Hanon exercise 23 — fingering and practice
- Part II
- 4/4
- 60–108 BPM
About this exercise
Hanon exercise 23 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 – – – 1 5 4 3 2 3 4 3. Left hand: 5 4 3 4 5 – – – 5 1 2 3 4 3 2 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 23, 24: once each one is secure, play them one after another without stopping.
Fingering, first bar
| Note | C3 | D3 | E3 | D3 | C3 | D3 | E3 | D3 | C3 | A3 | G3 | F3 | E3 | F3 | G3 | F3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | – | – | – | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
What it trains
The bar starts with C–D–E–D twice (1-2-3-2), then the thumb plays C and the fifth finger jumps to A, a sixth higher, and runs down G–F–E with 4-3-2 before the turn F–G–F.
Common mistakes
- The repeated group grows louder the second time.
- The jump to A after the second group comes 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. Keep the first eight notes very light so the jump to A can stay in time.
Questions and answers
What does Hanon exercise 23 train?
It trains a rocking group 1-2-3-2 played twice, then a sixth and a run down.
What is the fingering for Hanon exercise 23?
In the first bar the right hand plays 1 2 3 2 1 – – – 1 5 4 3 2 3 4 3 and the left hand 5 4 3 4 5 – – – 5 1 2 3 4 3 2 3. The same fingers repeat in every bar of the climb.