Hanon exercise 11 — fingering and practice
- Part I
- 2/4
- 60–108 BPM
About this exercise
Hanon exercise 11 is in Part I of The Virtuoso Pianist, in 2/4. The right hand starts on C3; in 14 bars the figure climbs a step at a time up to G5, and 14 bars bring it back down. The left hand plays the same notes an octave lower. The way down uses its own figure, not the climbing one in reverse: G5 D5 B4 C5 B4 C5 D5 C5 in the right hand.
Right-hand fingering in the first bar: 1 2 5 4 5 4 3 4. Left hand: 5 3 1 2 1 2 3 2. Keep the same fingers in every bar of the climb; the way down has its own fingering, written on its first bar.
Hanon groups exercises 9, 10, 11: once each one is secure, play them one after another without stopping.
Fingering, first bar
| Note | C3 | E3 | A3 | G3 | A3 | G3 | F3 | G3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
What it trains
After C–E–A with 1-2-5, the right hand alternates A–G–A–G with 5-4-5-4 before 3-4 ends the bar. The fourth and fifth fingers are the weakest pair, and this is the first exercise that makes them trill.
Common mistakes
- Finger 4 collapses at the first joint, so G is quieter than A.
- The fifth finger plays on its side instead of its tip.
Tempo plan
Hanon asks for the metronome at 60 to begin with, raised gradually to 108. The player starts at 60; set the speed to 180% to play at 108.
A tempo ladder for this exercise: 60 → 72 → 84 → 96 → 108 BPM, moving up a step only after two clean runs. Keep the hand turned slightly towards the fifth finger so 4 and 5 stand on their tips.
Questions and answers
What does Hanon exercise 11 train?
It trains a 4-5 trill on A–G, the weakest pair of fingers.
What is the fingering for Hanon exercise 11?
In the first bar the right hand plays 1 2 5 4 5 4 3 4 and the left hand 5 3 1 2 1 2 3 2. The same fingers repeat in every bar of the climb.