Hanon piano exercises
The Virtuoso Pianist by Charles-Louis Hanon (1873) contains 60 exercises for finger independence, evenness, and velocity. The book is in the public domain worldwide. Here is what each group trains and how to use them correctly.
What the 60 exercises cover
Hanon divided the 60 exercises into three groups of increasing difficulty. All 60 are sequenced patterns, not musical pieces: the point is mechanical repetition of a specific finger motion, not musical expression. That limitation is the source of both their effectiveness and their critics.
Sequential five-finger patterns that sequence a core rhythmic figure through all finger pairs (1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5 and their reverses) up and down the keyboard in C major and then through all transpositions. Each exercise targets a specific pair of fingers in an ascending or descending configuration.
What it trains: Finger independence and evenness. Exercises 1 through 20 are the foundation of the whole collection. No. 1 is the most-used because it exposes the 1-2-3-4-5 sequence under the same repeating figure, making unevenness (volume or timing) immediately audible.
These extend the patterns into longer sequences, introduce scale-like runs, arpeggios, repeated notes, trills, extensions, contractions, and wrist rotation. They are called transcendent because they require a level of independence and endurance the preparatory exercises build toward.
What it trains: Velocity in longer passages, wrist flexibility, repeated-note dexterity, trill endurance. Nos. 29 and 30 (scales and arpeggios in all major and minor keys) are the most directly applicable to repertoire.
The hardest group. Exercises 44 through 60 cover trills in thirds and sixths, scales in thirds and sixths, chromatic scales, chromatic thirds, repeated-note velocity, and large-interval stretches. These are rarely practiced in full by students below advanced level.
What it trains: Double-note technique (thirds and sixths), chromatic facility, extreme finger independence in simultaneous intervals. Nos. 44 and 48 (trills in thirds and sixths) are specifically preparatory for Romantic-era repertoire.
The Virtuoso Pianist was first published in 1873 by Hanon himself. Hanon died in 1900. The work is public domain worldwide. The 1873 edition is freely available from IMSLP and from most public library collections.
How to use Hanon exercises
The five rules below address the most common misuses. Each one matters: getting one wrong usually cancels the benefit of the others.
Hanon exercises are warm-up material, not practice sessions. Use 10 to 15 minutes of Hanon at the start of your session to bring your hands up to temperature, then move to repertoire. Practicing Hanon for 45 minutes and calling it practice is the most common misuse.
Start No. 1 at a tempo where every note is absolutely even in volume. For most students, that is between quarter-note = 60 and 80. Increase by 4 BPM only when evenness is perfect at the current tempo. The tempos printed in the score (up to 108) are targets, not starting points.
Hanon directs that the preparatory exercises be played in all major keys, not just C. Playing in C major only builds a habit locked to the easiest key. Transpose No. 1 through G, D, A, E, B, F-sharp, D-flat, A-flat, E-flat, B-flat, F, and back to C. This takes months. It is worth it.
Every student has a weak finger pair: usually 3-4 or 4-5 in one hand. Play No. 1 slowly with a recording device and listen for the note that is quieter than the others. That is your target. Slow the tempo, isolate that finger pair with exercises that target it, and return to the full exercise when the pair is even.
Hanon alone does not replace scales (which train thumb crossings and the feel of a key), arpeggios (which train wrist rotation across multiple octaves), or trills (which train the specific 3-4 and 4-5 pairs at their natural speed). Use Hanon as one column of a technique practice that also includes at least one scale and one arpeggio per session.
The Hanon debate: useful or harmful?
Piano pedagogy divides on Hanon. The main criticism is that the exercises train mechanical repetition without musical context, and that practicing an unmusical motion for 30 minutes trains that motion, not piano playing. Critics point to the observation that fast, even fingers are better developed by practicing scales, arpeggios, and exercises drawn from actual repertoire, where the mechanical motion is always in service of a musical phrase.
The main defense is that the exercises work for their stated purpose: finger independence. Exercises 3 and 4 (which hold fingers 4 and 5 depressed while fingers 1, 2, and 3 play) produce a kind of isolated independence that scale practice does not target directly. For students whose ring and pinky fingers are noticeably weak or dependent, targeted Hanon work produces measurable improvement faster than the equivalent time in scales.
The resolution most working teachers reach: use the first 20 preparatory exercises as warm-up material for 10 to 15 minutes per day, use the time saved versus a 45-minute Hanon session on scales, arpeggios, and repertoire. Avoid using the transcendent and virtuoso groups until the student is at an advanced level and working on technique that those exercises directly prepare.
Injury risk
Hanon exercises carry a real injury risk if practiced at high tempos for long sessions without adequate warm-up. The exercises in groups 2 and 3 include stretches and motions that load the tendons and the extensor mechanism of the hand. If you feel any discomfort in the fingers, wrist, or forearm during Hanon practice, stop immediately. Practice in pain builds injury, not technique.
Frequently asked questions
Are Hanon exercises good for piano?
Hanon exercises are effective for one specific purpose: building finger independence and evenness through mechanical repetition. They are limited in musical content by design. Piano teachers divide on whether to use them: those who do use them value the targeted independence training; those who do not prefer scale and arpeggio work drawn from the actual repertoire the student is playing. A reasonable position: use the first 20 preparatory exercises as warm-up material, and use scales and arpeggios for the rest of your technique time.
Are the Hanon exercises in the public domain?
Yes. Charles-Louis Hanon published The Virtuoso Pianist (Le Pianiste Virtuose) in 1873 in France. Hanon died in 1900. The work is in the public domain worldwide, including in the United States where any pre-1928 publication is PD. Any edition from a public library, from IMSLP, or from a print-on-demand publisher reprinting the original 1873 edition is free to use without restriction.
How long should I practice Hanon every day?
Ten to fifteen minutes is the correct daily Hanon allocation for most students. This is enough to warm up the hands, target one or two weak finger pairs, and run a scale in all 12 keys at the current tempo. More than 20 minutes of Hanon without playing repertoire is a poor use of practice time: the exercises train mechanical repetition, and repetition without musical context builds accuracy without musicality.
Which Hanon exercise should I start with?
Exercise No. 1. It is the simplest and the most diagnostically useful: it exposes uneven fingers immediately. Play it at quarter-note = 60, listen for any note that is louder or quieter than its neighbors, and work at that tempo until all five notes are equal. Then transpose it to G major and repeat. Most students spend the first month on No. 1 in all 12 keys before moving to No. 2.
What tempo should I practice Hanon exercises?
Start at the tempo where you can play with perfect evenness (typically quarter-note = 60 to 80 for beginners). Increase by 4 BPM when the current tempo is mastered. The printed target tempos (up to 108) are goals, not starting points. Playing unevenly at a fast tempo trains unevenness. Playing evenly at a slow tempo trains control that transfers to speed.