Hanon exercise 20 — fingering and practice
- Part I
- 2/4
- 60–108 BPM
About this exercise
Hanon exercise 20 is in Part I of The Virtuoso Pianist, in 2/4. The right hand starts on E3; in 15 bars the figure climbs a step at a time up to E6, and 15 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: E6 C6 G5 E5 G5 F5 G5 E5 in the right hand.
Right-hand fingering in the first bar: 1 2 4 5 4 3 4 2. Left hand: 5 4 2 1 2 3 2 4. 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 | E3 | G3 | C4 | E4 | C4 | B3 | C4 | A3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
What it trains
The figure covers a full octave (C–E–A–C with 1-2-4-5, then A–G–A–F with 4-3-4-2). It is the widest exercise in Part I and the step towards arpeggios. It ends on a two-note chord in each hand.
Common mistakes
- The stretch is forced with a stiff hand instead of a loose, open one.
- The thumb leaves C too early to help the fifth finger reach.
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. With a small hand, let the wrist move towards the top note rather than holding the full octave.
Questions and answers
What does Hanon exercise 20 train?
It trains an octave span from C to C, the stretch that prepares arpeggios.
What is the fingering for Hanon exercise 20?
In the first bar the right hand plays 1 2 4 5 4 3 4 2 and the left hand 5 4 2 1 2 3 2 4. The same fingers repeat in every bar of the climb.