How to Learn Piano Fingering

By eHow Arts & Entertainment Editor

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As a beginning pianist, you will need advice on which fingers to use on which notes until you can play without looking at your fingers. Here are some basics of fingering.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Fingering Exercises

Step1
Learn to name the notes on the keyboard you are about to play.
Step2
Look down at the keyboard to find the notes of the C major scale: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C' (white keys only).
Step3
Play on a mid-range octave (the eight notes of the diatonic scale). Fingers in piano music are numbered as thumb = 1, index finger = 2, middle finger = 3, ring finger = 4, little finger = 5.
Step4
Place your right thumb on the key that corresponds to the note of C.
Step5
Play the following exercise with your right hand: C(1)-D(2)-E(3)-F(4)-G-(5)-F(4)-E(3)-D(2)-C(1). Look at the keyboard while playing until you have the numbers down.
Step6
Play the exercise without looking at the notes and numbers.
Step7
Finally, practice without looking at what your fingers are doing.
Step8
Play three notes of the scale in the following manner: C(1)-E(3)-G(5); F(1)-A(2)-C'(5); B(5)-G(3)-E(1).
Step9
Note that where notes proceed in alphabetical order, you use your fingers in the same order: if a white key is left out, the corresponding finger is also left out.
Step10
Do a similar exercise using the fingers of your left hand: E(3)-D(2)-C(1); C(1)-F(4)-G(5); G(5)-E(3)-C(1); G(4)-A(3)-B(2).
Step11
Note that in G-A-B, the index finger (2) crosses over the middle and ring finger. This is a technique you will need to use frequently in piano music.
Step12
Play fairly smoothly and as softly as you can.
Step13
Raise one key at the precise moment when you press down on the next key to avoid gaps between sounds.
Step14
Play the exercises very slowly until you can do them smoothly without looking at your fingers, then increase your speed. You will never get any piano piece right if you play too fast, skipping over mistakes!

Playing Music

Step1
Using the fingering technique you've just learned, play the following tune [4/4 rhythm counting 1-2-3-4 each bar;( / = bar measure; __ = rest)]: E(3)-E(3)-F(4)-G(5) / G(5)-F(4)-E(3)-D(2) / C(1)-C(1)-D(2)-E(3) / E(3)-D(2)-D(2)__(2) / E(3)-E(3)-F(4)-G(5) / G(5)-F(4)-E(3)-D(2) / C(1)-C(1)-D(2)-E(3) / D(2)__(2)-C(1)__(1) / D(2)-D(2)-E(3)-C(1) / D(2)-F(4)-E(3)-C(1) / D(2)-F(4)-E(3)-D(2) / C(1)-D(2)-D(2)__(2) / E(3)-E(3)-F(4)-G(5) / G(5)-F(4)-E(3)-D(2) / C(1)-C(1)-D(2)-E(3) / D(2)-C(1)-C(1)__(1) /
Step2
Name that tune. Check out User Tips to see if your answer matches JD's!

Tips & Warnings

  • Start on a book of easy piano studies. You can purchase piano music at any music store.

Comments

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on 3/5/2008 Thanks for teaching how to learn piano fingering. For those people who want to learn how to play the piano and read notes, you should try Piano Wizard. Piano Wizard is a video game wherein you will enjoy learning how to play the piano. It will teach you the proper fingering. You can also learn to play your favorite songs with Piano Wizard. Check out this demo of Piano Wizard - http://www.squidoo.com/piano-wizard-queen

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on 3/5/2008 Thanks for teaching how to learn piano fingering. For those people who want to learn how to play the piano and read notes, you should try Piano Wizard. Piano Wizard is a video game wherein you will enjoy learning how to play the piano. It will teach you the proper fingering. You can also learn to play your favorite songs with Piano Wizard. Check out this demo of Piano Wizard - http://www.squidoo.com/piano-wizard-queen

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Anonymous said

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on 8/7/2006 Whatever it is you are practicing, it helps to start off playing very slowly. As you start to remember the scale or melody and get better at playing it, slowly increase the tempo. If you are making mistakes, slow down. It sounds obvious, but you may have the passage memorized and think you can play it at tempo, but your fingers stumble. This is normal. After 30 years of playing piano, sometimes I still have to remind myself to slow down when learning something new, or playing something I haven't practiced in a long time.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 3/15/2006 You should always try to practice, especially when you're alone. Don't get frustrated when you keep making mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes and you learn from your mistakes, and eventually you will get better!

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 I am a firm believer that you need to find your way around the keys without looking. And although we are told not to look at the keys, we will in certain situations. A way to solve this is to blindfold yourself. I find that after a couple of minutes I can see every key in my head it takes a little of getting use to but it works.

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eHow Article:  How to Learn Piano Fingering

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