Technique exercises
These are the two warm up exercises I tell my students who are still new to working on their basic techniques.
- CDEFG (rest) GFEDC (rest)- continue to move up to D (DEFGA-AGFED), to E, all the way up to the next C; then reverse to go down: GFEDC(rest)CDEFG (rest)- continue to move down to F (FEDCB-BCDEF), all the way down back to the starting C. Practice hands separately first, RH only, LH only. Then hands together.
- CEGEC (rest) DFAFD (rest) – continue this pattern and move up to E etc, all the way to the next C. Then reverse to go down: GECEG(rest) FDBDF (rest), all the way down back to the starting C. Practice hands separately first, RH only, LH only. Then hands together.
- Rest in between patterns is SUPER IMPORTANT. Take time for each rest.
- Keep fingertips on top of the keys before you play each pattern. There would be small lifting up between pattern and its natural. But try to place your fingertips on top of the keys before you strike the keys down.
- Velocity over force. Use speed instead of force to strike the keys down. It’s lighter than you think.
- Focus on all the above before going for faster tempo for the exercises. Do not sacrifice techniques for speed of music
For more technique exercises, you can find it in my Technique Transformation Exercise Book (available as PDF here)
