Is Correct Fingering Important for Playing the Piano?

You wouldn’t believe how often I see students playing piano while using extremely awkward fingering, and I’m sure that this is something which interests beginners and intermediate players alike.

Even though you may not think so, this is in fact a controversial topic.

Just as there are many who believe in free-style fingering, there are also many who advocate strict fingering.

Here are my thoughts on the subject…

First of all, everyone has different fingers in terms of length, but one common factor is that our thumbs are shorter than our other fingers.

Also, the thumb is usually the most powerful finger we have, followed by the index finger and middle finger, and it’s these three figures which are the most used when it comes to playing piano.

Here are some tips concerning fingering which you should certainly consider:

1. The thumb should never be used for playing a black key. The only exception to this rule is when you:

• Play a musical piece which only has black notes.
• When you play a piece where they are black and white keys.

The bottom line is; the thumb is not designed for playing black keys, simply because it’s too short. Instead, it’s the second and third fingers which should be used for playing black notes. In other words, if you find yourself playing a peace which starts with a black note such as Bb major for example, you should use your second or third finger rather than your thumb.

2. In the event that you’re playing a piece with your right hand and you’re in a situation where some of the keys are out of reach, you should simply move your hand so that you can play the note. Of course, if the desired key is only one or two steps down from your thumb, then you can use the thumb as an anchor while are you cross your second finger over to the note in question. In this case, it wouldn’t be necessary to move to your hand, but instead, you simply move your second finger over.

As soon as the second finger has played the key, you’ll notice that your thumb will immediately follow across in order to play the other note situated on the left of the key.

3. This same rule applies to the left hand.

4. You should always make a point of trying to watch experienced players so that you can look at their fingering, and then you should try to imitate them. My personal advice would be for you to watch those who have experienced at playing classical music, simply because they’ve probably spent many years perfecting the different repertoires.

Important note: The purpose of good fingering is to guarantee “smoothness” in musical passages.

When playing the work of Bach and that of other similar composers, this becomes especially important, in that disruptions can occur when there is even a slight change in fingering structure. Of course, if you’re only playing improvisational and accompaniment pieces then there’s less need for strict fingering. When I play improvisational pieces my fingering usually changes in line with my mood and the rhythm.

You’ll also notice that musical pieces which have been edited by different editors tend to have changes in terms of fingering. For example, you’ll notice different fingering suggestions for the “Sonatina” piece composed by Clementi, depending on the different editors. While some prefer to use the second finger more often, others favor the third finger instead.

To round everything up: When you’re improvising you can pay less attention to which finger you’re using, providing of course, you abide by the rules mentioned above.

Bear in mind that if you become too critical with regards to your fingering, you’ll probably noticed that it will interfere with your musical line of thought, as well as the flow of the music. Piano playing can get rather complicated, particularly when you’re trying to balance both your hands while as the same time maintaining a steady rhythm. Also, you need to make sure you’re pressing the pedals at the correct time.

Lastly but not least, listen to the music.