The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises

First published in Boulogne, in 1873, The Virtuoso Pianist is Hanon's most well-known work, and is still widely used by piano instructors and pupils.

The exercises are intended to address common problems which could hamper the performance abilities of a student.

Some detractors, such as Abby Whiteside have dismissed the very notion of finger independence which they are intended to encourage, insisting instead that only a technique based on the use of the humerus can be effective.

[citation needed] Hao Huang believes that "Hanon, Schmitt or Czerny have been useful for beginning pianists, affording variety as an alternative to endless practicing of scales and arpeggios" but warns against "the idea of technical exercises as panacea": There is nothing more dulling than hours spent mindlessly going over finger patterns.

Certainly, indiscriminate practicing of exercises can damage a pianist just as forcing repetition of a difficult piece.