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Topic: How much fingering change is too much fingering change? (Read 444 times)

ncovkilledmypractice

PS Silver Member
Newbie
Posts: 1

How much fingering change is too much fingering change?

on: September 18, 2022, 02:59:01 AM

I am having trouble with the left hand of Chopin's Nocturne no. 20, and for some reason I try to legato the first and second note of every chord pattern which results in uneven timing.

As an alternative, I am trying out the fingering 5 5 1 3 for the 5th bar. I think I'm more comfortable with it, despite the jump from C# to G#. Is switching figering to something less intuitive (but more comfortable) bad practice in the long run?

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lelle

PS Gold Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 2010

Re: How much fingering change is too much fingering change?

Reply #1 on: September 18, 2022, 08:03:08 PM

It's a tricky question. Finding the most comfortable fingering is good. But sometimes, something that could be comfortable for us is not because we haven't figured out how to do it comfortably yet. I think this is the case for the left hand fingering in your situation. Playing it 5 3 1 2 should be comfortable, and if it's not, you'll benefit a lot in the long run by figuring out how to make it comfortable, because it's a very common technique/fingering to do it this way. It should feel pretty natural and easy to play evenly, and not like you are stretching out your fingers or something else that makes you feel uncomfortable, when you figure out the technique.

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geopianoincanada

PS Silver Member
Jr. Member
Posts: 69

Re: How much fingering change is too much fingering change?

Reply #2 on: September 19, 2022, 02:18:49 AM

Any fingering which puts too much twisting or turning on my arthritic wrists - especially the left wrist which I sprained a few years ago - is too much.

As a result I have to turn down practice pieces which I could otherwise attempt (not guaranteed to succeed at).

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