A collection of etudes composed by Pišna, a Czech-born music educator. In these etudes, the challenge mainly focuses on keeping 1-3 fingers fixed on the keys while moving the other fingers independently to attack the keys. By extracting and repeating elements of a work in 2-3 note units, the aim is to develop finger independence. ◯ they cover a wide range of keys, as they transition between different keys within each exercise. (△While these etudes are purely mechanical and do not necessarily need to sound musical, the sustained keys create resonance when other notes are played, resulting in a beautiful piano sound. This unintended but pleasant aspect allows for an unexpected aesthetic experience.) △Due to the various practice variations, it can take around 20-30 minutes for a single piece of practice, and since you are playing the same piece over and over, it can become somewhat monotonous. These etudes are not intended to be performed as concert pieces or for lessons; instead, they serve as daily practice routines, which means that some lack of excitement is inevitable. △It is important to play with relaxation to avoid hand and arm strain. If you can achieve relaxation while playing, there will be no need to worry about any physical discomfort.
how to practice
As mentioned in the edition ONGAKU NO TOMO SHA, the following are just examples and should be selected based on individual challenges and concerns. Simply playing the notes by following the sheet music will not be very effective, so let me introduce some specific practice methods: ① Play with accents and staccatos on the notes other than the sustained tones (lent). Play each note with relaxation, and consciously avoid leaving the fingers on the keys after playing. ② Try variations with dotted rhythms. Accentuate the notes with dots and play them. Similar to the previous exercise, relax immediately after playing each note. ③ Try variations with inverted dotted rhythms. The playing method is the same as in exercise ②. ④ Play with staccatos. Ensure that each note is played uniformly, without becoming longer, shorter, louder, or softer. ⑤ Play with legato . Play with soft and gentle tones, without lifting the fingers too much, and without overlapping the sounds before and after. Play all exercises from ① to ⑤, which should take approximately 20 minutes. Note that for the challenging hand (the one that finds playing difficult), do not accentuate the notes and play them legato . When playing variations with rhythms, synchronize the rhythms of both hands.
【the edition Ricordi】 The examples of rhythm variations are described depending on the piece. Accentuated variations and dotted rhythms are the focus. 【the edition ZEN-ON】 Each issue comes with explanations. It mainly focuses on preliminary exercises. There are suggestions for finger numbering based on hand size, etc. Some exercises include examples of rhythm variations. 【the edition ONGAKU NO TOMO SHA】 “The text states that each individual should consider the practice method as necessary, and it is mostly recorded as the original. There is no specific description of practice methods.”
right hand: 3-4 fingers independent For people with small hands, play the holding notes at 1-5, and play the internal voices (moving sounds) at 2-3.
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left hand: 3-4 fingers independent For people with small hands, play the holding notes at 1-5, and play the internal voices (moving sounds) at 2-3.
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right hand: 4-5 fingers independent For some reason, this seems easier than tasks No.1 to 3. Maybe my 3rd finger isn’t completely independent.
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left hand: 3-4 fingers independent When playing, be careful to press and release the keys quickly with your thumb, which is a powerful but slow finger.
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right hand: 3-4-5 fingers independent
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left hand: 1-5 fingers independent with your hands spread out in an octave
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right hand: 1-5 fingers independent with your hands spread out in an octave
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both hands: A task that focuses on the “finger looping” part when playing a scale. Repeating, repeating, repeating the finger loop using the thumb as a fulcrum…I have never practiced just finger loops like this.haha
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right hand: 1-5 fingers independent with your hands spread out in an octave left hand: 3-4-5 fingers independent. 3-5 fingers are more difficult than before because it has double notes.
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right hand: 2-5 fingers independent left hand: 1-4 fingers independent
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right hand: 3-4-5 fingers independent. 3-5 fingers are more difficult than before because it has double notes. left hand: 1-5 fingers independent with your hands spread out in an octave
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｜Reference・score・web site
〈reference〉
千蔵八郎 Chikura, Hachiro『ピアノ学習ハンドブック』春秋社 Shunjusha Publishing Company 、1989年。
