Chromatic scales fingering... help !

[Lilo]

Hi

I'd like to know how to finger chromatic scales... Can anyone help me ?

[Amygdala]

hi...you may try to check out Hanon-Velocity exercises..For the fingerings,you can have no.3 finger as starter coz' it gives more power..Try it hope you'll feel comfy with that.. ;)Good luck!

[drooxy]

Hi !

I learnt that as follows:

C  C# D  D#  E   F   F#  G  G#  A  A# B  [C
1   3   1   3    1   2   3    1    3   1   3   1  [2

... not saying it is the right way to do it... but it seems pretty easy to me !

Cheers,
Drooxy

[Piazzo22]

You really should try this, it´s really fast!!!:

RH:

E  F  F#    G  G# A  Bb     B  C  C#    D Eb
1  2  3  -   1   2   3  4   -  1   2  3   -  1  2

It´s  F. Hauer's fingering. If you need to start in C:

C  C#  D   D#
1   2    3   4

then resume from E with (1) like above.

Try it, if you like it I post the LH fingering.

This technique allows a level of legato and speed that with 3 fingers only you cannot achieve.  

[IgnazPaderewski]

for xtra fast chromatics(works, but a bit uneven and quite hard)

starting on G, 1234 123 12345 etc.

by John Ogdon

[erak]

1313132 etc does the trick for me

[Lilo]

Thanks a lot   I'm gonna try each fingering  

[dj]

for xtra fast chromatics(works, but a bit uneven and quite hard)

starting on G, 1234 123 12345 etc.

by John Ogdon

is it possible to play it this way "evenly"? cuz if not, i don't think it would eally be worth it to practice it this way. i use 131312313131312.....can't really get insanely fast though, but my teacher can so i imagine i'll get it eventually.

[erak]

yeah that can get insanely fast if you practice it. Make sure to practice it against an easy melody or something, so you can use it in pieces that have chromatic scales in them

[eddie92099]

If you want even chromatics, use 13131231313..., however, if you want something a little faster (which is often required) throw some 4s and 5s in there,
Ed

[djbrak]

You really should try this, it´s really fast!!!:

RH:

E  F  F#    G  G# A  Bb     B  C  C#    D Eb
1  2  3  -   1   2   3  4   -  1   2  3   -  1  2

It´s  F. Hauer's fingering. If you need to start in C:

C  C#  D   D#
1   2    3   4

then resume from E with (1) like above.

Try it, if you like it I post the LH fingering.

This technique allows a level of legato and speed that with 3 fingers only you cannot achieve.  

How 'bout that LH fingering?

[Piazzo22]

For the left hand it´s like follows:

Eb  E  F      F#  G  G#  A      Bb  B  C     C#  D
3    2  1      4    3   2    1      3    2  1      3    1  

It has 2 adventages, you can play legattissimo (with 321313132131 you cannot, the thumb is always slow and has to begin the jump to the next key before the third finger acts), and once coordinated it´s considerably faster that with 3 fingers only.

You can see this fingering in Czerny´s School of velocitiy and Hanon too.

Alternating more fingers, the extensors and flexors have more time to relax and contract again. Resulting in a more even scale and without jumps of the fingers to the next key like 1313.

[bernhard]

All fingerings so far are good. Here are a few more (some repeated from above).

From C to C ascending (reverse it for descending).

Basic:
RH – 1313123131312
LH – 1313213131321
Advantage: easy to remember
Disadvantage: won’t do for fast scales (too much thumb movement).

My favourite:
RH – 2313123123412
LH – 1313214321321
Advantage: smooth and fast (gives the thumb a rest).
Disadvantage: not so easy to remember which finger goes where.

Try this as well:
RH – 5343453434345
LH – 4343543434354
Advantage: excellent finger exercise, in some pieces it will be the only fingering that will work. (particularly for the right hand).
Disadvantage: Awkward.

Work on all these fingerings (plus the ones suggested before). It is not a matter of either or.

Two simple (and nice) etudes that use chromatic scales: Burgmuller op. 105 no. 3 and Czerny op. 299 no. 31.

[allchopin]

RH – 5343453434345
in some pieces it will be the only fingering that will work.

Hehe, you mean just in Chopin's #2 Op. 10 in A minor?

Actually, with the standard method (131312) I can acheive a great amount of velocity- enough that any piece would require.  However, other fingerings may be used simply for practice or for fun (refer to the 'How fast can you scale chromatically' thread!)  With the standard method, I can hit about 13.5 keys / second.  I don't know of ANY piece that demands faster chromatics that this.

[pianoforte63]

Another fingering pattern that is used in Russian School is as follows:

Right Hand Playing Up:

C  C# D  D#  E   F   F#  G  G#  A  A# B  C C#
1   2   1   2    1   2   3    1    2   1   2  1  2  3

Right Hand Playing Down:

C  B   Bb  A   Ab G  Gb  F  E  Eb  D  Db  C
2  1    3   1    3  1    3   2   1  3   1   3   1

Left Hand Playing Up:

C  C# D  D#  E   F   F#  G  G#  A  A# B  C
1   3   1   3    2   1   3    1    3   1   3   2  1

Left  Hand Playing Down:

C  B   Bb  A   Ab G  Gb  F  E  Eb  D  Db  C
1  2    3   1    2  1    2   1   2  3   1   2   1

[bitus]

You really should try this, it´s really fast!!!:

RH:

E  F  F#    G  G# A  Bb     B  C  C#    D Eb
1  2  3  -   1   2   3  4   -  1   2  3   -  1  2

It´s  F. Hauer's fingering. If you need to start in C:

C  C#  D   D#
1   2    3   4

then resume from E with (1) like above.

What about playing more octaves of this? You would end up with
... G G# A A# B C C#
   1 2    3 4    1 2  then what? Do you change the pattern and put 1 3 and then over again with 1?
It seems to me it only works for 1 octave?!
The Bitus

[Piazzo22]

Well, it´s an infinite circle:

Starting in C:
1234 "123 1234 123 12" and then you repeat only "123 1234 123 12" and again "123 1234 123 12"

"123 1234 123 12" begins with E

[bitus]

thanks... that's what i thought... it seems that the second d# with 2 is not that confortable.
The bitus

[Piazzo22]

You can use 3 instead of 2, but then you will be articulating the third finger 2 times in 3 keys only.
Like in the typical scale: (starting in E) 123 13 13 123 13
in wich at speed you cannot control legato and intensity because ..3 13 13 is not efficient at all, and the 3rd finger have to jump because it was not given time to relax its extensor.

It´s in Hanon, Hauer scales and Czerny School of velocity.

[comme_le_vent]

the ogdon one is the fastest - perfect for campanella etc.

[bitus]

you must be really good with putting the thumb under the hand in order to play the Ogdon one. However, the more notes you get to play in one "move" the fastest it will go.
The 131312... is very skipy and dangerous... easy to get lost, and very hard to put any kind of accents.
So far, the 2313 123 1234 123... is the best, and safest.
The Bitus