I’m finally learning to play keys, instead of just guessing chords, or using my guitar to play them instead.
My question is about fingering. I’ve been practicing using a trial of the Melodics software, and it recommends using (for the right hand) fingers 1,3, and 5 for simple triads. That’s the thumb, middle finger, and little finger (pinkie).
This hurts, and I find it awkward to shape and hold the position. Should I persevere, and eventually learn it? Or should I just use fingers 1, 2, and 5, which is more comfortable?
I remember that in my early guitar days, I had similar problems with some shapes, and now I never even think about it. So I’m willing to do the work to train my hands.
But right now, this also means less practice per day thanks to the pain. Also, I have RSI problems in my wrist, which I manage for my writing job, but which is problematic for key playing, apparently.
You’ll likely get different views on this. Personally, I say play whatever you’re comfortable with. For years I used fingers 2,3 & 4 for standard chords! But when I started to try slightly more advanced things the 1, 3, 5 approach def helped.
Nowadays I naturally veer towards 1,2,4 or 1,3,4 as I just don’t play enough to have built up the strength/muscle memory for the “proper” way to work accurately.
I’ll counter all this by saying that if you plan to play two handed then I’d be tempted to force my left hand into 1,3,5 now rather than later. Just speaking from experience as I left it so long that changing my left hand was just not happening.
I do plan to play two handed. That’s one of the big advantages of keys over guitar for me. I think I might have an easier time making my left hand conform, too, as it’s already used to the weird stuff from all those guitar jazz chords.
In my experience, both 1-3-5 and 1-2-5 are used, but 1-3-5 shouldn’t be a specially awkward position.
I suggest you look up a tutorial on good hand and body position to play the piano. It really helps, specially at the beginning, and the Melodics software completely skips this important subject.
Also, make sure to take rests and do not force your hand in awkward positions for a long time, you really want to avoid to injure yourself.
With 1-2-5 I can easily make my middle and ring fingers (3-4) horizontal, so they don’t touch play any keys. With 1-3-5 my ring finger (4) points down so it almost always presses a key.
Maybe I need to do some basic lessons with a live human teacher
I’m self taught piano for the last couple years through SimplyPiano. Due to inversions, you’ll definitely play some things 1-2-5, but 1-3-5 is pretty critical. For example an F Major in the right hand is 1-C, 3-F, 5-A. You’re already stretching here. Obviously you could stretch more but it feels unnecessary. From this position swapping 3-F and 2-E is really simple and now you have Am.
In perfect form your fingers are on top of all the keys and only the keys you are actively playing have finger movement. I remember spending a time practicing my playing to isolate the fingers and reduce unnecessary movement.
Try to use as much of the keys length as needed for a comfortable fingering.
As a beginner, you’ll tend to just use the first 2-3 cm, white keys in particular.
But try to use the white spaces between the black keys too, in certain positions or fingerings that will feel a lot more comfortable.
Getting the articulation right on the rear end of the keys will be quite hard at first, but this is something to practice. This will develop naturally by just playing a lot. A good keybed helps, o/c.
It’s difficult to help you without a photo of your hand position. If you can take a photo of your hand at this position from a couple angles, that would make it easier to give you advice. It would be useful as well to where exactly on your hand / wrist you feel uncomfortable.
I am not a doctor by any means, but I myself struggled with and eventually overcame hand and wrist pain at the piano.
Fingers 3 and 4 share a muscle, which is why they’re hard to separate like this. Find some finger mobility exercises. You need to train the nerves/muscle to differentiate your intent better.
Also, you shouldn’t need to make the fingers that aren’t playing keys horizontal. You should be extending the fingers that are playing further. (I think. A real pianist should probably confirm this. I’ve been playing badly for years!!)
Right hand I find I use 1-2-4 (thumb, index and ring fingers) with the pinkie left free for flourishes etc. It’s an old adage but practicing your scales will help with fingering
It’s something I’ve never done enough of but it was drilled into me on my one piano lesson I had with a mates older brother! I could see his point tho regarding the relationship between scales and positioning ie starting with the thumb and running up with index finger, middle finger then back to thumb up to little finger. Getting into those good habits
I’ve had a couple of runs of good weeks/months in the last year or so. When I practice, everything improves a bit, even unlikely abilities like more often landing on just the right key first time when attempting to play along with records/radio. It’s definitely worth it. I can’t explain why I keep falling off the wagon even in the face of evidence that it’s worth staying on.
I just wanted to say that I can relate to this. I started playing guitar almost 30 years ago, but recently developed cubital tunnel syndrome, and apparently playing guitar is one of the worst things for it. I probably developed it with too much computer time (I work in the software development world).
I need to put in the work to learn keys, like you’re doing. I can figure stuff out on the keyboard, but I can’t “think on keyboards” the way I “think on fretboards”. Sometimes I even find myself counting keys to know intervals between notes to assemble chords and melodies – it’s pathetic
