Hanon · The Virtuoso Pianist · Part II
Hanon Exercise No. 40 Chromatic scales
Exercise 40 of 60 from Hanon’s The Virtuoso Pianist, newly engraved from the 1900 Schirmer edition. The chromatic scale with the hands an octave, a minor third and a sixth apart, then in contrary motion, with a second fingering suggested for legato playing. Press Play to hear it on a real piano, set the speed anywhere from Hanon’s 60 up to his 120, hear one hand at a time or switch on the metronome, and click any note to start from there.
As printed in Hanon’s book
Chromatic Scales.
M.M. 60 to 120.
At a minor third
At a major sixth
At a minor sixth
In contrary motion, beginning on the octave
In contrary motion, beginning on the minor third
In contrary motion, beginning on the major third
Another fingering, which we particularly recommend for legato passages
Click any note to hear from there. Space plays and pauses.
Quick facts
- Book
- C. L. Hanon, The Virtuoso Pianist in Sixty Exercises, Part II
- Trains
- The chromatic scale with the hands an octave, a minor third and a sixth apart, then in contrary motion, with a second fingering suggested for legato playing.
- Key
- Chromatic (no key signature)
- Time signature
- 3/4
- Length
- 56 bars in 8 sections
- Hanon’s speed
- 60 to 120 crotchet beats a minute
- Source
- G. Schirmer edition, 1900; English text by Theodore Baker
- Copyright
- Public domain. This engraving is free to print, copy and share.
Questions and answers
How fast should Hanon No. 40 be played?
Hanon marks it 60 to 120, in crotchet beats a minute: start at 60 and raise the speed a little at a time, only once every note is even, until you reach 120. The speed slider above the music covers that range.
What is Hanon exercise No. 40 for?
The chromatic scale with the hands an octave, a minor third and a sixth apart, then in contrary motion, with a second fingering suggested for legato playing. It is in Part II (transcendent exercises).
Can I print or download Hanon No. 40?
Yes. Use Download the PDF at the top of this page for a print-ready A4 copy of this exercise; it also prints well on US Letter with fit to page. The whole book, all 60 exercises, is one PDF on the Hanon page. Both are free and out of copyright.
← All 60 Hanon exercises · How to practise them
🔒 Runs entirely in your browser: nothing is uploaded and no account is needed.