five-finger exercise
noun1
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music A musical composition for the piano, designed to require the use of all the fingers of the hand for the purpose of skill development.
- It was the singular room which Carlyle had constructed in the hopes that he could shut out all the noises of the universe, the crowing of cocks, and the jingling of a young lady's five-finger exercise in particular.1899, Arthur Conan Doyle, chapter 20, in A Duet:
2
Broadly, Figuratively An activity which is undertaken for the purpose of skill development.
- Batman Begins, the 2005 film that launched Nolan's series, was a mere five-finger exercise. This is the full symphony.2008 July 9, Richard Corliss, “Batman Is Back—TIME Reviews The Dark Knight”, in Time: