Master School of Virtuoso Piano Playing: Volume I Finger Exercises (Volume 1)

Volume I of this multi-part treatise features precise but creative exercises for serious pianists looking to build flexibility and skill. All of these original exercises were written specifically for this book by world-famous masters — including Leopold Godowsky, Joseph Lhevinne, Ignaz Friedman, Ernst von Dohnányi, and Emil von Sauer — who also share their ideas about technique, pedaling, fingering, and other methods.

These creative finger exercises include some with a fixed position of the hand, exercises for flexibility and dexterity of the thumbs, diatonic and chromatic exercises, special exercises with held notes, exercises for the strengthening of individual fingers, and exercises for lateral motion of the fingers. Additional exercises involve diminished sevenths, combined legato and staccato touch for one hand, the crossing of the hands, and development of speed and lightness of fingers. Introductory material is presented in English, German, Italian, and French. This new edition from a long out-of-print series includes a new Introduction and Foreword, plus rare photos by the author's last living student.