Piano Exercises Book 1 Introduction

Introduction
These exercises were developed in the early 1980s while I was a student at Stony Brook University. They were a byproduct of a supervised
independent research project that I did on the anatomy of the hand as it pertained to playing the piano. My motivation for doing it came from my
own frustration with the existing methodologies. At that time in my life, I loved the piano so much that I was willing to do anything to improve. I
would practice 8 to 12 hours per day and dedicated a major portion of this time to practicing piano exercises. It seemed like no-matter how hard or
long I practiced my technique was only improving marginally. I then began questioning if there was a better way.

At first I started reading through the existing technique books but could not find what I was looking for. I realized that the pianist that wrote these
books were most likely prodigies so they never really struggled with technique the way I did. They say you teach best what you need to learn. I will
never forget my reaction to the philosophy of Walter Gieseking outlined in his book, Shortest Way to Pianistic Perfection that its the ear that
controls the 4 th and 5 th finger. I thought to myself that this guy is a great pianist but this statement is simply not true. Common inconsistencies like
this in the existing literature made me turn to science to separate fact from fiction. I believed that if I knew my own hand, I would be able to better
control my destiny. So I turned to anatomy.

Knowing the anatomy of the hand does separate fact from fiction. The hand is an amazing creation. Its complexity perplexes even the greatest
hand surgeons. It is little wonder that it should perplex us pianists as well. The hand is natures toolbox for working at the piano. The hand has
many tools within it. We need to have knowledge of these tools so we can pick the right tool for the right job. Some times we just use the tools that
move the fingers up and down. Other times we use the tools that bend the fingers in and out and from side to side. It would be nice to know what
we are using and when. Doing these exercises will give you a working knowledge of this. This knowledge will help you to diagnose your problems
and figure out how to solve them. I also hope these exercises will give you a new love and appreciation for piano technique. A window into this
world will open a whole new realm of pianistic possibilities to you. I know as a composer that it opened new areas of musical creativity to me. The
exercises came first before composing my piano work The City Of God, which exemplifies innovative pianistic effects.

Book 1 mostly deals with the lumbricals and extensor tendons. You should practice these exercise every other or third day. The muscles need to
rest so that they can heal and become stronger. When Books 2 and 3 come out, you will be able to practice them on the alternate days because
they work different muscle groups.

These exercises are very easy to learn. Some are so simplistic that even children can learn them. They have no musical value and even sound
monotonous. Even though, they are very efficient. Only doing them for a few minutes a day, you will experience their benefits. These are not the
kind of exercises that you pick up for a few weeks and move on. No matter how much your technique improves, it will always get better. In fact,
you will not be able to play the more difficult exercises in book 1 until your finger coordination reaches a certain level of maturity. These are riddles
for the fingers that will only be solved by the skills gained in the earlier exercises. If you cant play them now good because being able to play them
later will only be proof that this technique really works! For now it is only necessary to practice the first few exercises.

How you practice these exercises is very important. The goal for each exercise is to practice it until the target finger is fatigued. You will know
when the target finger is fatigued because you will not be able to move it as fast and you will start playing sloppy. You may only be able to get
through a few measures at first, but that is expected. Eventually you will be able to play through more of the exercise as your endurance increases.
As soon as the target finger is fatigued jump to different exercise. When the alternate exercise has fatigued the new finger, jump back to the
previous exercise. You should do these exercises in sets just like a body builder. You should repeat each set at least 3 times. It is not a matter of
how many different exercises you complete but rather how many times you complete the same exercise. The key is repetition and isolation! The
more you do the better. If you capable of doing more sets then go ahead. This is an area where you can govern your progress.

While practicing these exercises it is important to maintain a naturally curved finger position. Since they are written for the white keys, you should
not have to bend your fingers in and out, which is the case when playing the black keys. They are a different set of muscles, which will be dealt
with in the other books. Also, try to avoid the temptation to collapse the fingertips. Some times it will be difficult but this discipline will help you to
control your fingers better. Collapsing the fingertips will not necessarily negate the effects of the exercise. The photo below demonstrates the
fingertip of the third finger collapsing.

Collapsing Fingertip

Tempo
At first you might have to practice these exercises slowly with a more deliberate full range finger strokes. Listen to what you are doing. Let your ear
monitor your progress. Your pinky needs to produce the same note dynamics that your index finger is naturally capable of. If you are off the mark
then slow down. Gradually you will play these exercises at a brisker tempo where you will reap their maximum benefits. Doing these exercises with
a metronome is not a bad idea either. It will help you to measure your progress. Finally, do not introduce secondary hand and arm movements to
compensate for weaker note dynamics. This would detract from the objective of these exercises. Keep your arms light and flexible so that your
keystrokes will be coming from a pure finger movement. Remember these are goals not absolutes.

Design
These exercise were conceived under the premise that the hand is perfectly created. Contrary to common misconception, there is no common
tendon that the pinky shares with the forth finger. Each finger has its own unique and independent set of muscles and tendons that empower its
movement. This should come as great news because this means you can expect a lot more out of these fingers! There are other factors that
contribute to the 4 th and 5 th fingers not cooperating with our plans of becoming virtuosos. An understanding of these issues and how to work
around them can help the rest of us reach our dreams. This methodology does not avoid them but takes them right on. I have known teachers that
promote purposely avoiding the 4 th and 5 th finger to the extent of fingering around them. This was not good enough for me. These exercises are
the complete opposite. They finger everything for the 4 th and 5 th finger and only treat the 2 nd and 3rd as secondary fingers. There is no need to
waste a lot of time with these fingers because they are already highly developed. They will be worked but only as a consequence of working the 4 th
and 5 th . They will be used to help fatigue the 4 th and 5 th finger and to develop better finger coordination.

The Feeble 4 th and the Stinky Pinky

Like me, if you are reading this article you have wrestled with the problems of the 4 th and 5 th finger. There are a lot of misconceptions about the
4 th finger that are not anatomically sound. If the 4 th and 5 th fingers have their own independent muscle system why are they so weak? There are
several practical and logistical reasons for this. I will attempt to explain them in very simple terms, as it is central to understanding this
methodology.

The 4 th and 5 th finger are physically the smallest.

They are the furthest away from the thumb so are the least used.
They are the lowest fingers on the bridge of the knuckles so have the least leverage.
The metacarpals of the 4 th and 5 th finger collapse so they dont have a stationary fulcrum.
The muscle that collapses the 4 th and 5 th knuckles is more domineering and undermines developing and coordinating the pinky.

These seeming shortcomings of the hand are also its greatest strengths. Just imagine playing the piano if the hand was not flexible. Knowing the 5
points from above, gives us a blueprint on how to navigate around natures obstacles for the pianist. Since the 4 th and 5 th finger are the weakest
they need to become the strongest. Since the 4 th and 5 th finger are the least used they must become the most used. Who operates the mouse
button with their pinky? Who dials the phone with their ring finger? Over a lifetime this really adds up. Just think how little you would use the 4 th
and 5 th finger if you didnt play the piano. This is why people who start playing the piano at an early age have a tremendous advantage. The
structure of the hand even adapts to the stimulus it receives from playing the piano. Just consider how fortunate a child would be to be introduced
to exercises like these before their hand was fully-grown. For the rest of us, the 4 th and 5 th finger are basically dormant. Doctors at the university
even told me that young children could learn to move their toes independently. This is not to discourage you but rather put the lack of use factor
into perspective. The photograph below illustrates the effect that lack of use has on the coordination of the 4 th and 5 th fingers.

Natural Hand
The picture above demonstrates the lack of coordination in a normal hand. Notice what happens when the user tries to move just the pinky down
from the middle joint. The fourth finger bends also, as if the brain could not distinguish between the 4 th and 5 th finger. The brain can distinguish
between the two however; the coordination and muscle control needed for this have not ripened. You might be surprised to learn how little finger
independence your fingers have as well. Dont get a big head either if you already can perform this test. Some people are born with enough natural
finger dexterity to do this.
You might be surprised to learn that you get different results between the left and right hand.

Trained Hand

The picture above demonstrates a properly trained hand. I can bend my 5 th finger down from the middle joint without flexing the 4 th finger. I could
not do this before doing these exercises. Not having enough coordination to perform this test will translate to uneven playing in passages where
the 4 th and 5 th fingers cross between the white and black keys. It can also translate into extra tension in the outer fingers that can diminish their
control. The ramification of this little diagnostic are very telling but it is not the tell all! It is just one piece of the puzzle.

Circumflexion
As if the lack of use factor wasnt enough, we still have to contend with the collapsing knuckle factor. The photographs below demonstrate the
hands ability to circumflex.
The knuckles of the second and third finger are solid as a rock as compared to the knuckles of the 4 th and 5 th that collapse.
This agility of the hand enables us to grab objects but it does have adverse consequences on playing the piano.
Force delivered from a non-stationary fulcrum is much less then force delivered from a stationary fulcrum. It would be like
hitting a baseball with a rubber bat. Much of the force will be absorbed in the bat. The same thing happens when we strike
the piano key with the 4 th or 5 th finger A portion of the force will be absorbed in the joint when it moves.

There are also muscles near the outer part of the hand the contract and expand the knuckles. These muscles are naturally
more dominant and can interfere with the proper coordination of the 4 th and 5 th finger. The sketches below show the flexor
muscle and extensor tendon responsible for moving knuckle.

Flexor Muscle (Palm) Extensor Tendon (Dorsal)

Notice the big fleshy muscle flexor muscle on the palm of the hand. This muscle gets plenty of daily use because we exercise it whenever we lug
around a suitcase or grip our hands around the steering wheel of a car. Can you imagine the tiny pinky muscle competing with it? It gets
overshadowed by the larger hand muscle and never learns to stand on its own. The same thing happens when we play the piano. Unless we
specifically call the correct pinky muscle into use, it will never be properly developed. These anatomical realities tell us that all of the corresponding
muscles and tendons, which control the 4th and 5th finger, need to be hyper developed.
The Solution
Since we have identified the muscles that need to be developed, we now must use the best method for developing them. The best method for
strengthening any muscle is to repetitiously work it against resistance until it becomes fatigued. The resistance part is easy. The weight of the
piano hammer and keyboard mechanism will provide that. However, what kind of repetition are we talking about? The answer to this question is the
corner stone to these exercises and what differentiates them from all the rest. Think about how a body builder trains their bicep. They grab a
barbell in one hand and work the muscle until it is fatigued. They dont first flex the left leg, then the right leg, then the left arm, then and the right
arm until finally they reach the bicep again. That would be laughable and highly unproductive. As funny as it sounds this is exactly what we are
doing when we practice conventional exercises. We cycle through all the fingers until we reach the finger we want to develop again. This kind of
alternate or cyclical repetition is not enough to start the burn process. This is why you can practice the Hannon Exercises for eight hours a day and
see marginal improvements. This is why (if your not born with it) it can take twenty years to develop a good piano technique.
Sample Exercise 1
Observe the kind of repetition that is used in exercise 1. The only finger being used to strike the key is the 5 th finger. This kind of repetition is
enough to start the burn process. This exercise will fatigue the pinky in a few seconds. It looks moronic but is crafted to achieve an exact purpose.
By anchoring the first and fourth finger, we are limiting the momentum gained from rolling the hand, thus we are isolating the correct muscle in the
pinky. When we roll the hand to help the pinky were are engaging different muscles, which defeats the objective of this exercise. Remember the
key is isolation and repetition. Compare the exercise above to the exercise below.

Hannon Example

Observe that 8 notes will go by each time until the pinky strikes again. What kind of repetition is that? You could play this exercise from now until
doomsday and it would not strengthen the pinky. In fact it would not strengthen any finger. If your goal is to gain finger strength and independence,
this exercise is a distraction. This example is analogous to the body builder working all the limbs with the aim of strengthening the bicep.

If you do my exercises the way I suggest you will notice the target fingers endurance increasing each time you revisit the exercise.
Congratulations, your finger is well on its way to becoming stronger and more independent. However this is just one muscle of the pinky. The last
time I counted, there were about 10 muscles in the pinky alone that we use while playing the piano. Multiply this by 5 and you begin to understand
why developing good piano technique is such a taunting task. Without proper guidance or genetic luck it can be a hopeless endeavor. The good
news is that these exercises span all the fingers and muscle groups. They take the mythology out of piano technique and make it attainable to
anyone who is serious about playing the piano. You dont have to be a child prodigy or born into a home where piano lessons were given at 4
years old. I myself started very late and so did many of my students. I was no genius either because I failed basic musicianship 4 times in music
school. The most important thing is to have a love for the piano. Being able to tackle some of those beautiful Mozart passages will light a fire that
will carry you a long way. My piano exercises and methodology will make playing those passages a reality.

In the accompanying literature of my piano software, I make the point that there are a lot of shortcomings in the existing piano methodologies that
make learning the notes a lot more difficult then it has to be. These same shortcomings can be found in the teaching of piano technique. The
biggest shortcoming seems to be the institutionalized silence regarding the physical dimension of piano playing. Perhaps this can be traced back to
the story about Robert Schumann crippling his 4 th finger because he used some kind of apparatus to strengthen his fingers. With further
investigation we learn that this is not true. Common to the treatment of syphilis in those days, they used a medicine that contained lead. One of
the side effects of lead poisoning is that the muscles and ligaments pull away from the joints. The cause of Schumanns finger problems had
nothing to do with his quest for better piano technique. Unfortunately after all these years, the clouds surrounding this incident have never lifted.

For those who fear hand injuries these exercises will insure that you are not plagued with the injuries common to most pianists. Many injuries come
from using you fingers improperly. I know because it happened to me. I once had a well-known teacher tell me to overcome the weakness of my
outer fingers by pushing harder with my arm. It did not take long for me to injure the tendons in my right arm. Had my 4 th and 5 th finger been
stronger, I would not have had to rely on extra pressure from my arm to play the notes properly.

Another cause of injury is the lopsided development of the different muscle groups. The very nature of playing the piano involves constantly
pressing and pushing the hand down towards the keys. Over time the flexor muscles and tendons get very compacted while the extensor muscles
receive little development. The photographs below demonstrate this point. The picture on the left is the compacted hand of a pianist. The picture on
the right is the flexible hand of a non-pianist.

Pianist Hand Normal Hand

*Observe how the pianist can hardly stretch the fingers beyond a straight line while the non-pianist can stretch the fingers almost a full 90 degrees.
This is what I would call lopsided development. In order for the muscles to be well conditioned they need to maintain equilibrium and flexibility.
Unless you add hand stretching to your routine you will never gain this from practicing the piano. My exercises will work on both the flexor and
extensor muscles. Not only will this make your hands feel better but also by having well developed extensors you will be able to play passages
much faster.

For these reasons, while practicing these exercises, you should lift the fingers as high as possible. The closer to a full range of motion the better.
These exercise take this into consideration. Exercise number 2, which works on the 4th finger, has two variations. One version emphasizes
maximizes independents while the other version emphasizes maximum extensibility. However subtle the difference might seem on paper their
technical objectives are very different. The point is dont take any exercise for granted, they all have a purpose.