Piano fingering?

Question:I am teaching myself how to play and I think it is going fantastically, however, I think the rate of progression may be hindered by the fact that I don't know the correct fingering. I am trying to keep them the same and now trying to make them the easiest fingering, but I still feel some may be incorrect, especially with chords. How can I learn this? Does anyone know of a book that they have seen or used that could help me? Or a website etc.?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I am teaching myself how to play and I think it is going fantastically, however, I think the rate of progression may be hindered by the fact that I don't know the correct fingering. I am trying to keep them the same and now trying to make them the easiest fingering, but I still feel some may be incorrect, especially with chords. How can I learn this? Does anyone know of a book that they have seen or used that could help me? Or a website etc.?

That's excellent! Well I began learning piano when I was 5 and after uni gave it up but have recently got back into it and now my husband is learning to play and enjoys teaching himself. I had these "dozen-a-day" books from when I was learning and they are now really helping him with his finger placement. The point of the small exercises in these piano books is to learn them over and over each day and it places your fingers in the correct positioning. As you progress through the books and with other songs you learn, it will become natural. It takes time especially when you are teaching yourself :) I had my piano teacher smack a ruler across my knuckles if I played wrong fingers! So consider yourself lucky :) Hehe :)

oh i love to finger - oh i can just hear her now

i think it really depends on the song, but when i was first learning how to play piano i used the intro books by bastien.

found this

http://www.ehow.com/how_7142_learn-piano...

really you just have to pick the fingering that makes the most sense and is comfortable. you also have to take into account the volume of what you're going to play. i mean you don't want to use the pinky for fortissimo, or anything like that! Once you begin to play more and more you will develop a sense of what is the right fingering. good luck with piano!

It is hard to find the correct fingering when you teach yourself. (trust me, I've been through it), but what you can do is that when you play cords, play the first note, [ex. a C scale going from C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C... the first note is a C], then put ur thumb on it, while then, for the second note on a C major scale, the E, put ur pointer finger on that one, and ur middle finger on the G...that is how I finger the C major scale. Oh yah, put your pinkie on the last high C, then u have ur scale...:) Hope I was helpful.

I was taught the fundamentals by a teacher, hard to explain but I'm sure you can find some visual tips on Youtube.

Also, as said teacher would remind me with a repeated flick of her baton, wrists up dear!

Correct hand position, wrist position and finger position is essential for the smooth flow and reach of playing piano. Especially for transitioning from one chord to another. The two hands play independantly of one another, often in different tempos and time signatures....to make the notes flow you have to use the correct fingerings, even for single notes.
Bleow are a couple of sites I found...they look to be pretty good. You can always go a music store and get a beginners book...look through it, it should explain the basics of everything.....one I really like is The Complete Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios & Cadences Compiled by Amanda Vick Lethco, Morton Manus, Willard A. Palmer. Series: Alfred's Basic Piano Library. Published by Alfred Publishing.

I agree with the person who mention the Dozen a Day books -- they're full of great exercises for learning some of the patterns that you'll need to master, and they provide fingerings too. Also Hanon's 'The Virtuoso Pianist' is a good one.

To start I started in " C Position" this means, my right hand thumb falls on " Middle C" and the remaining fingers on the keys that follow.
My Left Hand I place my pinky on the " C" below middle C and the remaining fingers on the keys that follow.

My Chords I made with my left hand only to start.
C Chord, notes C, E, and G ( fingers 5,3,and 1)
G7 Chord notes B, F, and G ( fingers 5,2,1)
F Chord notes C,F, and A ( Fingers 5, 2,1)

Remember both hands are numbered the same. The thumb is number one and the pinky is number 5.

I am learning myself too right now - I am using Bastien's and Hal Leonard's at the same time - they work better together. I also bought a lot of books at my level from
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com

piano doesn't have specific fingering when playing pieces. You must just pick the best and easiest for you. However when learning scales you need the following:

For example C major is

CDEFGABC

the fingering for this in the right hand is:
12312345

and if going in similar motion in left hand so (CDEFGABC) it would be:
54321321

this is similar for most other scales

On chromatic scales which is for example:
C C# D D# E F F# G and so on

the fingering in the right hand would be:
13131231

and in the left hand in similar motion:
13132131

I hope this helps you. Good luck with your learning xxx

There are many books that have fingers in them. Also, scales have similar fingerings to a lot of pieces. Go and see a local teacher maybe once a month so she can help you learn the correct fingerings.

I just find the word fingering, funny.
;)

XO