Hanon exercise 13 — fingering and practice
- Part I
- 2/4
- 60–108 BPM
About this exercise
Hanon exercise 13 is in Part I of The Virtuoso Pianist, in 2/4. The right hand starts on E3; 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: E5 G5 D5 F5 E5 C5 D5 E5 in the right hand.
Right-hand fingering in the first bar: 3 1 4 2 5 3 4 5. Left hand: 3 5 2 4 1 3 2 1. 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 12, 13, 14: once each one is secure, play them one after another without stopping.
Fingering, first bar
| Note | E3 | C3 | F3 | D3 | G3 | E3 | F3 | G3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
What it trains
Each pair is a third played downwards, and the pairs step up: C–A, D–B, E–C with 3-1, 4-2, 5-3. The hand stays inside a fifth. It is the descending counterpart of exercise 7 and another preparation for double thirds.
Common mistakes
- The lower note of each third (the thumb or finger 2) is louder than the upper one.
- The pairs are joined smoothly in one direction but bump in the other.
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. Practise the pairs as blocked thirds first (both notes together), then break them again.
Questions and answers
What does Hanon exercise 13 train?
It trains falling thirds stepping up: the pairs 3-1, 4-2 and 5-3.
What is the fingering for Hanon exercise 13?
In the first bar the right hand plays 3 1 4 2 5 3 4 5 and the left hand 3 5 2 4 1 3 2 1. The same fingers repeat in every bar of the climb.