Hanon exercise 26 — fingering and practice
- Part II
- 4/4
- 60–108 BPM
About this exercise
Hanon exercise 26 is in Part II of The Virtuoso Pianist, in 4/4. 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: G5 E5 F5 G5 F5 D5 E5 F5 E5 C5 D5 E5 D5 C5 D5 C5 in the right hand.
Right-hand fingering in the first bar: 3 4 5 3 2 3 4 2 1 2 3 1 5 4 5 4. Left hand: 3 2 1 3 4 3 2 4 5 4 3 5 1 2 1 2. 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 25, 26: once each one is secure, play them one after another without stopping.
Fingering, first bar
| Note | E3 | F3 | G3 | E3 | D3 | E3 | F3 | D3 | C3 | D3 | E3 | C3 | A3 | G3 | A3 | G3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Left hand | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
What it trains
The right hand plays one small shape three times, each time a finger lower: C–D–E–C with 3-4-5-3, B–C–D–B with 2-3-4-2, A–B–C–A with 1-2-3-1. The bar ends with F–E–F–E on 5-4-5-4.
Common mistakes
- The group played with 3-4-5 is weaker than the one with 1-2-3.
- The closing 5-4 trill slows down.
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. Compare the three groups: they should sound identical even though different fingers play them.
Questions and answers
What does Hanon exercise 26 train?
It trains the same three-finger group on 3-4-5, 2-3-4 and 1-2-3, then a 5-4 trill.
What is the fingering for Hanon exercise 26?
In the first bar the right hand plays 3 4 5 3 2 3 4 2 1 2 3 1 5 4 5 4 and the left hand 3 2 1 3 4 3 2 4 5 4 3 5 1 2 1 2. The same fingers repeat in every bar of the climb.