ascending and decending 3rds.

[gore234]

Is there a universal fingering for ascending and descending 3rds for every Major and minor scale as well as Chromatic, whole-tone, half-whole and whole-half diminished scales?  I have been practicing 1 or 2 etudes by Czerny to learn some of the fingerings and I wonder if every composer had similar fingerings or they are all have the same or some are completely different.  Some probably had bigger or smaller hands which caused the differences?

I've been practicing the following fingerings for the C major scale:
34534534      34343434
12312312      12121212       

Chromatic major 3rds starting on C to octave higher: 
3434345343434
1212123121212

I also wonder if some melodies are impossible to play when adding the 3rds to them.  Because of the way the left and right hands are shaped, one can do stuff the other can't do and vice versa.  Limitations also arise when playing faster.  I looked at a book by Cortot and read some of what it said about 3rds. I then tried to see if other pianist recommended his teachings because I wanted the best advice.  I think half the people like the book and half the others didn't.

I haven't played any Chopin or Liszt etudes yet because I feel like they are above my skill level at the moment.  One of Chopin's etudes has the performer play chromatic scale with the 3 4 5 fingers and he adds 3rds to the notes using the 1 and 2 fingers. In other pieces, I have seen some pianist not use the same fingerings as written in some pieces and I don't know how to judge their technique.

Over the years, piano pieces have gotten more advanced and I feel virtuosos have bags of tricks that not many players can do but I feel there is also a limit to what you can do on the piano unless a computer is playing it.  Maybe in the future there will be a science behind what all the possibilities are the hand can do. 

[nyiregyhazi]

I've been practicing the following fingerings for the C major scale:
34534534      34343434
12312312      12121212      

Sounds too fiddly. The most efficient and widely applicable fingering is based on only two positions per octaves. C-G and G-D with five fingers is best. Then bridge the gap with 1 and 2 on F and A. This two position principle will work for every key. It's just a case of knowing which notes to organise the positions on (for some you need to start mid-position).

I haven't played any Chopin or Liszt etudes yet because I feel like they are above my skill level at the moment.  One of Chopin's etudes has the performer play chromatic scale with the 3 4 5 fingers and he adds 3rds to the notes using the 1 and 2 fingers.

Use the principle from both that and Chopin's thirds etude, for the upper notes of chromatics in major thirds too. The lower note are based on 1 for whites two for blacks- except with two also sliding onto the first of a pair of whites.
 
Don't get bogged down in numbers or learning fingerings by rote. Look at the logic behind fingerings, if you want to understand them. The same principle works for both major and minor thirds- if you see two separate lines. Practise each line separately and understand its principle.

[gore234]

Thanks, I'll check out that fingering. 

I think I've seen some cases where the fingering had 1 and 5 or 1 and 4 together, 2 and 3, 2 and 4 ,2 and 5 together for playing 3rds. Are there any other rules I should know about?   

I Think I've also seen the 2 and 4 fingers playing all the 3rds in some pieces and I wasn't sure if this was a proper method or technique or just an optional method depending on the player's preference.

[nyiregyhazi]

Thanks, I'll check out that fingering. 

I think I've seen some cases where the fingering had 1 and 5 or 1 and 4 together, 2 and 3, 2 and 4 ,2 and 5 together for playing 3rds. Are there any other rules I should know about?   

I Think I've also seen the 2 and 4 fingers playing all the 3rds in some pieces and I wasn't sure if this was a proper method or technique or just an optional method depending on the player's preference.

There's just the principle for chromatics with only 1 and 2 and the one for ones with 345 like op 10. 2. Combine the two and you have the fingerings for both major and minor thirds. It can be used for 6ths too. The thirds with 24 are just detached ones.