Hanon exercise 15 — fingering and practice
- Part I
- 2/4
- 60–108 BPM
About this exercise
Hanon exercise 15 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 is the climbing figure turned upside down.
Right-hand fingering in the first bar: 1 2 1 3 2 4 3 5. Left hand: 5 3 4 2 3 1 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 15, 16, 17: once each one is secure, play them one after another without stopping.
Fingering, first bar
| Note | C3 | E3 | D3 | F3 | E3 | G3 | F3 | A3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
What it trains
The bar climbs in thirds that overlap: C–E, D–F, E–G, F–A with 1-2, 1-3, 2-4, 3-5. The first third stretches the thumb and index finger, and each later pair moves one finger along.
Common mistakes
- The thumb rushes back to D after C–E.
- The top note of the bar (A with finger 5) is weak.
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 wrist moving gently to the right through the bar so no finger has to reach.
Questions and answers
What does Hanon exercise 15 train?
It trains rising thirds in a zigzag: 1-2, 1-3, 2-4, 3-5.
What is the fingering for Hanon exercise 15?
In the first bar the right hand plays 1 2 1 3 2 4 3 5 and the left hand 5 3 4 2 3 1 2 1. The same fingers repeat in every bar of the climb.