Piano Forum

Wait...

What the hell is this thumb over when doing scales and arpeggios???

I've heard of thumb under sure, but thumb over??? I just can't picture it.   

As far as what I've heard, "Thumb Over" is a method that basically throws out the notion of crossing the thumb under.  Basically, instead of crossing the thumb under, you just shift the entire hand into the next position.

Next time you're playing a fast scale or arpeggiated passage in a piece of music, pay attention to what your hands are doing and note whether you actually cross the thumb under or if you're merely shifting your hand over.  Some people exhibit more thumb crossing tendencies than others.  People who have shorter thumbs are more likely to do the "thumb over" technique while those with longer thumbs will likely do more of the "thumb under" technique.  Neither is wrong.  It's all about using the appropriate technique for the passage and what your hand is capable of.

Either way, one should concentrate on having a nice smooth wrist motion across the keyboard and you should certainly work to the "ideal" of having a perfectly legato arpeggio or scale.  The pedal can always be used to connect, but we need to think of the pedal more as a modifier of sound rather than a crutch, and we're all certainly guilty of that.