Hanon exercise 18 — fingering and practice
- Part I
- 2/4
- 60–108 BPM
About this exercise
Hanon exercise 18 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 is the climbing figure turned upside down.
Right-hand fingering in the first bar: 1 2 4 3 5 4 2 3. Left hand: 5 4 2 3 1 2 4 3. 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 18, 19, 20: once each one is secure, play them one after another without stopping.
Fingering, first bar
| Note | C3 | D3 | F3 | E3 | G3 | F3 | D3 | E3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
What it trains
The bar goes C–D–F–E–G–F–D–E with 1-2-4-3-5-4-2-3: two pairs played top-first (4-3, 5-4) and a pair back near the thumb (2-3). No stretch; the work is changing direction every two notes.
Common mistakes
- The figure smooths into a scale and the zigzag is lost.
- The jump back from F (4) to D (2) is late.
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. Group the notes in twos in your head (C–D, F–E, G–F, D–E) while you learn it.
Questions and answers
What does Hanon exercise 18 train?
It trains zigzag pairs 4-3 and 5-4 inside a five-note position, then 2-3.
What is the fingering for Hanon exercise 18?
In the first bar the right hand plays 1 2 4 3 5 4 2 3 and the left hand 5 4 2 3 1 2 4 3. The same fingers repeat in every bar of the climb.