””

BOGO: Add two ebooks to your cart, go to checkout and use code #bogo in the box on the right

Make Piano Fingering Logical

Make Piano Fingering Logical

If you make piano fingering logical, kids accept it and use it if they can. The issue that kids have with fingering is that it just one more conceptual burden put on their brains to play a simple song. It may be logical to you, but they see no point to it until they want to play fast.

At first, the only logic a child sees to fingering is their index finger. It is strong, long and the finger they use for a lot of things. Kids aren't even really aware they have five fingers, in terms of the piano.

They have to be introduced to their "basketball team," as I call the group of five fingers. It's as if they've never seen fingers as a group before. 

Piano Is Easy

Printable PDF Download

Give Them Simple Tools

The first thing I suggest is that they use two index fingers instead of just one. This is easy for them to do, even if they are not ambidextrous. The cleverness of this move, from a piano teacher's point of view, is that using two index fingers involves both hemispheres of the brain, whether the child knows it or not.

You're getting their brain to talk internally without them knowing it, or feeling that it is difficult. Point out that they have fingers right next to the index finger. The third finger. Why not use that?

Get ready for them to walk up the piano white keys with their second and third fingers, like a pair of legs. Imagination! The fourth and fifth fingers are practically useless, at first, and many kids keep them tucked under the hand instinctively.

You can try to uncurl them. They won't until they are ready. Get kids to use their first three fingers, thumb, index and third. They are naturally strong.

The Weird Finger, The Thumb

Now introduce the thumb, a very strange finger to a kid. It is half as long, twice as thick, and starts halfway down the hand, unlike every other finger. Kids shun the thumb, but must be taught to lead their "basketball team" with it. The thumb is the captain of the hand.

The problem with thumb is that it is so short that it forces the hand to be at a rather uncomfortable. unfamiliar  angle when used with the other fingers. Kids find this strange.

The first three fingers are the strongest, thumb, index and third. Thus it is logical you would have the most success in showing the child how to use the hand as a unit if you use the strongest fingers. So I number the keys and let the kid loose.

Here's a piano game to play with numbers:

Threesies
| 1 2 3 | 2 3 4 | 3 4 5 | 4 5 6 | 5 6 7 | 6 7 8 |

Three Finger Game

Play piano keys  123, 234, 345, 456, 567, 678, 789, etc. with the thumb, index and third fingers. You have to repeat this over and over, inventing reasons why it must be repeated. What it is teaching the child is that the fingers go in a row, one after the other, and we don't skip fingers.

The last step, of course, is to try to use all five fingers, and you may have some success with it. But the fourth and fifth fingers will remain weak to the point of unusability for a long time. Get the child to use the first three fingers as a group. Strengthen what you can.

REFERENCES

Fingering

What Is Fingering?

Piano Fingering Diagram

One-Finger Johnny

Developing Children’s Piano Finger Instincts

Exploring Fingering

Kid’s Finger Olympics

Finger Organization Games

When Is Fingering Necessary?

Piano Fingering for Kids

Children’s Piano Fingering Strategy

Piano Fingering for Preschool Kids

Kid’s Piano Fingering 101

Piano Fingering for the Very Young

Piano Finger Numbers Worksheet

Fingering and Familiar Songs

Leave a comment

PIANO BY NUMBER

We've turned notes into numbers for happy beginners at the piano!

Play Along Songs Are Fun!

PLAY FUN PIANO GAMES!

Turn that big piano into a toy! Play fun piano games with your child today! We help take the confusion out of beginning music theory.

PLAY FUN & GAMES
Downloads Sent Worldwide!

GET A DOWNLOAD!

International orders are welcome on ebooks! If requested we will send free pre-printed stickers worldwide! No shipping charges on downloads!

SHOP E BOOKS

eBOOKS INCLUDE STICKERS!

eBooks include a sticker template. You can use the sticker template and/or request FREE pre-printed stickers sent via surface mail.

Shop eBooks