Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios and Cadencesis a good one- but there are many that are quite fine at this level.

6. I must admit I am in “love” with the Piano studies/Etudes books in the Celebration Perspectives Series. Generally they have done a fantastic job in selecting repertoire for this exam system. But I recommend starting after the above repertoire, at about level 2, with book 2. Continue to practice your scales, etc, and Hanon.

There are many sheet music books to help you improve your piano playing technique. These are the ones that I find “fool-proof” and have stood the test of time. They give great results together with a beginning piano method book or two.

By working your way through these technique books, you have mastered the beginner levels of piano playing, and have reached an early intermediate level. You can continue to work with the Celebration series as it is a great anthology of many different composers. Together with Hanon's exercises and a good scale book you are quite set for a while!

Books with piano exercises for beginners:

1. Edna Mae Burnam’s: “A Dozen a day”, Preparatory to book 2

2. Susan W. Guy’s: “Expressive Piano Studies” Book 1 and 2.

3. Hanon “The virtuoso pianist”. Exercises 1-10, 11-20, 21-30.

4. Celebration series: Perspectives Piano Studies/ Etudes from Grade 1 and on.

Also warmly recommended are (to continue with):
5. Valerie Cisler and Maurice Hinson’s: Technique for the Advancing Pianist (Alfred Masterwork Editions)(No need to play in order , hop around and pick what you like or feel you need)
6. B. Bartok Mikrokosmos Volume 1 (Pink): Piano Solo has great exercises for more “chunky” chords in the back and is super for sight reading practice. Books 1-3.
7. Worth mentioning is also Ingrid Jacobson Clarfield’s: Burgmuller, Czerny & Hanon: 32 Piano Studies for Technique and Musicality The three BIG names for piano exercises. Like three books in one, organized in a logical order.

Enjoy what you see? Here's some more interesting stuff:

• Have a look at the layout of the piano keys, and why they are organized this way.

• Learn more about music intervals and how to read them easily.

• The music scale is another “building block” in music. Learn more about the piano scales and how to play them here.

Piano Playing Questions and Comments

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