Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum My own finger technique, trying to get rid of it

Hello all,

As I am starting piano playing, I have stumbled upon a problem that is really annoying and can't seem to get rid of it.

It is widely taught to use 1-3-5 fingers when playing triads. For some reason I feel this really really uncomfortable way to play and I constantly turn back to 2-3-4 fingers. This, however, makes playing piano really hard.

Has anyone had similar problem and how did you overcome it?

Sad to say, the only answer is "1-3-5 is right, 2-3-4 is wrong, so learn the right way and don't ask this question anymore". 2-3-4 is not wrong because of some kind of law - it is only wrong because, like you said, it makes piano playing really hard.

Possibly you have very big hands. If you do, many other things in piano, things that are difficult for the rest of us, might be easy for you. So don't be sad.

1-3-5 for triads is baby fingering, and I rarely use it. 1-2-4 is more comfortable for grown up hands. I wouldn't go with 2-3-4 unless you were jumping to or from a lower thumb note. Fingering is so personal - I really can't give you advice until I see you play.

Yes my hand is big, I can hold adult-sized basketball upside down with one hand. I don't have a piano near me at the moment so I can't say what my key span is.

So I guess the only answer is to ignore 2-3-4 way of playing and force myself to use 1-3-5 or 1-2-4 Thanks for your help!

Artur - I think my original answer was wrong and/or incomplete.

Your problem is not "playing 2-3-4 on triads". Your problem is "feeling there is no choice".

I suggest you practice triads with all kinds of fingerings, including 1-3-5, 1-2-3, and others, so that you are able to choose; being stuck on one (clumsy) fingering is probably what needs changing.

Mostly I switch between 1-3-5 and 1-2-4 as necessary. My hands are probably average. I guess if they were big 1-3-5 would be too cramped. If it is for you, don't use that.

Fingering is strange. It is literally an expression of your innermost self at the keyboard. Thus, a person should use the fingering that is comfortable for him, not some one-size-fits-all, generic fingering that was put in by an editorial hack at the music publisher's. Using fingering that is not comfortable for you can be insidious. In the short term, it may seem to facilitate playing, but after a time, using fingering that goes against your very nature will start to eat away at your very soul, with dire consequences. Use 2-3-4 if that is what fits your innermost self.