1. Move a wider pair comfortably
Purpose: coordinate two lines within one hand while allowing the hand to travel between their wider shapes. A sixth here is one simultaneous pair, not the distance between the two hands’ single-note scales.
RH uses 1–4, 2–5, 1–4, 2–5, 1–4. LH uses 5–2, 4–1, 5–2, 4–1, 5–2, with each pair read from the lower note upward. These are the changing finger relationships trained in Hanon No. 49. Learn the hands separately: the pairs do not change in the same way in both hands.
Use one hand first. If the interval is not comfortably available, play the two lines separately and leave the paired version for a suitable adaptation. The lower line is C–D–E–D–C; the upper is A–B–C–B–A. Hear both before combining them.
Prepare, sound, release, move
Start with only C/A to D/B and back. Let the arm carry the hand to the next position after releasing the first pair. Keep the attack moderate and the movement no larger than needed. Then add E/C and restore the complete written fragment. Do not force a connection across the return to the first finger pair.
The interval quality changes: C/A and D/B are major sixths; E/C is a minor sixth. The changing sound belongs to the C-major collection. It does not call for an extra accent or a sudden change of pulse.
Checkpoint: each pair starts together, the hand releases between positions, and the return stays as comfortable as the ascent.
2. Let the phrase determine the connection
Separate the voices first
Play the upper line with its intended phrase shape. Add the lower line softly, preserving that shape. Then try the lower line as the prominent voice. A sixth can sound thick when both notes are louder than necessary; clarity often comes from choosing which line the listener should follow.
Practice the printed pairs with a small release first, then explore a comfortable connection between the first two pairs. The change from 2–5 back to 1–4 in RH requires its own preparation; changing fingers alone does not guarantee legato. Pedal, where stylistically appropriate, can support the sound but should not conceal an uncertain movement.
What comes from Hanon
Hanon No. 48’s Detached Sixths uses RH 1–5 and LH 5–1. No. 49 instead trains the spans 1–4 and 2–5 in broken sixths: its opening RH alternates 1–4 with 2–5, while LH alternates 5–2 with 4–1. Our preceding study applies those pairs to a short original sequence of simultaneous sixths; its notes and rhythm are not a quotation of No. 49.
Consult the Hanon scan, No. 48 and No. 49, PDF pages 9–10. The source distinction matters: the finger relationships are useful preparation, but they do not constitute a complete legato-sixth scale fingering. Use only comfortable spans, without adopting the historical exercise’s stretching language as an instruction to force the hand.
A black-key sixth changes how far into the keyboard the fingers sit. Move the hand to accommodate the whole shape rather than twisting one finger toward the black key while fixing the other in place.
Expand by musical need
Choose a two- or three-pair fragment from your music. Identify the upper and lower lines, intended articulation, and any note that must remain held. Mark a workable route, then test the return or the following chord. Extend the fragment only when these transitions are dependable.
Long sixth passages and advanced studies such as Chopin’s Op. 25 No. 8 need more specialized fingering and preparation. They remain later repertoire work, not an implied next tempo for this short exercise.
Checkpoint: you can explain why a chosen release or connection serves the phrase, and can preserve the intended balance without holding a rigid span between attacks.