Simpedia

Mark S., Tennessee

I have personally found that the 1-3-5 serves as the best habituating fingering for the major chords (root triads.)  This prepares my students for adding the scales and especially the cadences fingerings, as well as creating a strong
preparation for chord inversions.

I find that when my students then habituate the correct fingerings found in their scales, cadences and inversions, they are taught an advantage that will serve them well the rest of their piano-playing lives, making their accompaniment chords more
fluid, instant and physically logical.

The above observe, follow and optimize the basic logic of the physical construction of the hands.

5 fingers on 5 notes is the first basic SM principle taught, then opening the hand and using the space between thumb (1) and pointer (2).  This still leaves the four fingers (2-5) all in a row, and describes a clear habituating principle and reasoning for fingering choices when opening the hand to reach greater chord width, or fingering melodies. (Top-Up on Amazing Grace variation for Southern/Black Gospel rhythms – hand shapes in Greensleeves.) I find this is a consistent principle taught within Simply Music’s Foundations songs and variations.

When changing from 3-note chords to 4-note chords in accompaniment (adding the octave above to the triad,)
I use the 1-2-3-5 RH, and 5-3-2-1 LH fingerings as a general rule for beginners.

I have had two adult students who did not intuitively want to use 1-3-5, but who followed my lead and are successful. One is a retired surgeon (65) who used fingers 1-2-3 primarily all his working life – he is now accompanying himself and self-generating in making his chords and inversion and choosing excellent fingerings on RH melodies. The other is a retired fighter pilot (68) who still works out and golfs almost every day. His fingers are the size of large toothpaste tubes (slight exaggeration, not much) but he has learned to play RH melodies sensitively, and form his accompaniment chords LH with accuracy and finesse. Plus, he’s a hoot and a wonderful husband, father and grandpa! You should hear him play Hank Williams and John Denver! Wonders never cease!! Thank you SM and Neil!

Ian M., Indiana

I’m interested in this answer too. I’ve had students with big hands want to play 1-2-4. I do think consistency is key, though I also let them know that there may be instances where I’ll recommend something different.

Kevin M., California

I always stick with 1 3 and 5, if I remember my anatomy correctly finger four is the only finger without it’s own satellite tendon (You can put your hand palm down on a table, make a  fist, then extend all fingers but  finger 3 , then try lifting each finger individually. You will find you can’t move finger 4 while leaving finger 3 bent and flat against the table, fun party trick  too) so using fingers 1 -3 and 5 for our chords help to strengthen and get more flexibility with using fingers 3 and 4 independently.

Also since in Acc.we are using fingers 1 3 and 5, and just by moving one of those fingers up or down a whole or half step we can play almost any chord! Moving finger 3 down a half step is a minor etc..much later of course if we talk about intervals it’s the third interval that is moved down a half step which corresponds to finger 3 naturally falling on the third etc.. (and watching Neil on the video for “Honey Dew” and “Amazing Grace.” he is using fingers 1 3 and 5 I feel it’s important to stay consistent with teaching the song exactly how Neil is doing it on the videos)  Of course much later we may use fingers 1-2 and 3 for chords for other purposes but that’s another conversation for another time.

Fiona H., Australia

I just wanted to mention something re: large fingers.  The chord fingering qu – and answers are good ones!!

I have several male students in the (50+) age bracket, who are in private lessons – they all have very large fingers but all enjoy accompaniment. I have talked fingering with them at the beginning as 1-2-4 is a common ‘natural’ fingering they presented in early stages of learning. Like the surgeon eg below, I have found those ex-guitarists/ executives or those in jobs with lots of typing involved want to play with 1-2-4.

For inspiration for the gentlemen, I show them YouTube clips of Elton John playing – modern ones as well as his early days where he had a more  gospel influenced style – great stuff and shows large fingers can go fast/can play chord shapes n melodies in the more squished areas of the piano between white/black notes.  Elton certainly has large fingers – esp as he’s gotten older.  I do this while explaining why 1-3-5 is so important as a foundation. It is interesting to watch his technique from an accomp perspective. Always good to have a visual example to highlight why it’s important!