Hanon Exercise No. 42: fingering, tempo and how to practice it

Hanon Exercise No. 42 is part of “The Virtuoso Pianist, Part II (Nos. 21–43): exercices transcendants” by Charles-Louis Hanon (1819–1900). Main focus: groundwork for virtuoso technique: thumb crossings, stretches and shifts more demanding than in Part I. Suggested tempos: start at ♩ = 60 to learn it, practice at ♩ = 92 and work up to the target of ♩ = 120. Difficulty 5/10 (intermediate).

What it trains

Groundwork for virtuoso technique: thumb crossings, stretches and shifts more demanding than in Part I.
Stamina and steadiness in long formulas.

How to practice it

Master Part I first: these exercises build on it.
Work slowly with a relaxed hand; raise the tempo only when it is completely even.
Play each hand alone before putting them together.

Tempo ladder: ♩ = 60 → ♩ = 76 → ♩ = 92 → ♩ = 106 → ♩ = 120. 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	5/10 · Intermediate
Suggested tempos	learn ♩ = 60 · practice ♩ = 92 · target ♩ = 120
Where the target tempo comes from	tempo marked in the score (♩ = 120): consistent with its dominant note value (sixteenth note, 8.0 notes/s). Not documented as the composer's metronome mark.
Transposable	yes, to all 12 keys
Status in the app	Being verified
Copyright	public domain: Hanon died in 1900

All 60 exercises are in the complete Hanon list; the method, in how to practice Hanon.