Piano music uses numbers to say which finger plays which note. They are one of the first things a teacher shows you, and they turn up in almost every beginner book. Once they are automatic, you can read a fingering at a glance and your hand will already know where to go.
The numbers 1 to 5
Each hand has its fingers numbered from the thumb outwards:
- 1 is the thumb.
- 2 is the index (pointing) finger.
- 3 is the middle finger.
- 4 is the ring finger.
- 5 is the little finger.
The same numbers are used for both hands. Both thumbs are 1 and both little fingers are 5. Because your hands are mirror images, this means the numbers run in opposite directions across the keyboard. In the right hand, the numbers go up from left to right. In the left hand, 5 is furthest left and the numbers go down towards the thumb.
A quick way to make the numbers stick: hold both hands up in front of you, palms facing away, and wiggle each finger as you say its number out loud, 1 to 5 and back again. Then call out random numbers and wiggle that finger on both hands at once. Do this for a minute a day for a week and you will stop needing to think about it.
Why finger numbers matter
You could play any note with any finger, so why does it matter which one you use? Because good fingering makes music easier to play.
- It keeps your hand in position. If each finger has its own key, you can play a whole tune without looking down or moving your hand.
- It plans ahead. A good fingering leaves the right finger free for the next note, so you don't run out of fingers halfway up a scale.
- It makes practice consistent. If you use the same fingers every time, your hand learns the pattern. Changing fingers each time means relearning the passage every time you play it.
- It shows the shape of the music. In beginner pieces, a finger number on the first note tells you where to put your whole hand.
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The C position for the right hand
Most beginner music starts in the C position, also called the five-finger position on C. Your right thumb rests on middle C, and each finger rests on the next white key up: D, E, F and G. One finger per key, no gaps.
In this position, the note name and the finger number always match the same way: C is 1, D is 2, E is 3, F is 4 and G is 5. Many first tunes, such as Hot Cross Buns and Mary Had a Little Lamb, use only these five notes.
The C position for the left hand
For the left hand, put your little finger (5) on the C below middle C and let the other fingers fall on D, E, F and G. Your thumb ends up on G, just below middle C.
Now the numbers run the other way. C is 5, D is 4, E is 3, F is 2 and G is 1. This is the part that takes practice: the same note name goes with a different finger in each hand. A good way to keep it straight is to remember that the thumbs always point towards the middle of the keyboard.
Reading finger numbers in music
In printed music, finger numbers appear as small numbers just above or below a note. A number usually appears only where it helps: on the first note of a piece, when the hand needs to move, or where the obvious finger would cause trouble a few notes later. If there is no number, carry on with the finger that follows naturally from the last one.
Here is the opening of Hot Cross Buns for the right hand in C position, with the finger numbers written under every note.
Notice that the fingers move in the same direction as the notes. When the notes step down on the staff, the finger numbers in the right hand go down too. In the left hand it is the other way round: stepping down the keyboard takes you from finger 1 towards finger 5.
Some things to know about written fingering:
- Fingering is a suggestion from the editor or teacher, not part of the composer's music. Different editions of the same piece can suggest different fingers.
- Even so, follow the printed fingering while you are a beginner. The editor has usually thought about what comes next.
- If you change a fingering, write your new one in pencil and use it every time.
Exercises to make the numbers automatic
Do these slowly. The aim is to connect each number with the right finger without thinking, not to play fast.
- Finger taps on a table. Rest both hands on a table in a relaxed curve. Tap fingers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in turn with the right hand, then the left, then both together. Keep the fingers that are not tapping resting quietly on the table.
- Name and play. Put your right hand in C position. Say a finger number, then play it. Then say a note name and play it with the matching finger. Repeat with the left hand.
- Up and down. Play C D E F G and back down in each hand, saying the finger numbers aloud. Keep the beat steady.
- Skipping fingers. Play the pattern below, which jumps between fingers instead of moving in order. It trains each finger to move on its own.
- Mirror hands. Put both hands in C position. Play finger 1 in both hands together, then 2, then 3, then 4, then 5. Because the numbers mirror each other, your hands move in opposite directions: outwards as the numbers go up, and back towards the middle as they come down.
When the mirror exercise feels easy, try playing the same note names together instead: both hands play C, then D, then E. Now the right hand uses 1, 2, 3 while the left uses 5, 4, 3. It feels awkward at first, because the fingers no longer match. That awkwardness is normal, and it fades with a few days of short, slow practice.
Try it in Pianuvo
Finger numbers are part of the first lessons in Unit 0: First week at the piano, where you build the C position one note at a time in either hand and the app checks which notes you play. You can also put the C position to work on Hot Cross Buns and Mary Had a Little Lamb. If your hand feels tense, read How to sit at the piano first.