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Lesson time: (4min 29sec)
Annabel Thwaite shares how she chooses fingering, aiming for the most natural hand position and even groupings, like three then four then five across a G major scale.
This lesson is part of the course Learn Classical Favourites on Piano
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Let's talk briefly about fingering. As a pianist, I love to write on my score, and I often use fingering as a signpost of when my brain needs to sort of engage more about this turn or that turn. Thus, I use it with phrasing.
The reason we use fingering is to achieve the maximum effect with minimal effort. We are very lucky as pianists because we're quite symmetrical:
We should be very free. There's a variety of schools of playing, but the most notable one emphasizes achieving the most natural hand position.
For example, a C major chord allows the fingers to fall naturally, and the hand rests comfortably on the chord.
Frederic Chopin's favorite scale was actually B major in the right hand. Look at the natural kind of hand placement:
When fingering a passage, try to find the most natural way for the hand to move.
Let's take a G major scale. We want to transition from this position to another as evenly as possible.
If working with another octave, note that the thumb has the flexibility to go underneath and move easily without creating any bumps.
If you have a big scalic passage, aim for a simple pattern. For instance:
Avoid complicated sequences like 2, 2, 3, 4, 1, 3, 2. The fingering should be something your brain can easily grasp.
For arpeggios, my hand loves the pattern 1, 2, 3, 5. I have quite small hands, so I avoid stretching too much between the fourth and fifth fingers, as it wouldn't be comfortable.
When fingering, consider:
We all have our nemesis in fingering. For example, I tend to avoid using 5 and 4 or sometimes even 4 and 3 to utilize my stronger fingers.
Finally, once you've settled on fingering, stick to it, really stick to it.
Stick with one, see if it works, practice it, solidify it, and then move on.
It's like learning a dance routine. You must learn the moves before you embark on improvisation.
Recognised as one of Britain's most versatile and charismatic pianists, Annabel Thwaite enjoys a diverse career as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, educator and examiner, and has won all the major accompanying prizes, including the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier, Gold Medal, and Richard Tauber Piano Prizes. She has collaborated with renowned artists such as Roberto Alagna, Bryn Terfel, David Kempster and "Only Men Aloud!" Annabel has recorded for Universal records with the "Scottish Tenor", whose album was nominated for a Classical Brit Award and is regularly played on Classic FM. Twice the accompanist for the Festival of Welsh Male choirs, her performances at the Royal Albert Hall were recorded by Sain and have been aired on S4C. She is also a film session pianist, having recorded at Abbey Road the music for the film "Awake", the BBC Jane Austen series "Emma", "The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister" and, most recently, she has appeared on both Blue Peter and "The Rob Brydon Show". "...no doubt helped by the obviously brilliant piano accompaniments from Annabel Thwaite...highly enjoyable." In her MusicGurus courses - Learn Christmas Classics on Piano, Learn Classical Favourites on Piano, and Growing Chamber Groups and Small Ensembles - Annabel shares the musicianship behind that versatile career. You will learn how to bring well-loved Christmas and classical pieces to life at the piano, develop your touch and phrasing, and, drawing on her award-winning experience as an accompanist, discover how to listen, lead and play together when making music with other musicians in chamber groups and small ensembles. read more
