Piano Fingering: Always find the right fingering
Beginners fear them. Piano players love and hate them. Professional musicians master them. I’m talking about fingerings.
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Gordon November
Gordon November
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I myself was never a big fan of sheet music (the main reason why I opted for intuitive piano playing). These little dots on lines are supposed to provide orientation.
But they took me further away rather than closer to the piano. It got even worse for me when there were small numbers next to, above, or below the notes. Numbers that indicate the fingering.
Whether right hand or left hand – doesn’t matter. Written fingerings have always thrown me off.
But there is a way to master fingerings. Completely without small numbers on the notes. You’ll get to know them right away.
Fingerings: My personal curse and blessing
No, I’m not afraid of numbers. But these fingering numbers – they just made me sweat. I’m not alone in this. They still make piano players and beginners nervous today.
Why? These numbers stand for the fingerings. In combination with a note, they tell you which finger you should use when playing a specific note.
In itself a good thing. Fingerings provide orientation. But paying attention to notes and fingers at the same time, playing fluently, and then also putting your own emotions into the song? An impossible task.
If you already have a little experience on the piano, you know this struggle. And if not: Be glad! Because in this article, I’ll reveal the secret of fingerings to you. Once you understand the principle behind it, you’ll never have to force your hand into a position again – but rather set your fingers correctly quite intuitively.
Numbering fingers: What does that mean?
Thumb equals 1. Index finger equals 2. What’s going on here?
Finger theorists don’t call the thumb thumb. And they don’t call the index finger index finger. Every finger has its own number in the world of fingering.
The thumb is 1. The index finger is 2. The middle finger is 3. The ring finger is 4. And the little finger is 5. This applies to both the right and the left hand.
Why is that? Honestly, I don’t know either. But I’m pretty sure that the numbers were chosen because they are easier to write into the notes.
So if there is a 1 next to a note, then you know immediately: I have to play this note with my thumb. Actually simple, right?
By the way, I completely forego this numbering for myself. Because: I don’t play from sheet music, but intuitively. And therefore I also set my fingers correctly intuitively. You can do that too! How? You’ll find out at the end of this article.
But first, let’s see how you can best organize your fingers on the piano on your own.
Safely on the keyboard
Play Piano by Intuition
3 tips and finger tricks when playing scales
Fingerings are scary. Regardless of whether it’s the left or right hand: Implementing numbers and notes with your hand at the same time is a challenge. But: There are three rules that make life easier for you on the piano. Let’s take a look at these rules together.
Fingering Rule 1: The little finger of the right hand always plays the highest note.
And the little finger of the left hand always plays the lowest.
If you play a sequence of notes – such as a scale – your little finger plays the highest note. But really only this one. Because if the sequence of notes goes even further and you have already used the little finger, it doesn’t go any further. It forms the end, so to speak.
It is the dead end. End of the line. So really only use the little finger when it is the last note of an ascending sequence of notes.
Note: After the little finger, it doesn’t go any further up. But it goes very well down. Because: Now you can spread your hand excellently.
Fingering Rule 2: Never put your thumb on a black key.
Your thumb is your lifesaver. You play a scale upwards. After the third finger – i.e. the middle finger – you push your thumb under your hand and place your thumb on the next key.
You do this until you reach the highest point. There you can then play the highest note with your little finger. You still know that from tip 1.
But your thumb can do even more. In my opinion, it is even the most important finger when playing the piano. It is super flexible and always helps you out of trouble in an emergency. But: As much as the thumb can do – it almost never plays a black key.
Note: Your thumb is super mobile on the keyboard on the go. If you put your fingers in the wrong place once, it can help you. And is always there for you otherwise. It just has no business on black keys.
Fingering Rule 3: The next possible white key after a black one is always played with the thumb. (when you play upwards)
Ha, the thumb again. And one of my favorite tips when it comes to fingerings. As soon as you are on black keys with your fingers when playing a scale or even a piece, you should already have your thumb ready. As soon as your fingers leave the black keys upwards, the thumb comes into play.
Note: As soon as you leave a black key to a white key upwards on the keyboard, you play the white key with your thumb. In the left hand it is the other way around.
Piano Fingerings: Not without Your Elbow
When you play scales upwards with your right hand, you should always take your elbow with you. Your hand will be pulled along by the elbow, so to speak. The same principle applies downwards. As soon as you play scales downwards, you lift your elbow and push your hand down the scale.
Try this out directly on your piano. Play a scale upwards and let your hand follow your elbow. What do you notice? In the best case, a soft, flowing movement sets in.
Just for fun: Now try taking your right hand with you when playing scales without using your elbow. The result: You sit in front of your piano like a T-Rex with stubby arms. A funny sight. But certainly not an attractive option for playing scales.
Everyone is talking about fingering. But what about my hands?
Fingerings belong to playing the piano like pineapple on toast Hawaii. But what is the point of all the tips about fingering if the posture of the hands is not correct? I’ll tell you: absolutely nothing! So, how do you hold your hands?
This is how you hold your hands when playing the piano
First, make sure you have the perfect seat height. Ideally, you have a height-adjustable chair in front of your piano. Adjust it in height so that your forearms form a straight line to the keyboard and your fingers rest loosely.
The hands should have loose and un-cramped access to the keyboard. Place your right and left hand so that your thumb still has a loose grip position on the key. So don’t push your hands too deep into the keyboard. But also don’t stay too far forward on the keys.
Also make sure that your fingers are round. Not a problem with a loose hand, is it?
Tip: The keys must remain under your hand. That may sound totally logical now. But in the heat of the musical battle, we all like to forget that. So: Always guide the hand with the fingers – and vice versa.
Piano exercises for fingering for beginners
5-finger exercise + thumb tuck
Let’s make music together. With a melody that you can play immediately without great fingering acrobatics. Simply play the C major scale upwards with your right hand up to the next C on your keyboard.
Which fingers do you use?
After everything you’ve learned so far, you now intuitively use 1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5
After you have struck the E with your middle finger, push your thumb under your hand and play the F with it. Then comfortably play the rest of the scale with your remaining fingers.
Translating fingers
Same game. Only the other way around.
This time, start with the little finger of your right hand on C. Now play downwards to the next C. Your fingers will not be enough. What do you do?
Your correct – and by the way most comfortable – fingering is now 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3 – 2 – 1
You play from C downwards to F. Then you push your middle finger over your thumb and play the E and the remaining notes with it.
Did you notice something? The principle is identical to the thumb-tuck. Only that we played from above and focused on the middle finger.
Always the right fingerings - through intuitive piano playing
You are an absolute newbie on the piano. You haven’t known any fingering so far. And now? Through this article, you already know the correct fingering for the most common playing situations. Wow, great! And the best thing: Once you have internalized the above-mentioned fingering rules, you no longer need any information about fingering. You can play completely freely.
Once you understand the rules of fingerings, you will find your fingerings quite intuitively from now on – forever.
Mastering fingering is all well and good. But how is playing songs on the piano possible without sheet music? Through intuitive piano playing. As an Intuinaut, you can easily play any song by ear. You will learn how to do this in the Masterclass Intuition: my course for Intuinauts on piano.university.
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Master Keys Without Sheet Music
With the new turbo training, you'll be proficient in every musical key within a few weeks.
(no sheet music knowledge required)
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Play Piano by Intuition
Master Keys Without Sheet Music
With the new turbo training, you'll be proficient in every key signature within just a few weeks.
(no knowledge of sheet music required)
