Okay, this is a bit of a gripe, but also a request for advice. I can't stand those fingering numbers on my music. I spend more time worrying about which finger I'm using than the note I'm supposed to be hitting. I mean, I can understand having one at the beginning of a phrase, but it seems like knit-picky overkill to have them all over the place!

Okay, now that I've made my rant, how important is it to follow them? I'm playing pretty easy stuff right now. Is this something that is going to benefit me in the future as I progress into harder pieces?

Here's my take on fingering:

The fingering stated is suggested fingering. Use it to the extent that 1) it feels comfortable and does not hurt; 2) it puts your hand in a position to play the subsequent notes.

In other words, use the suggested fingering as a starting point and feel free to change it based on your own needs. The better you get at playing, the more you will learn what fingerings work for you and will be able to adapt without too much trouble.

Hope this helps.

Hi Katie,

I used to sit in class and instead of putting my hands on my desk or twiddleing them while the teacher was talking, I would play and think in my head 54321 and pretend to play each one. After about a month it will become natural.


But remember not all hands are alike. Fingerings in the book are general and not made for your hand. They are a guideline. No one fingering is complete.

Keep at it and don't give up!
Matt

Wow Katefields1.....I am just the opposite. I hate music without fingering. I am a beginner and expect direction in how to play pieces with "correct" fingering. After all, I am in the process of learning and consider fingering to be an important part of the process.

That said, I will change if I want to AFTER I have learned the lesson. Sometimes the pattern is important to learn for more difficult pieces down the line.

At this point, if I purchase music and discover it does not include fingering, I will put it aside for when I feel more comfortable. I have way too many bad habits as it is without adding more. Perhaps they are a crutch, but I think there are times a crutch is necessary, like when you are trying to reach a goal and you want a roadmap to point you in the right direction.

Different strokes, eh?

hi katie,

I like fingering numbers except if it's done for every finger. I like it as a guide line.

the very first time i took piano lessons oh so long ago for 4 months we used the john thompson method and every finger was numbered. that drove me nuts and after a while i whited out all the numbers and just left the pertinent ones.

most music i've seen out there has some numbering I think I would be lost without it and I do change my fingers on some.

i guess white out would be out of the question. would be interesting if there is a place that would sell sheet music without it. i can understand if people don't like it there should be some kind of alternative.

I think it is important to be consistent in your fingering.


I have found making copies of music I am working on to be very useful. I leave one copy unmarked, write in ALL of the fingering in on another, and using a third for other types of analysis.

I mark fingering, but only where it is necessary, such as when I have to turn my thumb under so that I have enough fingers to play the following notes. Other than that I agree that if every note is marked, one concentrates on which finger to use, rather than which key to hit.
I have learned that it is important to be consistent in your fingering as Dorrie points out.
Also, Dorrie's suggestion of making copies of the music, leaving one unmarked, writing fingering in one, and useing the third for analysis is an excellent idea. Gaby Tu