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: