Music: Practice & Theory

Questions tagged [fingering]

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Choosing which finger(s) to use to press a key (of a keyboard) or to stop a string, or the set of fingers to use to produce a particular note or chord.

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3
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1answer
58 views

Eb harmonic minor scale fingers?

Can anyone help me with Eb harmonic minor piano scale fingering, please? For both hands if possible.
0
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1answer
56 views

Economizing finger movement in exercise vs following the book

In Al Di Meola and Bob Aslanian's books "Al Di Meola - A Guide to Chords, Scales & Arpeggios" there's an exercise to strum a chord four times and move from one form to another, fluidly. Below is ...
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1answer
63 views

fingering for a piece

I am a self learner on piano, merely from web materials.. I am trying to learn this piece. https://musescore.com/torbybrand/scores/4561016 I compared the music sheet and the fingering used by the ...
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1answer
62 views

How do I play do re mi fa sol la si on my soprano recorder?

I am confused about there being different lowest notes for different sizes. My soprano recorder says descant B. it is an average sized recorder(yamaha yrs 24b). What will the fingering be like if I ...
4
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2answers
72 views

Clarinet A/B trill with fuller sound

I am trying to do a trill over the break between the Clarion and Chalumeau registers, between A and B. You are meant to add the upper side key to the A, see e.g. here. This is what the top two ...
1
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3answers
65 views

Inferring Position Number, String, and Shifts From Sparse Fingering Notation

I'm attempting to (re)learn some violin music using the composer's desired fingering. However, my background is not in violin but in fiddle, where fingerings and positions/shifts are rarely written (...
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1answer
59 views

Guitar fingering question

When I play G#/Ab on the high E string on the guitar, I use my pinky for the fourth fret, but what about all the fingers before the pinky? Can they be packed closely to my pinky? Or do all fingers ...
5
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2answers
57 views

Ständchen Schubert arr. Liszt help

How should this section be played? (The 4th and 5th chords) It appears that I should play it with my hands on top of one another, left over right. Usually if i saw this in another piece of music I ...
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5answers
73 views

Cant seem to switch from D minor to A chord on guitar

I've been playing for a month now, and I've been trying to practice just change for weeks now, but it's not really working. I'm using this fingering for A chord x02130 the problem is that the G ...
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2answers
40 views

Is fingering choice correct in this score La Moldau : right hand : 4 followed by 2 in an increasing scale?

Is fingering choice correct in this score La Moldau : right hand : 4 followed by 2 in an increasing scale, in the measure 8th : 6th and 7th note. https://www.free-scores.com/PDF/smetana-bedrich-...
3
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2answers
190 views

How to bar Fm6 with another finger?

I don't see how this Fm6 fingering, with the index finger on fret 5, can work out without holding my guitar upside-down. Is it a mistake or am I misunderstanding the contortion? I've also tried it ...
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9answers
4k views

Is it common to use pinky (little finger) on black keys?

So I'm reading this book called piano and keyboard all in one for dummies and in the very last measure of this image you can see a 5 (pinky/little finger) is suggested for the B flat since this is key ...
2
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3answers
105 views

Which finger is correct for number 5 on guitar tab?

I'm very new to guitar and I'm practicing beginner stuff, I press the appropriate fret with the numbered finger, 1 for index and 3 for ring. Also I play in fret hand position 1 with index on first ...
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2answers
89 views

What kind of piano exercise books has notes and chords mixed together?

I have seen piano exercises with only notes, with their fingerings, like Hanon. And I have seen piano exercises with only chords, and their fingerings. I was wondering if there are any books ...
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2answers
61 views

acceptable to use same finger for 2 succeeding notes in this case?

I'm very new to piano playing so please forgive me if this is a dumb approach. I know that you should not use the same finger for succeeding notes, but here is my personal thinking(without having ...
3
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3answers
105 views

is my following fingering even a thing?

My trouble is with the LH in the bass clef, I start with thumb on E4, then index on B3, then pinky on E3, spanning an octave, then switch to thumb on E3 so my pinky is ready to jump to A2 in the next ...
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3answers
59 views

Should I jump hand or do thumb under for this piano phrase?

This is in key of C. For the first three notes in the Bass Clef with LH, I want to do middle, index and thumb. But afterwards I run out of fingers for the next half note, is it acceptable for me ...
3
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4answers
511 views

Fingering for Bach's Toccata in E-minor BWV914

I am currently learning the Fugue of Bach's "Toccata in E-minor BWV914". My question is if I should play the first bar with the 5th finger or not. Meaning starting with "545 3423 1". I feel more ...
4
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1answer
76 views

Stretching on Ukulele: How Far is Fair?

I've noticed that I play a lot of chords on ukulele with larger intervals in them, and often the chord voicings have big stretches from the lowest notes to the highest notes. Obviously, I know ...
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0answers
58 views

When I try to play tabs, my fingerpicking sounds robotic

Its more like when I place fingers or maybe both, I produce clear tones and all, but the when I try to play something that should be like in line nice and steady, I play it like I m breaking it on ...
4
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3answers
391 views

Bach Invention BMW 792 - Fingering Advice

I am currently practicing a Bach Invention (BMW 792). There is a bar I'm not quite sure how to play/finger. I've attached a screenshot of the bar I'm having trouble with. Would very much appreciate ...
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4answers
1k views

How similar (or not) are recorder, fife, and flute fingerings?

I don't play any of these instruments, but have at least tried them enough to play a scale. My impression is the basic holes down the pipe are tuned to a diatonic scale. The more holes covered, the ...
8
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4answers
1k views

Should I always use scale fingering when sight reading?

I'm practising sight-reading using https://sightreading.training/ which randomly generates notes for practice. If I'm practising in the key of C Major, should I stick to C Major scale fingering/hand ...
2
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1answer
44 views

question on Chopin opus 25 1 about left and right hands

For study of Chopin opus 25, study 1, at measure 8, 4th note, should we play the "right-hand note" (B flat) with left hand, and the "left-hand note" (D flat) with the right hand, instead to what seems ...
5
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1answer
214 views

Western vs Indian Carnatic style of violin playing

I am a trained Indian Carnatic style violin player. Can I play Western songs on a violin with carnatic fingering techniques or do I need to re-learn everything to adopt to the Western style?
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2answers
98 views

Classical Guitar Exercises for Proper Tab Fingering? [closed]

Related: Figuring the Classical Fingering from Sheet Music Are there any classical guitar exercises, (for classical music), that also include the Tab as well as proper frettting-hand fingering ...
2
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1answer
63 views

Forearm soreness while practicing the piano

Recently I have had a bit of fore arm soreness, and I don't know what to do about it. The soreness isn't lasting though, It's more like, I play a phrase and by the end it my forearm is sore, and if I ...
2
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1answer
93 views

Finger dexterity issues

I have some weird issues with my left fret playing hand. I’m a brand new guitar player and the way my fingers automatically react when spreading, especially when trying to spread them in a claw, is ...
3
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2answers
80 views

Large intervals in score in Bach

In the WTC (Das Wohltemperierte Klavier) there can be some intervals that are quite awkward to play. In the first fugue I find a lot of weird intervals that do not flow under the fingers and it ...
5
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3answers
443 views

Is fingers pointing towards each other a problem when fretting a guitar

I've been practicing the guitar for a few months now and am currently learning a song that requires me to slide from the 10th and 12th fret on the A and B string down to the third and fifth frets, ...
2
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2answers
966 views

awkward stretchy fingering

In bar 4 http://jonaslefvert.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/The-Piano-The-Heart-Asks-Pleasure-First.pdf there is a chord arpeggiated across these frets x35503 (capo on 5) here is a video of Jonas ...
2
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5answers
242 views

How to form an A chord on higher frets?

I can play an A chord okay, as seen here: However, I tried putting a capo on the 10th fret and playing it from there and couldn't do it at all. I have thin fingers and it was still impossible to ...
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4answers
232 views

What is the correct piano fingering to avoid soreness in finger joints? (musical piece attached)

For the above musical phrase I'm using the fingering 1st bar: 124 124 124 5 2nd bar: 134 134 134 5. After practicing 4 hrs on digital piano my finger joins become sore. Is this a normal thing or am I ...
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2answers
103 views

Help with proper fingering for a song? (Speechless from Aladdin)

I am in the process of teaching myself piano, and I would like to learn how to play Speechless from Aladdin. The problem is fingering is not provided and I am not sure what the correct/most efficient ...
1
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2answers
164 views

How to get clean sound when playing guitar

I have been practicing guitar (classic, electric) for years. But I cannot get a clean sound when playing melodies or chords. Often notes do not sound at all. To get a clean sound I have to press so ...
1
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4answers
109 views

Does every song in a particular scale require finger to be positioned in the same way?

I'm a beginner learning keyboard. I'm not sure of the right fingering techniques (except some basic concepts like avoid crossing fingers or positioning fingers in a weird way). Let's say I'm learning ...
9
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4answers
3k views

Is it okay to use different fingers every time while playing a song on a keyboard? Is it considered a bad practice?

I'm new to the keyboard and am learning it myself. However, I've learnt Indian classical for three years. I want to know if a song that I play has to be played with the same fingers every time. If not,...
4
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3answers
274 views

Fantaisie Impromptu - Specific fingering issue

I've been practicing Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu for several weeks now, and while I'm by no means perfect at it, there aren't any aspects or parts of the piece that I am not confident I'll be able to ...
3
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2answers
128 views

Piano: good exercises for runs and navigation [closed]

I'm an aspiring jazz pianists but my right hand falls short in navigation and attempting runs. I need to buy etudes and exercises for fingering. That is, fingering for the various scales (I don't know ...
2
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1answer
111 views

Jazz piano: accompanying oneself

My goal is to be able to by ear play a jazz standard, with improv sections. When keeping an accompaniment in my left hand (say, a walking base or similar) while soloing with my right, then I stall. ...
4
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1answer
68 views

Piano fingering for chromatic fifths, is a fifth too wide for fingering 2-4?

I'm trying a fingering that basically limits white keys to fingers 1 & 5 and black keys to 2 & 4. This fingering seems good for non-legato for medium size intervals perfect fourths and ...
16
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3answers
2k views

Chopin: marche funèbre bar 15 impossible place

Chopin sonata #2 Opus 35: Look at the left hand: Db from small octave and F from 1-st octave. Neither I, nor anybody of my acquaintances can stretch the hand so far. My idea was to replace F 1-t ...
2
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2answers
103 views

7th chords with black key at the bottom fingering

I want to ask why nobody plays for example, F# half diminished chord on piano with 2145 fingering on right hand. Everybody plays 1235 or 1245. I think better to use 2 at the bottom because you can ...
5
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3answers
162 views

How to perform quicker shifts? (Prokofiev Visions Fugitives #2)

The passage of interest: This is specifically pertaining to the right hand, and the tempo I am provided is quarter note = 60-66. The fingering I am using is, starting with the C: 3-5 3 2 1 3 1 | 3 2 ...
5
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4answers
231 views

Relative positions on electric to string bass?

This may seem an odd request, but I can't figure any way to find this out with out having both in my possession. I am a bassist primarily, & have been for 45 years or so. I play electric & ...
5
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2answers
171 views

Fingering for right hand thirds in Bluebird by Alexis Ffrench

Hi, I'm trying to figure out how to play this part of the song (Bluebird by Alexis Ffrench). It seems impossible (for an amateur) to play it with proper rhythm. Could anyone please show me the ...
0
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2answers
103 views

How to read rhythm when note stems and beams are used to indicate fingering [closed]

In Georg Anton Benda's keyboard sonatas there are many examples of beaming used NOT to show rhythm but to show which hand to use. This was how my problem with the notation was explained to me by an ...
2
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0answers
68 views

Interpretation of songsterr tab

Hi guys I'm looking at a tab on songsterr (Use Somebody fingerstyle) and at the 8th bar the tab indicates the playing of the open CGC strings and above it says t.h.(12) and t.h.(19). Can anyone ...
5
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1answer
201 views

Are these double note fingerings to avoid fingers 1 and 5 on black keys practical?

I know there is a standard double note fingering for consecutive thirds like this... 2345 345 1123 123 But I have been experimenting with other double note fingerings for larger intervals and for ...
2
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2answers
1k views

Alto saxophone fingering for notes written below the staff

I am a beginner on the alto saxophone. I understand the fingering for playing notes on the staff but I do not understand the fingering for playing notes below the staff. Sometimes there are two extra ...

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