Musicarta is streaming on Twitch TV! Bookmark keyboardcomposing and check the schedule for your local times!

THE MUSICARTA HANON
Spreading the Hand

Page One


Apart from No.30, the Hanon exercises mostly cover no greater a span than a sixth - hardly much of a challenge or representative of the demands placed on the modern keyboard player.

This series of variations expands the span of the exercises first to a seventh (Nos.1 to 10), and then to the whole octave (Nos.11 to 16).

Download the music for the Musicarta Spreading the Hand Hanon variations here.

Care should be taken in developing the hand's ability to maintain this span and at the same time exercise the finger movements asked for. Pupils must 'listen' to their hands and err on the side of caution when judging how much can be achieved without strain in any one practice session.

Exercises covering a seventh

To cover a seventh over the span of five notes,the hand will play two intervals of a second and two of a third.

Look at this progression of five-note seventh chords.

This is the progression used in the 'STH' (spreading the hand) exercises in this part.

There is an observable logic to the way the notes progress from being bunched at the top to bunched at the bottom.

If you learn the logic of the way the notes cascade from top to bottom and 'play from the pattern', you will free a great deal of attention for consciously building facility - the chief reason for playing the exercises.

The exercises

Here is the first exercise.


The pattern rises by closing only the lowest gap, so it only rises one note at a time.

This is already a 'shorthand' or sketch version of the MS. Between the dashed bar lines, the pattern will play up from E, F, G and A, ascending, and down from E, D, C and B, descending.

The full version is in your workbook.


Next, the middle finger (each hand) falls to create the second pattern.


Intensive practice patterns

The unique spread of the fingers in the five seventh-span patterns can be intensively drilled, with held thumbs, like this.






 Notes

The right thumb can be played just once and held through the entire bar if wished, or repeated with every RH5 as shown.

The left hand just 'ambles around' in these exercises, as 'something to do'. The left hand plays only two patterns, which span only a sixth.

In this left hand pattern, the next-door pair of notes (the second) is either at the top (Type 1) or in the middle (Type 2). The left hand plays Type 2 only once, in the second bar.

 WARNING

Pupils should approach these exercises with care and pay close attention to any sign of strain in the hand, wrist and forearm. Pause frequently and shake out tension in the entire arm.

Go on to Spreading the Hand Page Two for the next exercises in this series.

Musicarta is streaming on Twitch TV! Bookmark keyboardcomposing and check the schedule for your local times!



OUT NOW!

THE MUSICARTA BEAT & RHYTHM WORKBOOK

At last! An effective approach to keyboard rhythm & syncopation skills. Learn more!
Also on Musicarta Patreon - only $5.00 a month!



ONLY $24.95!

MUSICARTA HANON SERIES

The Exercises
Combined Patterns
Hanon in Six-Eight
In Sixths and Tenths
[Two-four]
In Sixths and Tenths
[Six-eight]
Held Thumbs
(Preparatory)
Held Thumbs
(Two Hands)
Rhythmic Variations
A to Z Series
Rhythmic Variations
AA Series
Hanon Canon

The Musicarta
BEAT & RHYTHM WORKBOOK is now available!

A methodical approach to keyboard syncopation for

ONLY $24.95!

Learn more!


MUSICARTA
PUBLICATIONS

exciting keyboard
creativity courses


THE MUSICARTA
CHORDS 101
WORKBOOK
CHORDS 101 cover
Exclusively on
MUSICARTA
PATREON

Learn more!

THE MUSICARTA
~HANON~

video course
The Musicarta Hanon cover

ONLY $24.95
BUY NOW!
Also on
Musicarta
Patreon


THE MUSICARTA
PENTATONICS
WORKBOOK

video course
The Musicarta Hanon cover
ONLY $24.95
BUY NOW!
Learn more

GREENSLEEVES
Creative Keyboard

video course
GREENSLEEVES

THE MUSICARTA
BEAT AND RHYTHM
WORKBOOK
Beat and Rhythm Workbook
ONLY $24.95

Buy Now
Also available on
Udemy
andMusicarta Patreon Learn more!

PIANO SOLOS
- Volume 1 -
Piano Solos Vol. 1
ONLY $19.95
Buy Now
Learn more

THE MUSICARTA
12-BAR PIANO
STYLES WORKBOOK
Musicarta 12-bar Piano Styles
ONLY $19.95
Buy Now

THE
MUSICARTA MODES
WORKBOOK
Musicarta Modes Workbook
ONLY $19.95
Buy Now

MUSICARTA EASY
PIANO STYLE
Musicarta Easy Piano Style
ONLY $24.95
Buy Now

THE
CANON PROJECT

video course
The Canon Project
ONLY $24.95
Buy Now

THE PYRAMIDS
VARIATIONS

video course
The Pyramids Variations
ONLY $19.95
Buy Now
Also on Udemy and Musicarta Patreon
Learn more

KEY CHORDS VOL.1
Key Chords Vol.1
ONLY $24.95
Buy Now

'Chords for Carl'
- Piano Solo -

video course

Chords for Carl
ONLY $14.95
Buy Now

‘Mariaan’
- Piano Solo -

Mariaan
ONLY $14.95
Buy Now
Learn more

All the Musicarta
YouTube playlists
Pyramids
Pentatonics
Canon Project
Key Chords
Modes
Musicarta
Easy Piano
Musicarta
Blues & 12-bar
Beat & Rhythm
Solos
'Mariaan'
Chords for Carl
Songbook
Basic Music-
making Position
Left-hand-over
Style
Suspensions
Enya Solos
Scales
Technical Exercises
Triads and Inversions