What I've learned from CPE Bach on fingering

[rc]

A little while back I finished that chapter in his essay.  There were a lot of aspects that I already knew, common piano knowledge, then there were a few unusual things:

Passing 2 over 1
Over the white keys, he likes to repeatedly pass 2 over 1.  (RH descending: 2,1,2,1,2,1...)

I found this fairly comfortable and very even sounding.  Though I don't see myself ditching the standard fingering for it.

Passing 3 over 4
Over black or white keys, RH ascending: 3,4,3,4,3,4...  This I found uncomfortable over the white keys, but managable if going from a white key to a black (4 - 3).  All I can figure is that CPE Bach must have had a longer 3rd finger as opposed to the 4th than I have.

One good reason I can think of these two repetitive passes is that he often wrote in parts, like his father, and so if the thumb or pinky is held down it's practical to pass these fingers repeatedly like this.

Multiple scale fingerings
For some scales he gives 3 different fingerings, and encourages practicing all of them.  I don't know if I would have such patience.  The purpose of that is to be more adaptable.  This makes sense because CPE had to accompany and always come up with things on the fly, so adaptability would have been important for him. Untested.

3rd vs 4th finger in broken chords
I was never too sure of this, when a 4-note chord (root position) is played solid, typically using the 4th finger is most balanced, but the same chord can also be comfortable with the 3rd finger when the chord is broken...  Bach says: this is acceptable.

Passing 4 over 5
In learning JSBach's Invention in Em, there were meny spots where I found it most comfortable to finger, for example RH: G -> Ab (adjacent) 5 -> 4.  My teacher told me this was inappropriate, although it felt totally comfortable to my hand it would be considered unacceptable to classical practices...  CPEBach says:  Acceptable.

Sliding from black key to white key, w. same finger
I'd always been told this was also improper, it was a jazz move and the conservatory wouldn't approve.  CPE Bach disagrees!  He calls it a happy move


Pretty much all of this follows the golden rule: what's practical and comfortable.  But I've found it useful to clear up some foggy ideas I've had, and especially with the last two - to support myself should a teacher challenge it.  Because here's a fellow from that era who says it's cool to pass 4 over 5 and slide off a black key.  I'd modified to a more difficult fingering to humour my teacher in the past.

[faulty_damper]

What unusual things you describe is basic stuff that everyone during his time and prior was doing.  Organists still use these techniques to quite an extent even though they use their thumbs every now and then.

[ramseytheii]

Playing a succession of notes with 2-1-2-1 is a common jazz fingering!

Walter Ramsey

[rc]

Playing a succession of notes with 2-1-2-1 is a common jazz fingering!

Walter Ramsey

Thanks, I didn't know that!  Seems Bach had a lot in common with jazz practice.  JS by association, CPE credits most of what he knows to his father.

What unusual things you describe is basic stuff that everyone during his time and prior was doing.  Organists still use these techniques to quite an extent even though they use their thumbs every now and then.

Actually, in the essay CPE Bach mentions many times the widespread disinformation being taught in his day.  Apparently good fingering was something of a hidden art to most, which is the reason why he wrote the chapter.