Hanon · The Virtuoso Pianist · Part III
Hanon Exercise No. 50 Legato thirds
Exercise 50 of 60 from Hanon’s The Virtuoso Pianist, newly engraved from the 1900 Schirmer edition. Smooth double thirds in a rocking figure, then a C major scale in thirds and the chromatic scale in minor thirds. Press Play to hear it on a real piano, set the speed anywhere from Hanon’s 40 up to his 84, 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
Legato Thirds.
(M.M. ♩ = 40 to 84)
We recommend careful study of this exercise, as Thirds occupy a very important place in difficult music. All notes must be struck evenly and very distinctly.
Editor’s note: Hanon shows each note that is to be held as a hollow, half-note head on the same stem. This engraving cannot draw that, so a held note is marked with a short line (a tenuto mark) instead.
Scales in Legato Thirds
Scales in Legato Thirds. It is indispensable to practise scales in legato thirds. To obtain a smooth legato, keep the fifth finger of the right hand for an instant on its note while the thumb and 3d finger are passing over to the next third; in the left hand, the thumb is similarly held for an instant. Notes to be held are indicated by half-notes.(1) Proceed similarly in the chromatic scale further on, and in all scales in Thirds.
Chromatic scales in minor thirds
Click any note to hear from there. Space plays and pauses.
Quick facts
- Book
- C. L. Hanon, The Virtuoso Pianist in Sixty Exercises, Part III
- Trains
- Smooth double thirds in a rocking figure, then a C major scale in thirds and the chromatic scale in minor thirds.
- Key
- C major
- Time signature
- 4/4, 3/4
- Length
- 25 bars in 3 sections
- Hanon’s speed
- 40 to 84 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. 50 be played?
Hanon marks it 40 to 84, in crotchet beats a minute: start at 40 and raise the speed a little at a time, only once every note is even, until you reach 84. The speed slider above the music covers that range.
What is Hanon exercise No. 50 for?
Smooth double thirds in a rocking figure, then a C major scale in thirds and the chromatic scale in minor thirds. It is in Part III (virtuoso exercises).
Can I print or download Hanon No. 50?
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.
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