Welcome to the sixth section of the course! In this lesson, we will discuss the significance of fingering and why it is essential in piano playing.

Fingering refers to the assignment of specific fingers to the keys when we play a piece. A good fingering is defined by allowing us to play passages effortlessly without running out of fingers. This is what “running out of fingers” means (example being shown in the video). You will see that after I played with my 5th finger, I want to continue three more notes and you can hear that it sounds off, like, not connected, so this is why we always want to make sure we use a good fingering, because bad fingering will also be noticed during your performance. In a few lessons, we will talk about how we can solve this exact problem in the example I’ve just shown you.

The five fingers of our hand have different designations in piano playing. The thumb is referred to as Finger 1, followed by the index finger (Finger 2), the middle finger (Finger 3), the ring finger (Finger 4), and the little finger, also known as Finger 5.

A good fingering considers the length and structure of the passages we play. It minimizes unnecessary movements and enables us to reach the keys with ease, resulting in a smooth and seamless playing flow.

Using an effective fingering also ensures that our fingers never run out. It allows us to master faster and more complex passages without getting entangled or lost.

Fingering often develops intuitively with increasing experience. You can also take inspiration from other pianists and observe how they play specific pieces. Watch the hand movements and finger positions of experienced pianists, for example Rousseau on YouTube.

In this section, we will familiarize ourselves with the basics of fingering and understand its importance in piano playing.

Let's now explore fingering together and enhance our finger dexterity!