Waltz Left Hand Playing Tips

[1piano4joe]

Hi all,

I am talking about the typical bass, chord, chord or bass, chord, rest, found in many waltzes.

I find playing most of the bass notes with my left pinky tires/abuses that poor little finger.

I found an online tutorial of Brahms Op. 39 No. 9 which is of the bass, chord, rest, variety. This tutorial raises many questions:


1. Why so many different fingerings on that first bass note? And how do you decide/know when to use 3 or 4 and not 5? I like the idea of not beating up that poor little finger but it becomes so much more complicated using a specific finger for a particular bass note.

2. Is it for sound purposes?

3. Is it easier to memorize?

4. It seems easier to spot fingers 3 or 4 unless the hand is relatively flattened, so, is this the reason?

5. Does deliberately avoiding pinky on black keys reduce errors at speed or help reduce in and out motion?

6. Is it easier to find keys by feel when using certain fingers in certain key signatures? I'm not experienced enough to know this.

7. Does similar forearm travel play a role in this decision? I was thinking less starting and stopping and more familiar travel distance might aid muscle memory but I'm not sure.


The first bass note "D" is with 5 but why use 4 for the "E" in the next measure? Is it so the black D# key can be felt with the left side of finger 4? I memorize and then watch my hands and would just use 5 again. I'm thinking a good sight reader keeps their eyes glued to the score and then uses the black keys as tactile landmarks.

The next bass note "F" is back with 5 again. What? Why? The next bass note is a "Bb" played with finger 3? I don't understand this editor. I was taught to try the given fingering and also to understand why this particular fingering was chosen. I decided it was because of the g minor chord being fingered 531 which would keep 3 on Bb an octave higher. Maybe this is right?

This tutorial has (for this piece anyway) a decided preference to play black key bass notes with 3 or 4. the Bb in measure 4 is played with 3. The F# in bar 6 with 4. The Ab with 4. The Eb with 4. The C# with 3. The F# with 3. Bb with 4 again. Near the end, the C# is actually played with 5! This makes sense if your hand is big enough to play the 10th legato with 21.

In pieces such as this I generally try to keep distances to a minimum for speed purposes. This means playing the bass notes with 5. I have to move a greater distance from a mid keyboard chord down to finger 3 or 4 and that much further back up to the right from a 3 or 4 fingered bass note up to the next chord. I have watched concert pianists use ONLY the pinky on bass notes. Does that make it right?

Also, I have seen some really weird fingerings by concert pianists that must be for sound purposes. The high Ab in the melody of this Brahms waltz was played with finger 3 and the g with 2 and quite loudly I might add. This is perhaps most commonly fingered with R.H. 5 on that high Ab requiring no hand shift if the octave lower Ab was played with the right thumb.

Also, in this piece the first L.H. chord is a 1st inversion d minor f,a,d which seems to be played with either 421 or 531. The 421 requires less forearm travel but a more open hand position than the longer forearm travel of 531 which has a more comfortable (relaxed) hand position. I guess there is no right or wrong way here but perhaps it's more of a personal preference.

Finally, how would you pedal this? It seems some performers use an overlapping pedal technique, a quick up/down on the first bass note of each new measure while others are lifting on beat 2 and still others lifting on beat 3 while others using a combination of the above.

Any tips, hints or suggestions as always are greatly appreciated, Joe.