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why do i see fingering on sheet music when there are notes played repeatedly (example the g# of middle section in Chopin's Raindrop prelude) that the fingering is like 1234... shouldnt you use the same finger for all of the repeated notes to make it sound more balanced. i hope you guys understand what im trying to say. i just dont get why they alternate fingers, the piece usuall ysounds better to me when i dont alternate it like that.

In general, alternating fingers on rapidly repeated notes helps to keep the notes distinct and distribute the work among more fingers. It is a rule that I have seen carried too far but it is usually a good one. With practice you will find that it is actually easier.

Adding to what JBryan said, I remember the first time I saw that fingering & thought it was really stupid. My teacher insisted, of course, that I use that fingering. After you learn a piece that requires such (& there are LOTS of 'em) you'll understand -- its a lot easier that way.

Although it won't matter on the piece you are learning right now, but it makes a huge difference in speed. No matter how fast you can play the repeated notes with the same finger, you can play them several times faster with alternating fingering -- it's just another great skill to learn. It will also help you from "tightening up" the muscles of your hand & allow you to relax more.

Good luck!

_Brad

I don't think I can play repeated notes several times faster with alternate fingers than I can with the same finger. Alternate fingers is faster, but not even twice as fast.

I personally would not use alternate fingers on the repeated notes in the "Raindrop" prelude. But it is important to learn it the way your teacher wants. He/she may just want you to develop this skill a bit more. Actually, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to learn it both ways...

Ryan

Alternating fingers in the raindrop prelude shouldn't cause an unbalanced sound. You should be producing your sound primarily with arm - so it doesn't really matter what finger is striking the key.

The alternating of fingers in the raindrop prelude do help create a sense and feeling of motion and line. It's more of a caress than the "up and down" of a single finger.

I guess I find that I can "caress" the repeated notes using the same finger. It also fits my goals of increasing security/reducing risk and focusing on the more important elements, which in this case is the left hand phrasing and balance. Using alternating fingers here seems like overkill to me

Ryan

That just goes to show that fingering is generally a matter of opinion, rather than a hard and fast rule. Usually, you should use whatever fingering is most comfortable for your hand & leads most naturally into what's coming up next (unless, as someone noted earlier, your teacher is trying to teach you a specific technique).

MHO,
April

Trixie, that is a great point. Just because you use alternating fingers doesn't mean that it has to be 1234. I think I was objecting more to 1234 than to other alternating fingerings like 3232 or 2121.

One reason I don't like 1234 here (or any other alternating fingering that starts on 1) is that it is two easy to accent the notes played with 1, and having that accent on the first note of each group would make this section too march like. Playing 1 on the second or fourth note (but not the third) would be better, but I feel that there is still a risk of having the odd note really stick out. The repeated notes should be like a smooth sheet - they can rise and fall but they shouldn't stick out.

Ryan

Just for kicks I checked the Alfred (Palmer) edition...the fingering there is 4323.

April

I thought that a lot of those alternating finger patterns were in response to older pianos, whose action is not perhaps as rapid as more modern ones. In other words, it would be extremely difficult (if not impossible) to repeat the same note using the same finger without actually getting off the key to ensure the hammer was back in place before striking again...

so alternating fingers makes sure that you've actually left the key.

One of my teachers (the only one I ever thought to ask) felt that you should just go with what works, no real need to alternate fingers just to alternate them any longer.

FWIW!

Nina

Of course, there's something to be said for learning and perfecting all of the different fingerings. There's really no way to know what's best for you if you haven't really perfected them all. There have been many times in my practicing when a fingering that at first seemed awkward turns out to be quite natural and superior in the end.

Sometimes you don't get a choice of fingering for repeated notes. In Liszt's Campanella, there are two sections that can only be played up to speed with certain fingerings, since using only one finger would be irrationable. In slow pieces, I don't think it matters as much, depends on the rate of repetition and if the last finger used will make the next notes easier to reach.

cool i see what you guys are saying, it just seemed really wierd to do the alternate fingering. i guess i will learn it and if its better i will stick with it. thanks!

Yeah, I remember thinking that the fingering was really stupid too at first. However, after I practiced it a bit, I found that it made the piece flow so much easier. I first learned of the repeated note rule by my teacher when he had me working on Beethoven's Fur Elise. I was just playing it for him and then when I got to that part, he demanded to know why I was useing the same finger for the repeated A note in the base toward the end and then he showed me the proper way to do it. Made things easier, it did.

By the way, for the Raindrop Prelude, I prefer the 3232 finering. Easiest one, IMO.

I hate the fingering on repeated notes...
Anwayz what number is the raindrop prelude? It sounds nice.

yea raindrop prelude is a nice piece-
raindrop prelude is Op.28 N.15

Classical Player: so, ya hate the fingering ah? Well, thats okay, it takes time to get used to but once you do, you'll find it impossible to go back. Yes, the raindrop prelude is Op28 No15 and not only is it nice to listen to but its also fun to play. It took me a while to learn but that was at least a year ago now when I wasn't as good as I am now. I still have a long way to go though to be really good. I tend to pick up on fingering fairly easy but its my timeing thats my main problem. When I pratice it for a long while, it comes to me. Also, when I am learning something from my teacher, I use all correct fingering. Otherwise, I don't follow the fingering given and just use whatever fingers I want to or the ones that are most convient, even though thats probably screwing me up royaly for future play. If my teacher even knew half the more difficult pieces that I am playing that he doesn't want me to (Raindrop Prelude being one of them) he'd just about go through the roof!!! Oh well. I'll play them anyway and then learn them more properly later with him.

Fingering is nOt a rULez....
it deppends on the piece to choose between alternate fingers or just use one finger
when repeated notes appears in slow pieces with low intensity acting as harmony i would think about using just one finger like 2 or 2and3 together. However, i can imagine myself playing the repeated notes of "la campanella" with one finger

Wouldn't it be great to be a well-known composer, knowing there's a good chance your music will be played for centuries. . .

Then, you could write down and insist, that the last note of your opus X must be played with the nose, and mention how this creates the most beautiful tone while bringing the music to a close with a choreographic "bow" as the nose hits the final note.

For generations, pianists would be arguing over the merits, what the composer "really" meant. Some teachers would insist that anything other than using your nose would be "cheating," while others would try and demonstrate how right the composer was, and how insightful the composer was in guaranteeing tone quality.

Sometimes, I think some of these rules approach the above. Try it, master it, use it, or toss it. In the end, you make your own decision regarding everything!

R Vaga DMA