Czerny Piano Exercises

[suzyq]

I'm curious about Czerny Exercises, but have never learned them - are there "easier" exercises to start with? 

My teacher dosen't ask me to do scales or Hannon but says that I can do them if I want to so I'll be on my own with Czerny.

Thanks for your input.

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

My teacher likes the Czerny (and the Brahms) exercises a great deal, but for years I was too lazy to do much with them, so I'm way behind. I'm doing the exercises for the Lower Middle Grade right now. They are somewhat enjoyable, musical, and every one is geared to addressing a common problem among piano students--such as independence of the third, fourth, and fifth fingers. I think you should start them, and spend a couple weeks on each one, or enough time until you feel you've mastered them. Some are more difficult than others--number 8 with thirds is quite tricky for me, so I've been working on it a while.

I'm very doubtful of any teacher who doesn't ask students to spend at least some time on scales or exercises.

[zamyrabyrd]

The problem with Czerny exercises is they are very unmusical and they do promote a mechanical sort of playing. A clever teacher can find pieces that attend technical difficulties but are still good music.  There are even some elementary jazz books that have different patterns for the keyboard one can learn.

On the highest levels in piano playing, there are the Chopin and Lizst etudes.

ZB

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

I actually do find them musical (certainly more so than Hanon!), but in any case it is clear that the OP is far from being able to derive any benefit from exercises written at "the highest levels of piano playing". 

[Ten thumbs]

I started with Op 299 School of Velocity.
I'm not sure which exercises you are referring to but there may be easier ones in publication. Augener used to publish several sets. Somewhat more difficult are the Op 740 Studies (6 vol). As you can judge from the opus numbers, Czerny was quite prolific in this field. As you progress you will find the Moscheles studies rewarding before attempting Chopin.

[Holden]

I'm curious about Czerny Exercises, but have never learned them - are there "easier" exercises to start with? 

My teacher dosen't ask me to do scales or Hannon but says that I can do them if I want to so I'll be on my own with Czerny.

Thanks for your input.

While I wouldn't recommend Hanon as the ultimate in piano exercise they do have the advantage of fosussing specifically on technical weaknesses and this is where my teacher used them. If she detected an area that needed working on (e.g. finger strength in the smaller fingers) there would be at least one Hanon exercise that would do the trick. She also tried to get me and her other students to play them as if they were a musical piece. "What is your interpretation of this?"  she would say and while we were focussing on the exercise we were also thinking about musicality. Interesting to say the least.