Fingering principles

[retiredcellist]

I am a retired adult beginner, but played the cello professionally. Most of the editions of early (1600s) keyboard music I would like to play don't contain fingerings, and I'm not sure if the fingerings I choose would be considered "good" or in the mainstream of acceptable.  Is there a book or treatise on elementary fingering principles? I have the Verbalis "Natural Fingerings" but that is somewhat advanced for my present needs. (I live in a rural area where there is no teacher nearby.)

[lelle]

Fun fact: the fingering conventions which were used in the 1600's to play the repertoire you are interested in are no longer used today. Some harpsichordist's use them, but modern pianists typically don't.

I think one good approach to learn and build up a basic intuition for fingering is to study scales with their standard fingerings. Basically any sheet music presenting you with the major and minor scales will have those fingerings. There are sheet music downloads for them here at piano street:

https://www.pianostreet.com/technique-sheet-music/scales-and-arpeggios/major-scales.htm
https://www.pianostreet.com/technique-sheet-music/scales-and-arpeggios/melodic-minor-scales.htm
https://www.pianostreet.com/technique-sheet-music/scales-and-arpeggios/harmonic-minor-scales.htm

When you've studied a couple of scales you'll start seeing patterns for how fingerings are typically done. There are of course exceptions and deviations but scales are a good start.

Try B major as your first scale.

Then go backwards down the circle of fifths until you reach C major and then go into the flat keys.

[dw4rn]

I'm not sure if the fingerings I choose would be considered "good" or in the mainstream of acceptable.

Of course one could formulate principles, and there is definitely good and bad, mainstream and unconventional fingering, but it can also be quite personal, depending on repertoire – and sometimes you will have to choose a fingering that suits your skill level. Would it be possible for you to post an example of music where you think there might be a better fingering and maybe we could try to help you from there?

[jamienc]

Not sure if this is too general to be of any help, but I always try to maintain two initial concepts:

1. Try to encompass as many notes in the passage as possible in one hand position without the need to shift.
2. Always consider where you have been and where you are going. I find that sometimes working backwards in a passage can be helpful in determining how you should start with regards to fingering.