Chromatic Descending Scale in Chopin's Op. 25 11 (Winter Wind)

[daggenhurstfan]

Hey all,

I've discovered that the standard fingering (1231312313131) doesn't work for this at speed (too much thumb movement.

I read somewhere that Liszt and Chopin might have used 12345 all the way down

In the Henle edition is suggests 12345 -123- 1234 as Chopin's fingering

What do you maestri use?

P.S it begins and ends on F

[hardy_practice]

At crotchet = 138 I see the problem.  I'm surprised you've not had an answer.

[dima_76557]

@ daggenhurstfan

123 - 13 - 123 - 1234 and repeat. Works well for me.

[hardy_practice]

opps??

[dima_76557]

That fingering ends up with 1 on G#??

123 - 13 - 123 - 1234
FED# (123) DC# (13) CBA# (123) AG#GF# 1234 and repeat.
For alternative fingerings (the obvious, the refined and the very fast), see here:
https://www.pianisttopianist.com/?p=486

[hardy_practice]

Oh come on - you know you left out a 123 and had to edit!

[dima_76557]

EDIT: before you edit that one as well to make me look like a fool:

Oh come on - you know you left out a 123 and had to edit!

@ hardy_practice

On topic:

The fingering I indicated is my standard one, and I do the reverse in the right hand (4 on B flat). While not the fastest variant for the chromatic scale in general, for this passage it's perfectly adequate, even a tempo. It's smooth and it's also easy for the brain:

1) thinking from the center of the keyboard (the central d), white-white-black always gets 123, left hand descending, right hand ascending.

2) within the block of three black keys 1234 (4 on F# left; 4 on Bflat right) and one group of two notes is left which can be readily fingered (generally, 1-3 makes sense, but you can also take 4-5 if you want to play faster than is required in this particular passage. I don't know, however, if the OP is flexible enough to do that).

Off topic:

I just asked the admin to check whether I really edited that post (= reply # 2) or not and if yes, when (although it's not visible for us, it must be visible for him). Heaven help you if I didn't or if I did so before you posted your silly reply (the one I quoted from reply # 3, which you edited afterwards) because you may be forced to create your 6th account on this forum. Stop the provocations, please, mr. keyboardclass + all other aliases you are so easily recognized by!

[daggenhurstfan]

Incredible! How did i not see the potential of that fingering!!

thanks alot @dima_ogorodnikov

if you don't mind me asking, what would you use for the chromatic run at the end of the 3rd movement of Beethoven Op. 27 No.2?

Seeing this makes me reevaluate playing it the "obvious" way