A harmonic minor scale: piano fingering and how to practice it

A harmonic minor scale is part of “The Virtuoso Pianist, Part II (Nos. 21–43): exercices transcendants” by Charles-Louis Hanon (1819–1900). Main focus: master the A harmonic minor scale over 4 octaves, hands together. In our transcription it is in A minor, in 4/4 time, and 4 bars long. Suggested tempos: start at ♩ = 56 to learn it, practice at ♩ = 88 and work up to the target of ♩ = 112. Difficulty 4/10 (intermediate).

The pattern and its fingering

First bar of our transcription, note by note, with the fingering the app shows.

Right hand	A–B–C–D–E–F–G♯–A–B–C–D–E–F–G♯–A–B fingers 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4-1-2
Left hand	A–B–C–D–E–F–G♯–A–B–C–D–E–F–G♯–A–B fingers 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4

■ right hand (finger above) · ■ left hand (finger below)

What it trains

Master the A harmonic minor scale over 4 octaves, hands together.
Make the fingering and thumb crossing automatic, with no unwanted accents.
Key signature: no sharps or flats.
Hear and master the augmented second between the 6th and 7th degrees.

How to practice it

Prepare the thumb crossing before you need it: the thumb travels under the hand while the other fingers play.
The hand moves in a straight line and the elbow follows; avoid twisting the wrist at each thumb crossing.
Also practice with accents every 3 and every 4 notes to even out the fingers.
First play each hand alone over one octave; extend to four once the fingering is automatic.

Tempo ladder: ♩ = 56 → ♩ = 72 → ♩ = 88 → ♩ = 100 → ♩ = 112. Only move up a step once the take comes out clean; in the app, the progressive metronome does it for you.

Composer	Charles-Louis Hanon (1819–1900)
Work	The Virtuoso Pianist, Part II (Nos. 21–43): exercices transcendants
Difficulty	4/10 · Intermediate
Key	A minor
Time signature	4/4
Bars	4
Suggested tempos	learn ♩ = 56 · practice ♩ = 88 · target ♩ = 112
Where the target tempo comes from	estimated: difficulty 4/10 → 7.5 notes/s on the dominant note value (sixteenth note) → ♩ = 112. No confirmed composer's metronome mark.
Transposable	no
Status in the app	Available
Copyright	public domain: Hanon died in 1900

Every fingering is in the piano scales and arpeggios chart.