Piano Fingering - Guide to Piano Finger Placement

What Is Piano Fingering?

• Piano fingering refers to finger placement on the piano keyboard, and the hand techniques used to play the piano.


• Fingered piano music marks each note with a number that corresponds to one of the five fingers.

Reading Fingered Piano Music

You will see numbers 1-5written above or below notes in scales and songs. These numbers correspond to your five fingers, and tell you which finger presses which key. Finger numbering for both hands goes as follows:

Thumb: 1
Index Finger: 2
Middle Finger: 3
Ring Finger: 4
Pinky Finger: 5

When you begin playing with your left hand, you’ll notice that the fingering is often the same for both hands. Look at picture : The same fingers play the same notes in both triad scales, but the numbers are inverted.

Fingered Practice Scales

Good fingering is a valuable skill to have as a pianist. When you practice piano fingering, you’re enabling your fingers to execute new techniques, master awkward positions, and exercise speed and flexibility. Practicing fingering may seem tedious at first, but stick with it; your fingers will adjust quickly.

How to Read Piano Music

Preparing to Read Piano Music

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with the notes of the keyboard and treble staff, it’s time to put them together and start playing the piano!
In this lesson, you will:

1. Learn how to read treble staff piano music.


2. Play simple chords and melodies on your piano.


3. Learn how to play the C major and G major scales.

How to Touch the Piano

1. Sit upright at middle C.


2. Keep your wrists loose, yet sturdy. Hold them fairly straight, avoiding any noticeable angles.


3. Place your fingers 1 or 2 inches from the edge of the white keys. Stay off the thinnest areas of the naturals next to black keys.


4. Relax your left hand on your knee or bench; he’s sitting this one out.


5. Print the lesson if you plan to practice this lesson at your leisure.

Let’s begin: Continue to your first C major scale.

Playing the C Major Scale on Piano

Take a look at the treble staff above. Middle C is the first note on the ledger line below the staff.
The C major scale above is written with eighth notes, so you will play two notes for each beat (see How to Read Time Signatures).
Try It: Tap out a steady, comfortable rhythm. Now, make it slightly slower: this is the rhythm you should use for the rest of the lesson. After you’re able to play the complete lesson with a flawless beat, you may adjust your playing speed. For now, moderation will help you develop your ear, hand, rhythm, and reading skills evenly and thoroughly.

Playing the C Major Scale:

Playing Descending Piano Scales

By now, you might be wondering where to put your fingers. To play a descending C major scale, begin with your littlest finger. After your thumb plays the F (purple), cross your middle finger onto the following E (orange).
You’ll learn more about finger placement on the piano keyboard after you’re more comfortable reading notes. For now, just keep a good posture, and take your time.

Play a C Major Practice Scale:

C Major Ascending Scale

Practice this climbing C scale slowly. You’ll see it’s quite easy to play; two notes forward, then one note back, and so on.

Play a Simple Piano Melody:

Reading Note Lengths

Take a look at the next measure of the same passage. The very last note is a quarter note, and will be held for twice as long as the rest of the notes in the passage (which are eighth notes). A quarter note is equal to one beat in 4/4 time.

• Take a look at the different note lengths written on the staff.

Play the G Major Piano Scale:

Playing Accidentals on the Piano

Now let’s step outside the key of C and explore the G major scale.
G major has one sharp: F#.

• On the staff, the F# will be marked only once: in the key signature.


• On your keyboard, find any F# and remember its position. It’s the first of three black keys.

Remember, in G major, F will always be sharp unless marked by a natural sign.

Playing Simple Piano Chords

To play piano chords, you’ll need to learn the basic finger patterns.

• The G major chord above is a four-note chord. Right-handed four-note chords should be played with the thumb and pinky on the lowest and highest notes, respectively.


• The middle fingers are generally up to you, but try to use your index and ring fingers for the middle notes whenever possible.

Play a Simple Tune in G:

Let’s see how well you can do on your own. Play the above measures at a slow, steady pace.
The symbol at the end of the first measure is an eighth rest, indicating silence for the duration of an eighth note.

Notes of the Piano

In this lesson you will learn:

1. Notes of the white piano keys.
2. How to find sharps and flats on the piano keyboard.

Notes of the White Piano Keys

White piano keys are called naturals. They sound a natural (♮) note when pressed, as opposed to a sharp or flat.
There are seven naturals on the keyboard: C-D-E-F-G-A-B
After the B, the scale repeats itself on the next C. This means you only have to memorize seven notes!

Take note of the pattern in picture. Observe:

   ●  The alphabetical order from left to right.

   ●  There is no H note!*
       After G, the letters start back at A.

* (Some Northern European countries use H to signify a B natural, and B to signify B flat.)


Try It: Find a C note on your keyboard, and identify each white key until you reach the next C. Do this until you feel comfortable enough with the keyboard to name the notes in random order.

Notes of the Black Piano Keys

Black piano keys are called accidentals, and they are just that: the sharps and flats of the piano.
On the keyboard, there are five black accidentals per octave. They can be either sharp or flat, and are named after the notes they modify:

• Sharp (#)
  A sharp makes a note a half step higher in pitch.
  On the keyboard, a note’s sharp is the black key directly to its right (See picture).
  
  Try It: Find a C note on your keyboard, and identify its sharp. *



• Flat (b)
  A flat makes a note a half step lower in pitch.
  On the keyboard, a note’s flat is the black key directly to its left.
  
  Try It: Find a D note and identify its flat on the keyboard. *

* Both examples point to the same black key. When notes go by more than one name, it’s called “enharmony.”

Memorize the Notes on the Piano Keyboard

1. Identify the white keys individually, and practise naming them until you can find each note without counting from C.


2. You don’t need to memorize each sharp and flat by name just yet, but remember how to locate them on the keyboard using the natural keys.

Learning Piano vs. Keyboard

When it comes to learning and playing piano, there are some clear differences between acoustic and electric instruments that you’ll want to consider. For practical reasons, you should also figure out which will be easier for you to own and maintain.

The Musical Style You Wish to Play:

A digital piano is a versatile option for those who would like to learn many styles, or who have not yet discovered their musical preferences. A pianist can successfully learn traditional styles – such as classical, blues, or jazz piano – as well as more modern electronic music with a keyboard. The latter style isn’t accomplished as easily on an acoustic piano without quality recording equipment and a knack for mixing software.

However, despite there being some excellent electronic replicas of the piano’s sound, many classical pianists prefer the feel of an acoustic piano; in which case consider…

Size & Feel of the Keys:

Some keyboards – portable keyboards in particular – have small, thin keys with a light, plastic feel. Fortunately, many modern digital pianos offer a more realistic experience with full-sized, weighted keys that feel like a real piano.

If you can only afford a keyboard but plan to eventually play on an acoustic, weighted keys are the way to go; if you begin learning on light, unweighted keys, switching to an acoustic instrument might prove to be a bit of a challenge while your hands adjust to the added labor.

Keyboards with “graded hammer-action,” also known as “scaled hammer-action,” take the realistic feel a step further by giving the bass octaves a heavier touch than treble notes.

Keyboard Range:

A piano has 88 notes, which range from A0 to C8 (middle C being C4). Of course, many digital pianos can be found in this size, but smaller ranges such as 61 or 76 keys are common, more cost-friendly alternatives.

Now, a lot of piano music can be played in full on 76-key models, as the highest and lowest keys on the board are often ignored by composers. Early classical piano and harpsichord music may even be played on 61-key models, since the range of early keyboard instruments was a couple octaves shorter than today.

If you plan to use a keyboard to mix and record with music-editing software, a smaller range is suitable, since pitch and octave can be manipulated easily during the editing process.

Present & Future Living Arrangements:

I doubt I need to convince you that keyboards are more convenient spatially, but here’s some food for thought: Some apartment landlords do not allow tenants to keep an acoustic piano in their residences. One reason is the issue of sound-transmission through floors and walls, and headphones are simply not an option.

Another reason is the dilemma of getting the instrument into the building itself. Moving a piano up or down tight stairwells and through doorways can damage walls, door frames, or the piano itself. But, even if the move is a successful one, it will undoubtedly be a costly one.

Art of the month - Pleasant Piano

So, i know you are now deeply engrossed in colours ..in last art.... but now lets get a lot more intrigued in the melody....of Music....:)
Music is something which cannot be covered in one month..:p
It has so many children...so many instruments....like guitar, piano,violin,drums...n many more...
Every instrument has its own sound..its own nature...its own feeling...
So we will definitely learn about these all instruments...
But this month...Its the Pleasant Piano...
ART OF THE MONTH ANNOUNCED.... :)

Enjoy the playful,perfect and pleasant piano this month.....

Eye Drawing

Draw the Outlines:

Sometimes I draw the eyelid edges first, then the iris, sometimes the iris then the eyelids - it works either way. I usually draw the iris as a full circle then erase where it overlaps the eyelids, so that the shape is correct. Then I draw the outer eyelid edges and any folds or creases around the eye.

Shading the Iris:First check for any highlights cutting across the eye surface, and lightly outline these. Shade the iris using directional shading to mimic its radiant patterns. Shade the pupil too, establishing good, solid darks. Watch out for highlights across the pupil too - if they are there, put them in.

Often artists use a bit of license when drawing the pupil, making it larger to give the person a friendlier look (since the pupils dilate when we are pleased to see someone), and making a highlight curve across it, to emphasize the shiny curved surface of the eyeball.

Shading and Shadows:

Now I'm adding some shading to the drawing. I add a fine layer across all of the inner white of the eye, and very, very lightly across the outer one. The 'whites' aren't really white, but slightly shaded. Reserve pure white for your highlights as much as possible. I add a layer of shading to the upper eyelid, an some shadows around the eye. At this stage, the shading is quite strong - I'll soften it with an eraser. (Bear in mind that the scanner hasn't picked up the lighter tones).

Smoothing the Shading:

The eye drawing is almost finished. The shading in the eye is completed, making sure the white highlights are crisp. Notice the shadow drawn under the upper eyelid. This helps to give it a more three-dimensional look. Skin tones require a fine touch with shading. I use an eraser to lift excess tone, sometimes re-drawing several times until I get the subtle shading that I want. I've made the shading in the whites of the eye a little darker so that the highlights look brighter.

Notice that I haven't drawn the eyelashes yet. I want to be able to smudge and erase the tones on the eyelids without disturbing the eyelashes.

The completed Eye Drawing:

To finish off the eye drawing, I've softened some of the shading further to create quite a smooth effect, and crisped up the highlights in the eye. Then I've added the eyelashes. Look carefully at the eyelashes - note where they start. A common error is to have eyelashes growing out of the middle of the eyelid. A few hairs straying inwards, but most eyelash hairs grow quite precisely out of the front edge of the eyelid. Use an almost flicking motion, lifting the pencil towards the end of the hair, to draw the natural taper of the eyelash.

Learn to Draw Cartoon Faces Continued

Funky Cartoon Hair Styles:

Cartoon Features and Facial Hair:

Draw Female Cartoon Characters:

Cartoon Girl Hairstyles:

Cartoon Face Expressions - Eyebrows:

Expressive Cartoon Features:

Cartoon Girl Face Expressions:

Cartoon Face Combinations:

You Can Draw Cartoon Faces

Lets see if you can understand only by images...;)

Draw a Rose with Fiber Tip Pen

This is the reference for this rose drawing tutorial. You might prefer to try a different one. If you can, get a real bloom to draw from life.

A simple Artline fiber-tip pen is used for this tutorial, on a generic brand of multi-purpose sketching paper. Office paper works well for practice sketches. Test out your pen and paper first to ensure that it isn't inclined to 'bleed' ink into the fibers.

Drawing the Rose from the Inside Out:

When you're drawing in ink, so can't make corrections, it's a good idea to do a rough sketch in pencil first, to 'place' the bloom on the page and get the overall proportions right. Then, begin in the center, looking for the innermost, curled petals in the middle of the rose, that are almost 'framed' by the petals around them.

Developing the Rose Drawing:

Now continue adding petals to the rose. Keep the line clean and simple. You're really just looking for definite edges, and paying attention to the way the petals curl and overlap. Some shapes will seem a bit odd, because of the way the petals change plane as they curl. That's fine - they'll make sense as the whole thing comes together.

Completing the Rose Outline:

Finish outlining the petals, then add a little detail. Use fairly short, neat marks to suggest the veins on some of the petals, curving to show the direction of curl. You can also add a little hatching in the darker folds of the flower.

The Finished Rose Pen Drawing:

Outline the leaves, add veins and a little hatching, and you're done. Note that this is a very linear style of drawing - it's very crisp and hard, and not naturalistic at all. If I was going to apply an ink wash, I'd use a more broken line for a natural look. The outline used here will fight against any tonal shading. However, some strong, clean color might work well for an illustrative look.

Before You Run Out of Ideas - Try One of These!

Sometimes when you look at a blank page, your mind goes blank too. You want to draw or paint, but what? Here are six sources of inspiration to get you started drawing, painting, or even scrap-booking  Once you get started, you'll find that one idea leads to another. Try picking one theme to explore consistently over several days or even weeks, adding written notes about your thoughts and feelings to your sketchbook.

• Everyday Objects

Some of the most beautiful works of art focus on the everyday. A simple mug, or a piece of fruit can be inspiration for a simple and beautiful drawing. You can concentrate on accurate shapes and values, or explore expressive line and atmospheric tone. Try drawing and painting one object in various ways and with different mediums. Do a scrapbook or sketchbook page with a sketch of your favorite mug on your kitchen table, a photo and a note about why you love it.

• Yourself, Family and Friends

Forget trying to draw portraits from washed-out, glossy-magazine celebrity photos. Draw real people. People you care about. Self portraits guarantee you a willing model, and are a time-honored way for artists to express their deepest feelings. Friends and family can be sketched as they go about their day, or drawn in detail posing. These drawings can become treasured mementoes, even family heirlooms.

• Inspiration from the Garden and Nature

Complex natural forms can offer pleasantly forgiving subjects for drawing and painting -nobody knows if its a wobbly line or the shape of the leaf. And they can also be challenging and complex. Its up to you. You can explore nature up close, drawing leaves and pinecones, or on a grand scale, sketching scenes.

• Furry Friends

Draw your pet sleeping by the hearth, or sketch them at play. Or draw from a photograph taken in natural light, at pet's eye-level. Have a day sketching at the zoo. Zoo animals offer a range of interesting challenges - how do you draw a crocodile's skin or a leopard's spots? Create a series of scrapbook or sketchbook pages with zoo sketches. Draw the entrance with a wall or fence along the bottom of a page, and sketch the visitors looking at the exhibits.

• Fantasy Ideas

Look at paintings in books and online for inspiration. See how artists have interpreted these themes. Do you agree with them? Bring traditional ideas into the21st century. Get friends to model for reference photos - accurate anatomy and correct fall of light and shadow is important in creating a believable fantasy. Create scrapbook or sketchbook pages that suggest a story. Stain pages with tea or diluted ink, draw decorative borders and imagine a day in the life of your dragon or witch.

• Inspiration from Literature and Film

Have you ever read a description of a character or scene in a book that comes to life in your mind so clearly, that you can see it like a movie in your head? Try drawing it! If you love a book that's been made into a movie, try to get the movie version out of your head, and read it afresh. Or try re-casting the scene with different actors.

Sketches/paintings in Gallery

So what did you think about the pics uploaded in gallery!

Just want to add that these are not the ones that are downloaded from some site and then uploaded.

These are drawn by people i know...my friends, my colleagues, my family friends and my BF too (The last two sketches) .....:p

So i think now as we have seen so many examples you might have thought to start painting or try a sketch... Lets concentrate on some real lessons and info about this art then. :)

Art of the month-Sketching/painting

So the Art of the month for the month of February is Sketching and painting (Drawing)

We will have a separate page for gallery of all the rocking sketches and paintings...

Keep following and enjoy THE ART :)

Paper Dogwood Flowers

How To make Dogwood Flowers:
1. Cut card stock into 5-inch squares. Fold a square in half, then fold in half again. Open square, and crease diagonally, reversing direction of fold; repeat to make another diagonal crease. 

2. Fold square back up along original creases. Trace petal template onto square. 

3. Cut out along open edges. Snip off a tiny bit of pointed tip; unfold flower. 

4. With an unused pencil eraser and green ink, stamp small marks at indents on each petal. 

5. Use a starburst-style stamp to mark center. Cut out leaves from green card stock. Secure flowers and leaves to branches with clear craft glue.

And your beautiful Dogwood Flowers are ready!

Using same procedure, you can even make this awesome Paper Cherry Blossom Display!!!

Tie-Dyed Leggings

Tools and Materials:
Soda ash
Water
Leggings made from 100 percent natural fiber, such as cotton or silk
Rubber bands
Jacquard Procion MX dye in a variety of colors
Squeeze bottles
Dawn detergent (or other mild or organic detergent)
Procedure:
1. Add 1 cup soda ash to 1 gallon of hot water. Soak leggings in this mixture for at least a half-hour. Remove leggings and wring out excess liquid.

2. Scrunch and gather tights everywhere except crotch area. Hold gathered areas in place with rubber bands.

3. Prepare up to six different colored dyes for the gathered areas of the leggings. In each squeeze bottle, mix 2 teaspoons dye with 4 ounces water, then add 4 more ounces to fill.

4. Starting with the color you want to be least prominent, squeeze dye into folds of fabric. Let dye drip onto fabric as you cover different areas, creating a trail of color.

5. Add remaining five colors, one by one, in the same manner.

6. Mix three more colors of dye in similar tones (for example: yellow, light yellow, dark yellow) for the background. One by one, completely saturate the leggings with these colors.

7. Let cure for 24 hours. Rinse thoroughly with cold running water, removing rubber bands once the water runs somewhat clear.

8. Wash with a mild detergent in warm water, avoiding detergents with harsh chemicals, which will remove the dye. Line dry or dry in a warm dryer.

Fabric-Punched Bouquet

Bring the beauty of flowers that never fade into your home with this surprisingly simple craft. These vintage-style keepsake bouquets includes pink violets, blue hydrangeas, and purple-and-gold pansies.

Tools and Materials:

• Lightweight fabrics, such as voile or Indian cotton
• Tray
• Medium paintbrush
• Liquid fabric stiffener, at crafts stores
• Petal and leaf craft punches
• Micro hole punch
• Floral pips (small wires with colored tips used to make silk flowers), at crafts stores
• Contact cement
• Floral wire
• Wire cutters
• Green floral tape
• Floral tape
• Vase (optional)

Procedure:

1. Begin by punching fabric flowers: Lay a piece of fabric in a shallow tray. With a medium paintbrush, apply enough fabric stiffener to saturate, but not soak, the fabric. Let it dry, about 1 hour. Repeat with any remaining fabric.

2. Using craft punches, punch out petals and leaves as close together on the fabric as possible.
3. Using a micro hole punch, make a hole in the center of each bloom. Slip a pip through each hole, and secure it with a dab of contact cement.
4. To make a stem, cut a length of floral wire, and wrap it around each pip with green floral tape.
5. For leaves, glue floral wire to each one to create veins and stems. Wrap stems with floral tape.
6. Gather blooms and leaves into a bouquet, and either tuck them in a vase or wrap the stems in more floral tape to join them.

Embellished Felted Ugg Boots

These beautifully embellished Ugg boots are a unique handmade holiday gift sure to make the recipient think of you every time they wear them.

Tools and Materials:

• Olive branch, deer 1, deer 2, cedar tree, and snowman templates
• Crocheted UGG boots
• Permanent marker
• Iron-off stabilizer
• Foam
• Rubber bands
• Pins
• Felting needle
• Muslin
• Iron

Procedure:

1. Download and print olive branch template. Using a permanent marker, trace template onto an iron-off stabilizer.

2. Roll up 1 inch of foam and wrap with rubber bands; stick foam inside boot. Pin stabilizer to boot, felting branch through stabilizer. Begin felting olives. Pull away leftover stabilizer.

3. Place a piece of muslin over design and give it a little steam with iron to relax fibers.

Beaded Bags

1. CUT FABRICS

Using a pencil, lightly trace the shape of the bag onto the fabric you plan to bead. Cut that piece 1/2 inch to 1 inch smaller than the trace line. Trace again onto a contrasting piece of fabric, and cut 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch smaller than the trace line.

2. SEW BEADS AND TRIM

Stitch seed beads, bugle beads, and sequins onto smaller piece of fabric, or glue beaded trim directly onto bag. If the fabric has a pattern, accentuate it -- outline a polka dot with sequins, echo stripes or plaids with bugle beads, or dot seed beads onto flowers.

3. ATTACH TO BAG

Fold the edges of the beaded piece under, and stitch to larger bottom piece; spray adhesive to the back of bottom piece, and press to bag.

Here are your beaded bags...Ready :)

Heart-Shaped Pot Holders

Cooks seeking to renew the spark in their culinary lives need look no further: Creating heart-shaped pot holders is a charming way to add whimsy and color to your kitchen's decor. They also make sweet Valentine's Day gifts. After all, these mitts are warm and fuzzy inside and all heart on the outside.

What You'll Need:

• Cotton batting
• Pins
• Cotton fabric (3 stacks of 12-by-12-inch pieces)
• Bias tape
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• Pot holder template

Procedure:

Step 1

Before you begin, enlarge pot holder template by 200%, print and cut out as indicated. Fold three layers of cotton batting in half; align batting template's straight side with fold; pin, and cut out. Fold three stacked 12-by-12-inch pieces of cotton fabric in half; align heart template's straight side with fold; pin, and cut out. Lay pocket template on one folded fabric heart; cut on diagonal line.

Step 2

Sew bias tape to straight edge of pockets; backstitch ends.

Step 3

Layer the pieces, starting with a fabric heart (face down), batting, another fabric heart (face up), and pockets (face up); pin. Sew outside edge, leaving 1/4-inch seam allowance. Trim edge as close to stitching as possible.

Step 4

Sew bias tape to heart, starting at top center, folding ends under.

Step 5

Sew 5-inch piece of bias tape, ends turned under, into a loop. Stitch to pot holder.