Studying the exercises in Hanon’s The Virtuoso Pianist is a rite of passage for serious piano players-and it has been for over 100 years. A staple of conservatory curricula around the world, the thorough technical training offered by this book is unmatched by any other.

Hanon’s drills are divided into three distinct sections, progressing from simple to complex. The first set aims to develop strength and independence in the fingers. The second set moves on to scales and arpeggios. The final group of exercises is considerably more difficult and focuses on surmounting the greatest technical challenges of piano playing. This part includes repeated notes, repeated double notes, scales in thirds and octaves, tremolos, trills, and more.

The Virtuoso Pianist is a challenging and instructive book for players of all ages, skill levels, and traditions. Book I contains preparatory Exercises for the acquirement of agility, strength, dexterity, and perfect evenness of the fingers. Continue your refinement of skills with book 3 (ISBN 1974899535) in this series, or get the complete series of 3 books in one edition (hardcover ISBN 162654591X, paperback ISBN 1626545901).