2-3 Finger Skip

Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman.
Today we are learning a variation on Hanon's famous Finger Exercise Number One,
which we learned in an earlier lesson.
I call it the "2-3 Finger Skip".
Let's come to the piano and learn how to play it.
You'll remember that with the "1-2 Finger Skip" we were skipping between fingers 1 and 2.
Today what we're going to do is start on finger 1. Once again on middle C, step up to finger 2, and then do the skip between fingers 2 and 3
all the way up to finger 5, and then when we step down just like before there's no skip stepping down.
Then once again now we're on
finger 1 on D step up to finger 2, skip up to finger 3, finish stepping up, then stepping all the way down so now finger 1 lands on E,
step up to 2, skip up to 3,
then we're going to land on F, F G, skip up to B with finger 3,
step all the way down, 1 2, skip up to 3
Step all the way down to A, step up, skip up.
Finger 2, finger 1, 2, skip up to 3
and then we land on 1.
Good,
Now press pause and try that on your own from C
all the way up to C, then press play when you're ready to try it with me using the metronome.
Okay, this time we're going to use the metronome set to 80 beats per minute.
Place finger 1 on C, one note per click one.
1 2, ready go:
1 2, skip up,
1 2 skip up, 1 2, skip up
1 2, skip up
1 2, skip
1 2, skip 1 2 skip to 3,
and we're done on C.
Now if that was too hard, don't worry. Just press pause, practice more on your own, then try it again with me when you're ready.
Now let's check out the left hand.
The left hand just like before will start with finger 1 also on middle C.
We're going to step down 1 2, and then from finger 2 to finger 3, that's where we'll do the skip,
and then we step all the way back up. Now finger 1 is on B, step down to A, skip down,
step all the way back up, 1 2 skip down,
1 2 skip down, and you get the idea, and your thumb finger 1 is going to travel all the way down to bass C.
Once you make it there from finger 1 on middle C to finger one on bass C, then you're done.
Press pause to try that on your own, and then press play when you're ready to try it with me using the metronome.
All right, once again we're going to set the metronome to 80 beats per minute.
My left hand finger 1 is on middle C.
Here we go. 1 2 ready go:
1 2, skip down
1 2, skip down
1 2 skip down,
1 2, skip down
2 3, skip
1 2, skip to 3
1 2, skip
and we're back to C.
When you're doing your finger power exercises, make sure that your fingers stay in the correct shape.
When it plays, try not to let this joint buckle backwards like that you want to keep it in this
shape right down to that last joint.
Now let me show you some little tricks you can do to get really great piano fingertips. Okay, this first one I call tap and squeeze.
What we're going to do is take your fingers 1 and 2 and tap them together and give a little squeeze. And you're working on keeping your finger in this proper curved shape.
Let's try it together. Take your finger 1, 2, and we're going to tap five times. Tap and squeeze go:
One, two, three, four, five.
Good, now we're going to go on to finger 3 and tap and squeeze go:
One, two, three, four, five.
Good, now we're going to go on to finger 4. Tap and squeeze go: One, two, three, four, five.
Good, and last of all finger 5. Tap and squeeze go: one, two, three, four, five. Great, now I'd like you to do that every day three times. You're gonna go through all of your fingers five times. Three rounds of that.
Here's another one: It's called the cave-in challenge.
The cave-in challenge is where you're going to test this joint to make sure   it doesn't buckle the wrong way. This would be a cave-in.
You're going to try to keep it in this shape, then with your other hand come in and put a medium pressure, not too hard,
And see if you can keep that joint in the right shape.
No cave-in.
Now try your next finger. My finger 3, good. My finger 4, trying to keep it from caving in, and just put a medium amount of pressure right there
with your other hand. Good, then you go to the other hand. You can try this with me. First let's try your finger 2.
A little bit of pressure, good.
Next finger, a little bit of pressure.
Next finger,
and then finger 5.
that's the cave-in challenge.
Remember, the point of practicing finger power is to, well, give your fingers extra power.
So someday you can play any song you want.
Practice the "2-3 Finger Skip" every day along with the tap and squeeze, and the cave-in challenge. The nice thing about those is you can practice them anytime, even when you don't have a piano.
In the car, when you're bored, even under the table at dinner.
Your mom will be like, honey, what ar ...