Understanding Fingering for Pianists

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.

Purpose of Fingering

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:

• Two thumbs
• Second finger
• Third finger
• Fourth finger
• Fifth finger

Natural Hand Position

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.

Example: C Major Chord

For example, a C major chord allows the fingers to fall naturally, and the hand rests comfortably on the chord.

Frederic Chopin's Favorite

Frederic Chopin's favorite scale was actually B major in the right hand. Look at the natural kind of hand placement:

• You have this bridge
• A relaxed elbow
• Fingers falling naturally over the sharps

Fingering Passages

When fingering a passage, try to find the most natural way for the hand to move.

Example: G Major Scale

Let's take a G major scale. We want to transition from this position to another as evenly as possible.

• We could group four and three, but that would be odd since we'd end on a four, which is quite a weak finger at the top of the scale.
• The most natural approach is to do a group of three, then a group of four, and end with a five.

If working with another octave, note that the thumb has the flexibility to go underneath and move easily without creating any bumps.

Patterns for Scalier Passages

If you have a big scalic passage, aim for a simple pattern. For instance:

• Group of five
• Group of three
• Group of four

Avoid complicated sequences like 2, 2, 3, 4, 1, 3, 2. The fingering should be something your brain can easily grasp.

Fingering Arpeggios

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.

Comfort Check

When fingering, consider:

1. How does it look?
2. Does it feel comfortable?

The Cheater's Guide to Fingering

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.

• If you were trilling on 3 and 4, it might be easier for you to trill on 2 and 3, or even 1 and 3.
• Use your strengths to your advantage.

Committing to Your Fingering

Finally, once you've settled on fingering, stick to it, really stick to it.

• Practice and practice it.
• If it's still not working after about two weeks or after the 20th time, revisit it.
• However, avoid constantly changing between fingerings.

Stick with one, see if it works, practice it, solidify it, and then move on.

Comparison to Dance Routine

It's like learning a dance routine. You must learn the moves before you embark on improvisation.