Make learning new pieces easier by using good fingering

“With bad fingering an easy passage becomes difficult and a difficult one impossible.” Paderewski 1860-1941

Tempted to rush in and play a new piece of music from start to finish and get frustrated when it doesn’t flow, falters and grinds to a halt? With just a little time and effort spent upfront, learning a new piece can be made easier by the following steps:

· Look at the title of the music to gauge its character.
· Look through the piece of music to get a sense of the key (how many sharps / flats)
· Feel the pulse of the music by observing the time signature e.g. 3 beats to a bar, 4 beats to a bar.
· Identify any difficult passages and if necessary pencil in finger numbering to aid fluency.
· Play a run as a section of a scale or arpeggio and so do not read from one note to the next.
· Try to read in advance of the hands by at least one beat.
· Keep your eye on the music.

Some printed music has suggested fingering added while some has no fingering suggestions. Whether the music has suggested fingering or not, it is always worth investing some time penciling in fingering that is the most comfortable for your hands.

Do not be afraid to alter any printed suggested fingering as what suits one hand may be impossible for another. Some tips on good fingering are as follows:

· Once you have found the best fingering, stick to it. By practising the piece with the same finger patterns will help you learn the piece more quickly.

· Use scale and arpeggio finger patterns when runs are encountered.

· Avoid strain or stretch on weaker fingers (i.e. 4^th and 5^th fingers)

· Finger sequentially

· Use fingers that do not break the flow of the musical phrases.

· Slide thumb from black to white note to avoid changes of hand position.

· Slide 5^th finger from black to white note to avoid changes of hand position.

· Do not be afraid to alter any printed suggested fingering as what suits one hand may be impossible for another.

Gary Howell DipLCM

For expert piano or keyboard tuition please refer to:www.garyhowellkeyboardtuition.co.uk

Gary Howell’s Keyboard Lessons

January 15, 2008 by Gary Howell

So you’ve got a new musical keyboard and it just doesn’t sound as fantastic as the in store demonstration. Well don’t despair piano teacher Gary Howell comes to the rescue with a series of basic keyboard lessons for beginners.
Lesson 2 Good Fingering. Enjoy!
Gary Howell
www.garyhowellkeyboardtuition.co.uk

The myth of ‘Long Piano Fingers’

Mothers have been known to look at their babies and prophesy a musical future on the strength of long fingers.

If you were not born with long fingers, do not think that you are at a disadvantage when it comes to learning keyboard instruments. Some of the greatest pianists had short fingers. Be encouraged by this quote:

Dr. Charles Burney wrote of Handel:

“His hands were so fat that the knuckles, which usually appear convex, were like those of a child, dimpled or dinted, so as to be rendered concave. His touch was smooth and the tone of the instrument so much cherished that his fingers seemed to grow into the keys. They were so curved and compact when he played that no motion and scarcely the fingers themselves could be discovered.”

Five Finger Exercises

It is important for keyboard players to increase strength in the fourth and fifth fingers which are inherently weak. Simple five finger exercises improve finger control to achieve good legato ( smooth melody lines ) and even tone control.

The simplest five finger exercise is the five note scale e.g. CDEFG ascending and descending, play hands separately and then together. Whilst playing concentrate on evenness of touch, legato (smooth) or staccato (detached). For hands together practice hand ensemble (striking notes simultaneously with left and right hand). More complex five finger exercises are published by composers such as Carl Czerny

Gary Howell DipLCM

For expert piano or keyboard tuition please refer to:

www.garyhowellkeyboardtuition.co.uk

Gary Howell’s Keyboard Lessons

So you’ve got a new musical keyboard for Christmas and it just doesn’t sound as fantastic as the in store demonstration. Well don’t despair piano teacher Gary Howell comes to the rescue with a series of basic keyboard lessons for beginners. Lesson 1 finger strength. Enjoy!

Gary Howell

www.garyhowellkeyboardtuition.co.uk