Waldstein fingering

[warburtonj]

I've attached an image showing the fingering I am using for this passage of the Waldstein.  I tried to base the fingering around the chromatic scale fingering as I thought this would help me to play it quickly.

Please could people advise me what the standard fingering should be and your thoughts on the fingering I am using.

[gustaaavo]

Well, I use von Bülow's fingering (and your edition is, I'm guessing, von Bülow's). Did you try it? It seems smart to begin with 3 instead of 5. But, judging by how uncomfortable your fingering is despite your effort, it's not worth it.

I had trouble with the 5353 (beginning measure 25) and tried many options but finally settled on that fingering just as it is.

[imaginatorium]

First, there is no such thing as "the standard fingering". Some fingering is clearly better than others, but in the end the fingering that suits *your* hand is best for you. But I do not think your idea of trying to following chromatic fingering is a good one.

The "standard" (oops!) fingering for the chromatic scale, starting from C up goes:

13 13 123 13 13 13 123...

But try this one (found in the Cortor edition of Chopin 25-7, I think):

1234 123 1234 123 123 1234 123...  (cycles every _two_ octaves)

You can go much faster with this, because the fingers are in longer groups. So I think a much better place to start here is the B major/minor scale, adjusted for the extra chromatic notes. Put your thumbs on the Bs and Es (5 at the very top). Starting from the mark "b!": 5432 is simple. Then the suggestion is 5432, but you might find 3212 easier, in which case you have your thumb on E, and just play the fingering of Bmaj down to the bottom (2 over for the A#). Now going up, you have enough fingers to get from B to E, so that's simple; not enough fingers to get from E to B, so you decide where to put the extra thumb. The editor suggests the G, but the A is surely also a good place.

There is nothing wrong with thumbs on black notes, but usually when you are leaping around. In runs like this one, it is almost always better to avoid them, and put longer fingers on the black notes.

[warburtonj]

Thanks for the replies.

gustaavo
Yes my edition is von Bülow's and I don't like the fingering suggested in it at all.  Putting 5 on the G just seems awkward to me.

I don't find the 5353 bit easy either which is why I tried using 1313 here.  I've now tried 5353 and 5343 here and I think I actually prefer 5343.

imaginatorium
Very interesting about the alternative Chopin chromatic fingering, I will have a look for a copy of this.

I like your suggested fingering and I have experimented with it. 
Going down I do find the 3212 easier than a second 5432.
Going up I'm still unsure, I think I may prefer to play 3 groups of 1234 here. 

So the fingering I'm now playing with is

5432 3212 1321 3212 1234 1234 1234 5343 5432 3212 1321 3212 1234 1234 1234 5