Hanon exercise 4 — fingering and practice
- Part I
- 2/4
- 60–108 BPM
About this exercise
Hanon exercise 4 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 uses its own figure, not the climbing one in reverse: G5 F5 G5 D5 B4 C5 D5 E5 in the right hand.
Right-hand fingering in the first bar: 1 2 1 2 5 – – –. Left hand: 5 4 5 3 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 3, 4, 5: once each one is secure, play them one after another without stopping.
Fingering, first bar
| Note | C3 | D3 | C3 | E3 | A3 | G3 | F3 | E3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | – | – | – |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – |
What it trains
The bar opens with the thumb and index finger alternating, C–D–C (1-2-1), then finger 2 takes E and the hand opens to A with finger 5. It trains a light, quick thumb, the base of every turn and mordent.
Common mistakes
- The thumb plays the two Cs too heavily, so the bar starts with a bump.
- C–D–C is rushed and the rest of the bar has to wait.
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 thumb close to the key and let it play from its base joint, not from the wrist.
Questions and answers
What does Hanon exercise 4 train?
It trains thumb and index alternating on C–D–C before the hand opens to the fifth finger.
What is the fingering for Hanon exercise 4?
In the first bar the right hand plays 1 2 1 2 5 – – – and the left hand 5 4 5 3 1 – – –. The same fingers repeat in every bar of the climb.