The Un-Piano Fingering Technique (Previously Unaided Fingering Technique).

PART ONE

by Perfect MCSNUP.

Hello and welcome to the first episode of our Piano Fingering Techniques Blog Series.

In Today's Episode, we will be looking at the first technique, which I recommend to Piano beginners. I think I am not the only Piano Educator who probably recommends this technique to beginners. 

The technique has got quite a number of advantages, however the primary essence of the technique and by far its most important advantage is the DISCIPLINE it instills.

This Technique I have come to name the Un-Piano Technique. It is so-called because, it is a technique designed for use anywhere else but the Piano. It involves a successful playing of pretend using the fingers in their correct positions every time.

The Playing of Pretend is done on recommended elements, including:

Hard Surfaces like a table/desk.

Any other Surfaces where the fingers may rest on.

Imaginary Piano/Keyboard hanging somewhere in the air.

However, it is needful to state that playing pretend, is in this case not just acting a script, no! It is actually playing your piano fingering on these recommended surfaces,  you're going to actually have to seriously  play and with the appropriate fingering every time.

A few Rules to help us get started in the Un-Piano Technique applies, and the first of these is:

THE FINGERING NOMENCLATURE:

It Is Quite essential to follow the appropriate fingering every time. There are Five fingers on the Right Hand, henceforth designated RHF and Five on the Left Hand, LHF.

RHF: Right Hand Fingers.

LHF: Left Hand Fingers.

Both the RHF and LHF have similar fingering nomenclature (number naming system) as defined below:

Thumb is assigned finger number 1 

The Fore Finger is assigned finger number 2

The Middle Finger is assigned finger number 3

The Ring Finger is assigned finger number 4

The Pinky Finger is assigned finger number 5

On both RHF and LHF.

The next rule is:

THE CORRESPONDENCE OF FINGERS:

The Fingering Correspondence rule simply is the rule guiding the working simultaneously of the RHF and LHF. It basically implies that in a particular situation, an action by one finger on the Right should be accompanied by a definite counterpart on the left. 

In the Un-Piano Technique as well as a number of the basic techniques we shall be considering the pattern is as follows:

RHF 1 Corresponds to LHF 5

RHF 2 Corresponds to LHF 4

RHF 3 Corresponds to LHF 3

RHF 2 Corresponds to LHF 4

RHF 5 Corresponds to LHF 1.