The Virtuoso Pianist In 60 Exercises

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The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises is a compilation of 60 exercises meant to train the pianist in speed, precision, agility, and strength of all of the fingers and flexibility in the wrists. The Virtuoso Pianist is also Charles-Louis Hanon's most well known work, and widely used today by piano instructors and pupils.

The exercises address common problems which could hamper the performance abilities of a student. These include "crossing of the thumb," strengthening of the fourth and fifth fingers, and quadruple- and triple-trills. The exercises are meant to be individually mastered and then played consecutively in the sections they are placed in. Apart from increasing technical abilities of the student, when played in groups at higher speeds, the exercises also will help to increase endurance^[1]

The exercises are divided in three parts.

The first part, consisting of exercises 1 - 20, is labeled "preparatory exercises." These are also the most famous exercises.

The second part, consisting of exercises 21 - 43, is labeled "further exercises for the development of a virtuoso technique." This more difficult section is meant to be played after the pianist has fully mastered Part 1. Part 2 includes scales and arpeggios.

The third part, consisting of exercises 44-60, is labeled "virtuoso exercises for mastering the greatest technical difficulties." Since this section is considerably more difficult, Hanon recommends the mastery of both previous parts before proceeding to this one. This part includes repeated notes, repeated intervals, scales in intervals, tremolos, and more.

After all three parts are mastered, Hanon recommends all exercises be played through daily to retain technique.

It is said that Vladimir Horowitz was buried with a copy of the Virtuoso Pianist.

First exercise from the Virtuoso Pianist (file info) — play in browser (beta)
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1 Criticisms of The Exercises
2 Trivia
3 Notes
4 External links

[edit] Criticisms of The Exercises

Although their use is widespread, the exercises are not without their detractors. Some, such as Abby Whiteside have dismissed the very notion of finger independence which they are intended to encourage, insisting instead that only a technique based on the use of the humerus can be effective.

[edit] Trivia

In the finale of Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2, the piano part at one point contains a series of running figures which are obviously derived from the Hanon exercises. Since the concerto was dedicated to (and premiered by) his son Maxim, some have suggested that these passages are a reference to the Hanon exercises Shostakovich would have heard his young son practicing.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ These studies, generally only one or two measures long, are first repeated several (many) times, and then varied, generally by first running them up the C major scale, then down, with inversion. It has been said that this can make them difficult if not unbearable to listen to by a household member let alone the practicing pianist. However, it can also be beguiling, especially for the pianist that soon discovers mysterious improvements in other aspects of their playing after taking up the Hanon exercises.