Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Fingering question

Hi!

What is the recommended fingering on the left hand for the sequence D E F G Ab?

With 1 being thumb and 5 being pinky, fingering it with 5 4 3 2 1 feels awkward, because I would have to play a black key with my thumb.

So I opted for 5 4 3 2 3... But this doesn't seem to be right, I guess the middle finger shouldn't cross the index finger.

So how should I go about it?

Thanks,
j

Without knowing what comes before or after, 4-3-2-1-2.

Thank you for the quick answer!

I'm actually practicing No.10. from Bartok Mikrokosmos.

It uses only five keys for both the left and the right hand: D E F G Ab

It's suggested above the staff that one should start this piece with the pinky on D (left hand). Playing it the way you suggested seems much better though.

But I wonder what happens when one sightreads it the first time and follows the suggestion of starting with the pinky on D?

When the Ab comes in (and we are unprepared, because it's the first time we sightread this piece), which finger should one use?

j

It may be training you to look ahead and think on the spot, say, 5-4-3-1-2, which I commonly use in Bach. Or might it be encouraging you to get used that awkward fingering so that it doesn't feel so awkward?

Hmm maybe... some description could have been provided for some of these exercises.

Thank you!

If it doesn't use any other notes, there are many:

54321
54312
43212
43213
32121
32132
21212
21213
21432
12132

I could keep going.. but the point is, you have to use what's comfortable, and what gets you from the previous notes, and to the next notes, the easiest.

That said, I bolded the ones I would try first. Usually, I would try to keep my thumb off the Ab, but if there's nothing after it, and the five notes repeat, just move your hand inside the black key area and have at it.

[quote=johnsmith1261
I'm actually practicing No.10. from Bartok Mikrokosmos.

It uses only five keys for both the left and the right hand: D E F G Ab

It's suggested above the staff that one should start this piece with the pinky on D (left hand). Playing it the way you suggested seems much better though.

But I wonder what happens when one sightreads it the first time and follows the suggestion of starting with the pinky on D?

When the Ab comes in (and we are unprepared, because it's the first time we sightread this piece), which finger should one use?

j [/quote]

FWIW --

This sounds like Bartok _designed it_ to put your thumb on the A-flat !

I don't have the score, but if it just uses 5 notes in each hand, and doesn't require the hand to _move_ to a different position for other notes (which is why we do "thumb-under" fingering):

. . . Put the thumb on the A-flat, and get used to it.

. Charles