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I haven't warmed up for years. I did when I was young but now I find it unnecessary. Five minutes technical work, first thing in the morning and last thing at night, on the silent practice clavier, is quite sufficient to keep the physical apparatus at a level much higher than needed for my musical purposes.

Sorry for my lapse in reading. To answer the two questions posed to me:

1) This routine in its entirety may take me approximately half an hour. As a side note - someone mentioned that things being learned and warm-ups are two separate things. I must disagree, at least partially. If we use scales as an example: one of the purposes of learning scales is to learn about key signatures and their notes, playing in different rhythms, dynamics, articulation, etc. In other words, *musical* things. But another (though not completely separate) purpose is that of technique, or mechanics. Speed, clarity, evenness, hand movement, and so on. I do not mean this to sound like a "cop-out", if you will, but sometimes the point of scales is *only* to warm up. That's it. You're not really learning anything new, but are physically and mentally preparing yourself to play.

2)I do blocked and broken 3-Note and 4-Note chords up and down through one octave. e.g. Root, 1st Inv., 2nd Inv. Root, Root, 2nd inv. 1st Inv., Root.

Many people say "Bach" as a warm up.
Can anyone be more specific? Thanks!

lately, chop 10/1 and 10/4 .. working on expanding this though.

If those two etudes don't warm you up - nothing will !!!

For example, most of the Preludes from WTC I and II, some of the the Two and Three Part Inventions, and excerpts from the Partitas, Suites and Toccatas.

In other words, anything Bach wrote that requires moderate to rapid finger work and precision.

The Dmajor prelude from Book I has been part of my warm up for as long as I can remember.

Dan, I think we essentially agree. I think for you scales might be excellent as a warm-up or part of one, because you know them already and they are not difficult for you to get through. But for a young student who's learning scales for the first time, scales are IMO not potential warm-up material at all.

Normally, I don't warm up at all; but sometimes, if my fingers are cold, I'll play the song "Clocks" by Coldplay to heat up my hands (actually, I play that song first almost every time I sit down at the piano anyway simply because it's awesome).

I warm up by doing arm swings and star jumps. This is the most effective way.

Yes, I completely agree .

Typically, it is Hanon 21-30, scales, double thirds, arpeggios, and broken chords in whatever key I am focusing on for that month; about twenty of the Dohnanyis; a routine of arpeggios in rhythms I've worked out based on the diminished and major 7ths in Hanon; a little work on the Cooke scale velocity thing; and, sort of transitioning to rep, etudes by Clementi, Moszkowski, Moscheles, and Persichetti.

But this big mess of stuff is not just warming up, it is simultaneously technical work.

I don't use one and here's why.

If I accustomed myself to warmups, I would be conditioning myself to expect them. This hampers performance.

Do I play scales? You bet! Do I practice arps and other usual technique? Sure! Just not first thing when I sit down.

I guess, if there was one thing I do prior to playing - ideally, at least once a day - it is to bend each finger backwards to loosen the joints and keep them supple as I age.

as a kid i went through all those scales and exercises and stuff, but seriously, is there really a point in warming up? i just jump straight to whatever i'm working on.

of course, i'm not a professional pianist so i don't spend much time practicing, so maybe that's different.

That is absolutely a warm-up, so you do indeed use one. It just isn't a playing warm-up - but there's no rule that it has to be one.

There is for me. My hands aren't really fully functional until after I've done a lot of playing, so warming up makes a big difference. I just can't play or practice as well if I don't do an extensive warm-up first.

Yes, I can jump right in and sometimes I do that just for a break in routine, but it is a whole different experience, and one that I think would not be useful as a regular thing.

But all of us are different. I am sure if I had the hands and blood circulation and metabolism, etc., of some of the people here, I wouldn't bother with warming up either.

I agree completely. Someone here posted a while ago (probably last year) that his fingers felt great after lawn mowing. On internet you find people with similar experiences with different activities.

Realizing that allows us to schedule our time more efficiently. Like if you have to mow the grass, or hand wash a shirt (imagine that squeezing and wringing action), or knead some dough to make a bread or wash a big load of dishes, you can do it before your practice, and you will have accomplished at least some warming up before your practice.

Warming up in musicality is different, but for physical only, you can achieve it through different activities.

It's better to stretch your fingers back immediately after playing not before.

Why? I don't think it matters. The only reason that I could think of would be to "undo" any tension, but if you did it before playing it might reduce it in the first place...

I'm confused, debrucy.

I don't warm up...though I prefer to start with sections that don't require fast fingers/arms, which gradually "warm" you up. Sorta like the Liszt sonata, which kinda gets you warm before the fireworks start midway in the second movement.