Exercises for Improving LH (stradella)

[Zevy]

Start with the right hand alone because it’s usually easier. Then do the left hand alone. Then practice both together very slowly. I took out book one last week and played through the first 31 exercises. Thankfully it went down very well. That made me feel good!

Thanks, Zevy. I look forward to that! Stradella is quite a wonderful system, but I can understand why Heifetz would want a Luttbeg! I shall be patient and diligent. 
Right now my left hand ability is pretty good for folk styles, but I have a way to go before achieving fluency that comes anywhere near my right hand.
Nunzio’s direction to change bellows every 4 bars means I have to get a LOT faster with the left hand.

What Mr. Nunzio wrote about changing bellows every four measures is a general guide. It is not meant to be taken literally. Good luck!

 

[Eddy Yates]

Start with the right hand alone because it’s usually easier. Then do the left hand alone. Then practice both together very slowly. I took out book one last week and played through the first 31 exercises. Thankfully it went down very well. That made me feel good!

Thanks, Zevy. I look forward to that! Stradella is quite a wonderful system, but I can understand why Heifetz would want a Luttbeg! I shall be patient and diligent. 
Right now my left hand ability is pretty good for folk styles, but I have a way to go before achieving fluency that comes anywhere near my right hand.
Nunzio’s direction to change bellows every 4 bars means I have to get a LOT faster with the left hand.

What Mr. Nunzio wrote about changing bellows every four measures is a general guide. It is not meant to be taken literally. Good luck!

Whew! Yeah....I took it as a challenge, but will go a little easier on myself. Thanks.

 

[Alans]

Turns out I have Hanon arranged by Charles Nunziato, a very old edition with both parts in the same book-there is even a part
three. Are the new editions available from his son different, are they separate books for each part? I have been doing the first
and second exercise for a while now-hands apart, although I don't find either difficult, I still don't feel ready to put the hands
together. But when I looked through the book last night after reading the discussion here, I was amazed at how many wonderful
exercises are still ahead of me. In the intro the editor says that the entire book should take a player one hour to complete. But
I have only been working on two exercises so far. I don't know if I should just keep going-hands apart from now. I love this
type of stuff though and the section at the back looks really wonderful.
if anyone can suggest any other similar books I'd greatly appreciate hearing about them.

there are great you tube videos of someone playing the Hanon exercises with a  very loud metronome. He first plays the notes
legato and then he plays them staccato. Kind of a strange thing to listen to but very very interesting.

 

[Zevy]

Turns out I have Hanon arranged by Charles Nunziato Nunzio, a very old edition with both parts in the same book-there is even a part
three. Are the new editions available from his son different, are they separate books for each part? I have been doing the first
and second exercise for a while now-hands apart, although I dont find either difficult, I still dont feel ready to put the hands
together. But when I looked through the book last night after reading the discussion here, I was amazed at how many wonderful
exercises are still ahead of me. In the intro the editor says that the entire book should take a player one hour to complete. But
I have only been working on two exercises so far. I dont know if I should just keep going-hands apart from now. I love this
type of stuff though and the section at the back looks really wonderful.
if anyone can suggest any other similar books Id greatly appreciate hearing about them.

I also have the first edition; its has only one volume. When Mr. Nunzio made the second edition, he added many exercises; mostly scales, and thats why it was expanded into two volumes. There were also a few things that were erroneously omitted from the second edition. 
Please take into account that when the editor wrote that the entire book should take the player one hour to complete, it is coming from a master who used to practice 4-8 hours a day. So take that sentence with (at least) a grain of salt.
Good luck!

 

[Eddy Yates]

I have only been working on two exercises so far. I don't know if I should just keep going-hands apart from now. I love this
type of stuff though and the section at the back looks really wonderful.
if anyone can suggest any other similar books I'd greatly appreciate hearing about them.

I also have the first edition; it's has only one volume. When Mr. Nunzio made the second edition, he added many exercises; mostly scales, and that's why it was expanded into two volumes. There were also a few things that were erroneously omitted from the second edition. 
Please take into account that when the editor wrote that the entire book should take the player one hour to complete, it is coming from a master who used to practice 4-8 hours a day. So take that sentence with (at least) a grain of salt.
Good luck!

Not sure, but I think the one hour directive means that after you’ve learned and practiced the whole thing so that you can play them all up to speed, then you can use the volume for a one hour workout. It would take me years to get to that point, as it did with the Clementi “Gradus ad Parnasum”.

 

[Zevy]

Not sure, but I think the one hour directive means that after you’ve learned and practiced the whole thing so that you can play them all up to speed, then you can use the volume for a one hour workout. It would take me years to get to that point, as it did with the Clementi “Gradus ad Parnasum”.

Exactly!