I encourage my students to think of warming up the fingers as they would do a warm up in sports. I have a prescribed session that can be applied to each Major or Minor key. The choice of a key can be in the usual order or related to the key of a particular piece being played currently.

Warm-up Workout

1. Choose a key – Major or Minor

2.  Play the arpeggio  – 2 or 4 octaves

3.  Play the 5-finger scale up and down by step and then skips, ending with the triad. I suggest singing along with these words, ” Step-ping up and step-ping down and skip-ping up and down. Chord.”

4.  Play the scale – either 1 or 2 octaves, both parallel and contrary motion.

5.  Play the chord progression – either I – V7 – I, I – V – I – V7 – I, or I – IV – I – V – I – V7 – I

6.  Hanon exercises – choose an exercise; play it hands separately first, then when ready, hands together. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

7. Schmitt exercises – Take a section or line and play in a sight-reading manner. Then repeat a small section at least 5 times till reading is rapid.

8. Intermediate students may also use the “Advanced Arpeggios” sheet using Major and minor 6ths, 7th, diminished and augmented chords in each key.