Hanon

In my last post, I promised to expound on the different items I challenged myself to practice this summer. Hanon's up first on the list, so today you will learn about Hanon.

   Have you ever noticed that your fingers aren't equal? Let me explain. Your fingers do not each have equal strength and dexterity. This may not be obvious while cooking or mowing the lawn, but it becomes very obvious during a child's first lesson, when I say, "OK, now lift finger 4!" and the student struggles to get their ring finger off the table. The more music is played, the more obvious it becomes. The thumb thumps, way too loudly. The ring finger barely moves. The index and middle fingers are strong and tend to go where they're wanted, when they're wanted. But the pinky isn't, and tends to be an out-of-control rogue. 

   What do you do when part of you is weak?

   You exercise it, of course. 

   Hanon exercises are meant especially to make sure all the fingers get equally used, that the pinky and ring fingers are strengthened, and that stretches, trills, and tremolos get proper coverage. It's 60 exercises, divided unequally into three sections. It is recommended to play an entire section at once, with the first section being nonstop.  

   I have discovered that I have trouble relaxing, trying to play an entire section at once. 

   That's Hanon! Stay tuned to learn about my other practice goals.