Robert J Posted April 5, 2006 Report Share Posted April 5, 2006 OK - no jokes please! I am looking at grabbing one of these (OK, pun intended). A piano-player friend of mine has one. The main benefit is individual digit exercises, as opposed to those v-shaped wrist exercisers. I figure I could do this on the train home from work or at my desk. There are 4 different tensions. Anyone tried one? Fess up you guitarists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 5, 2006 Report Share Posted April 5, 2006 OK - no jokes please! I am looking at grabbing one of these (OK, pun intended). A piano-player friend of mine has one. The main benefit is individual digit exercises, as opposed to those v-shaped wrist exercisers. I figure I could do this on the train home from work or at my desk. There are 4 different tensions. Anyone tried one? Fess up you guitarists. I have to say I haven't tried one of these, but looking at the shape of the thing, I'm a little skeptical (I say this having been putting in a lot of technical time recently). For finger strength - and I realise that this isn't much good for the train etc. (necessarily) - I'd really recommend a look at the piano technique book by Dohnyani. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epithet Posted April 5, 2006 Report Share Posted April 5, 2006 For finger strength - and I realise that this isn't much good for the train etc. (necessarily) - I'd really recommend a look at the piano technique book by Dohnyani. Or read Sándor's book to be told the opposite... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert J Posted April 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 (edited) This is not so much a technique issue, and I'm not a beginner at the piano so we're not talking Hanon v. Dohnyani here. I do do daily exercises at the piano. This is more for stretching and strength away from the piano. When I worked at a music store I saw lots of guitarists pick up the Gripmaster. I work all day on the computer and I worry for my fingers sometimes! Epithet - Agreed. You ever read Chuang Chang book on piano practice. Edited April 6, 2006 by Robert J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epithet Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 You ever read Chuang Chang book on piano practice. Glanced at it. Why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Hawkins Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 This is not so much a technique issue, and I'm not a beginner at the piano so we're not talking Hanon v. Dohnyani here. I do do daily exercises at the piano. This is more for stretching and strength away from the piano. When I worked at a music store I saw lots of guitarists pick up the Gripmaster. I work all day on the computer and I worry for my fingers sometimes! Epithet - Agreed. You ever read Chuang Chang book on piano practice. Ah - away from the piano. Fair enough. I think Dohnyani is superb for strength, irrespective of whatever stage we're talking. I think Dohnyani v. Hanon is only really a fair comparison when looking at beginners. A few exercises in and the Dohnyani is NOT pretty (whereas Hanon is fairly easy all the way through)! Epithet - I don't know the Sandor. What's his take on Dohnyani? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie87 Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 Chuang Chang Everybody Chuang Chang tonight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert J Posted April 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 I'm going to buy the medium tension version of the Grip at lunchtime. There's a sports store across the street from my office. I see from Gripmaster's website that they don't just target musicians and athletes. Also for the trigger happy! http://www.gripmaster.net/gripmaster/product_reviews.html I have been using Basic finger warm up #1 from this document (easier to see in the PDF). I like the way that it is a fairly simple 5 note pattern, but the finger # variations really help to work on problematic passages. Also has helped me with bebop licks. http://www.creativekeyboard.com/may02/warmups.html Epithet - Chang has some interesting ideas about practice, contra a whole bunch of ingrained beliefs by the classical community. He especially warns against Hanon. There's a free version of his book. I am slowly digesting it all. He's got one suggestion about loosening up at the piano, basically just dropping your hand right on the keyboard, gravity only. It's funny how you resist and it does not come natural at first. The book overall is changing many of my views about practice and performance. http://members.aol.com/chang8828/contents.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert J Posted April 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 Chuang Chang Everybody Chuang Chang tonight! Whoops - Freudian slip Chuan Chang My Gripmaster goal: "Rip it up - and get the feeling not the word" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WD45 Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 I use the blue one to gain endurance for guitar playing. You can also get callus builders for the fingertips as an add-on with these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe G Posted April 6, 2006 Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 Paging RonS!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert J Posted April 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2006 Got it. I have a grip on it now as I type this! There's a bunch of cool exercises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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