Hanon Exercise No. 38
About this arrangement
Hanon calls it a preparatory exercise for the study of scales.
The exercise runs one-octave scales up, then down, then in contrary motion. Practise each of the four sections on its own before playing them in a row. Use a metronome, lift each finger and play every note clearly, and keep both hands exactly together.
Start with short loops.
Use the section list as a practice map. Start at 50% tempo, loop one section, then return to the full piece once the hand shape feels stable.
Choose Right or Left to focus on one hand. Wait for note checks the highlighted notes as you play them on the screen or a connected MIDI keyboard.
Before you practice.
01 What does Hanon No. 38 train?
It works scales, as a preparation for the scale exercises that follow. Both hands play scales, first in the same direction and then in contrary motion.
02 Is Hanon No. 38 good for beginners?
It suits a pianist who has worked through the Part I exercises and can play evenly with both hands. Start slowly; the work is keeping every note even.
03 How long is Hanon No. 38?
Our edition has 64 bars in four sections of 16: parallel motion up, parallel motion down, contrary motion apart and contrary motion back together. Each pair of sections repeats once.