Left Hand Piano Fingering
Piano fingering for the left hand is similar to right hand fingering, as you can see from the basic rules:
- Fingers are numbered 1-5; the thumb is always 1, and the little finger is 5.
- Fingers 1 and 5 should be kept off accidental keys whenever possible.
- After playing black keys in a scale, land on a white key with your thumb. This technique goes for both ascending and descending scales, played by either hand.
Left Hand Piano Scale Fingering
Although the left hand usually emphasizes rhythm, you will play many left-handed melodies and arpeggios; so scale fingering is important. Practice with the following techniques to build dexterity in the clumsier left hand:
- In ascending scales, the 4th finger crosses over the thumb. Look at picture #1, above: This happens between the E and F in the first measure.
- In descending scales, the thumb crosses under the 4th finger. You can see this in the third measure between the G and the F.
*Short fingers may use the 3rd finger in place of the 4th in both ascending and descending scales. Long fingers should refrain from using finger 5 before or after finger 1; doing so is neither useful nor comfortable.
Practice the fingering for the A minor scale above (view full scale here). This scale is all the white keys from one A to another, but if you need help memorizing the bass notes, try these mnemonic devices.
Left Hand Piano Chord Fingering
Fingering for left hand piano chords is just like chord fingering for the right hand, except the numbers are inverted:
- Triads (three-note chords) are formed using fingers 5-3-1.
There are exceptions; for example, the formation 5-2-1 is used when a chord demands a wide finger span. This can be seen in an A minor chord in the “second inversion,” which means an A minor whose notes are ordered E-A-C (see picture #2).
Another exception involves accidentals. Just like in scales, fingers 2-3-4 are best for black keys. Therefore, if a triad began with an accidental, it would also begin with the 4th finger: A D major triad in the first inversion – whose notes are F#-A-D – is played with the fingering 4-2-1 (see picture #3). - Tetrads (four-note chords) are formed using fingers 5-3-2-1.
Tetrad chords follow the same rules (and exceptions) as triads; and, like with triads, you should adjust tetrad fingering for the sake of efficiency. For example, if you need finger 3 for another note, use the 5-4-2-1 position instead.
