"Little Brown Jug" fingering

[gregh]

I've just started looking at "Little Brown Jug" as presented in Alfred's Book One, and I have a fingering question. In the third and fourth lines, treble clef, the book instructs the student to play A above the staff with finger 5, F with 3, C with 1, then B-flat with 1. I have found it sensible to play C with 1, B-flat with 2, and then follow the suggested fingerings from there, including B-flat with 1 in the B-flat-D interval in the same measure.

Is there a reason that I should follow the book anyway, hitting two successive keys with my thumb? Or is this a "whatever floats your boat" type of thing?

(A pedagogical reason, I mean. In the broader sense I know that I can play it any way I like and nobody is going to be kicking down the door over it...)

[faulty_damper]

You could also shape the line to fit the shape of the hand: 5-4-2-1.  This is what Chopin, Liszt, et al would do.

Pedagogically, I wouldn't play it the way the book has it simply because the arm is treated as dead weight.  I wouldn't play it your way, either, simply because that doesn't fit the shape of the music to do so.  If it were a fast accompaniment, then crossing over the 2 would be preferred, but it's a melody (I'm assuming.)

[gregh]

You could also shape the line to fit the shape of the hand: 5-4-2-1.  This is what Chopin, Liszt, et al would do.

Pedagogically, I wouldn't play it the way the book has it simply because the arm is treated as dead weight.  I wouldn't play it your way, either, simply because that doesn't fit the shape of the music to do so.  If it were a fast accompaniment, then crossing over the 2 would be preferred, but it's a melody (I'm assuming.)

The Chopin, Liszt, et al way makes sense. Of course. But could you say a little more about that dead weight thing?

[faulty_damper]

By dead weight, I mean that it seems that the instruction book places more emphasis on finger movement than arm movement.  There is actually a bit of arm movement that makes the passage much easier than fingers alone.  Using the arm to help shape the fingers is what can make it easier, which is why I suggested that specific fingering.

[gregh]

Well, the fingering you suggested works fine, and there's nothing unusual about it in terms of what the student had already learned by then. Thanks.