Hanon exercise 21 — fingering and practice
- Part II
- 4/4
- 60–108 BPM
About this exercise
Hanon exercise 21 is in Part II of The Virtuoso Pianist, in 4/4. 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 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 4 5 – – –. Left hand: 5 4 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 2 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 21, 22: once each one is secure, play them one after another without stopping.
Fingering, first bar
| Note | C3 | D3 | E3 | D3 | C3 | E3 | F3 | G3 | A3 | G3 | F3 | G3 | A3 | G3 | F3 | E3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | – | – | – |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – |
What it trains
Part II starts here, in 4/4 with sixteen notes per bar. The right hand plays C–D–E–D–C (1-2-3-2-1), then runs E–F–G–A with 2-3-4-5 and turns G–F–G–A–G–F–E. Evenness over a longer figure is the new challenge.
Common mistakes
- The bar starts strong and fades by the last four notes.
- The return to the thumb on C sounds heavy.
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. Count four groups of four and keep each group the same volume.
Questions and answers
What does Hanon exercise 21 train?
It trains the first 16-note figure: five-finger runs that turn back to the thumb.
What is the fingering for Hanon exercise 21?
In the first bar the right hand plays 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 4 5 – – – and the left hand 5 4 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 2 1 – – –. The same fingers repeat in every bar of the climb.