Five Finger Exercise

Five Finger Exercise

A five-finger exercise is a musical composition designed primarily to exercise all five fingers of the hand. A typical example is Hanon's The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises.

Chopin wrote a number of études (studies) that are widely regarded as musical compositions to train musical ability and dexterity of the fingers, especially Étude opus 10. Another example of an exercise to develop musical skills may be Für Elise, it has been suggested that it was written as an exercise to practice skills on the piano. It has since been rewritten for many other instruments.

The technique has also been part of scientific study. Another example being The art of piano playing: a scientific approach by George A. Kochevitsky, who explains some of the fundamentals in teaching the piano. In his chapter on Progressive ideas in nineteenth-century teaching he explains some of Chopin's idea's (see above), there is a mention of five-finger exercises.

Read more about Five Finger Exercise:  As Figurative Speech

Famous quotes containing the words finger and/or exercise:

    His white head hung out like a carpet bag
    and his crotch turned blue as a blood blister,
    and Godfather death, as it is written,
    put a finger on his back
    for the big blackout,
    the big no.
    Anne Sexton (1928–1974)

    I have heard arguments ... in favor of pardoning D. M. Bennett, convicted of sending obscene matter through the mails, viz., a pamphlet [by Ezra Hervey Heywood] of a polemical character in favor of free love. While I am satisfied that Bennett ought not to have been convicted, I am not satisfied that I ought to undertake to correct the mistakes of the courts—constantly persisted in—by the exercise of the pardoning power.
    Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)