Confused about hand positioning

[Anthie]

Hi I’m new and I’m on my 6th lesson but I’m confused about the hand positioning. In the first few lessons C-G was played with fingers1-5, finger 1 on the C, 2 on the D, etc etc. Then around the 6th or 7th lesson the staff shows finger 1 and E at the bottom and 3 at G. There was no explanation given anywhere that I could see about this change. Unless I missed something. Please explain? Thanks

[pavel]

simple answer, there is no fix possition

[SJunior22]

Hi Anthie!

I'm currently on the Advanced bootcamp with the last song lesson "Wonderful World" and here's my take from my experience with PGS.

At the beginning, I also got confused on hand positioning and the like. It wasnt til around the intermediate bootcamp that I noticed something (this just my perspective): Throughout any piece of music, on your left hand, your pinky is going to play the lowest note and your thumb is going to play the highest within any register left of middle C. With the right hand, your pinky is going to play the highest note and your thumb with play the lowest note, in any register right of middle C.

I second what Pavel said as well - there really is no fixed hand positioning. As you get stronger and competent, you'll develop your own style.

I hope this helps and wish you all the best on your journey!

[sw1tch73ch]

An idea I like to recommend is use the finger numbers as a study tool. Yes, play with them on for a little bit, to help you learn how to put your hands over the keys, but look at the numbers before playing and figure out how the notes are numbered, put your fingers over those notes on the keyboard and pay attention to what the fingers do. Realize the piano has 88 keys (well, most do - some actually have more, and ancient original pianos had fewer). So you have to figure that at some point, the fingers have to move to cover other keys. Next, realize that each song has a different set of notes. As noted, there is not a fixed hand position, even if you're playing two songs in the same key, they will probably use different notes and you have to compensate by using different fingers over the keys.

While still an early Rookie you are expected to use the finger positions as presented by the finger numbers (1=thumb, 2=index, 3=middle, 4=ring, 5=pinkie -- left AND right alike). Realize though, these are just suggestions - well thought out and probably good suggestions, but in time, you have to decide if they work for you. When you get to that point, you will likely be able to figure out the positions you want to use, until then the program offers the "help."

Finally, once you are playing a lesson with the fingers in the right place, try playing with the numbers off, maybe put the letters on and study, again without playing, to see which key on the piano matches to the note on the screen. This is a thing were a little extra study on your part will payoff hugely down the road.

[Anthie]

Thanks everyone. I just got it now: there is no fixed position

[lindamcilroy3]

No fixed hand positon -mmmm well that is not very helpful for me. Anyone got any tips..

[sw1tch73ch]

No fixed hand positon -mmmm well that is not very helpful for me. Anyone got any tips..

When we first learn on the piano, many lessons start in the C Major hand position. This is the position where you could play a C Major Chord - the right hand thumb is on C, the middle finger over E and the pinky over G. But if you wanted to play a D Major Chord, you'd need the Pinky to play an A, the middle finger would play an F# and the thumb would be over D. Notice that this is a different position for the hand. This same kind of change in position is true for all the different chords. Now as a Rookie we aren't learning the actual chords to play yet and you aren't really given the names of the chords your hands are positioned over.

Next thought is that there are extended reaches for some hand positions, the thumb or pinkie, or both, might be reaching "outside" the five keys next to each other to reach the notes you have to play. Effectively there are a seemingly infinite number of positions for your hands and fingers. This is what we mean by there are no fixed hand positions.

You need to spend a moment looking at the sheet music, how the finger numbers are marked and put your hands over the keys so that the numbered fingers can reach the keys they are marked for. Very early the software uses "stickers" to show where on the keyboard your hands will be. You should study how the notes on the music match those stickers in those early lessons so you can find them again once the stickers are gone.

Each song has it's own set of hand positions. The early lessons are set up so you don't move your hands during that lesson. Later lessons are specifically aimed and learning how to move, or pivot, your hands to take on new positions midway through the lesson. When you play normal sheet music, you will find that you need to move your hands at least a little to cover all the notes. Sometimes you have to move them a lot.

There aren't any "fixed" hand positions, but there are a lot of relative hand positions and the lessons and songs in PGS have the notes with finger numbers so you can find those relative positions.

[lindamcilroy3]

thanks fo your reply.
Linda

[lindamcilroy3]

Here I am again, still struggling over the same questions. I am doing Reading music Staff notation. Level Rookie #13 he uses a a range of notes from
e f g a b a c a d e f g - to play
the notes on the music sheet are
B G B F
D B E G
Now this is where I get confused out of that group of notes e f g a b a c a d e f g how do I know what E G F from e f g a b a c a d e f g do I play and for the bottom line of music the E & G.

Cheers Linda

[lindamcilroy3]

Here I am again, still struggling over the same questions. I am doing Reading music Staff notation. Level Rookie #13 he uses a a range of notes from
e f g a b a c a d e f g - to play
the notes on the music sheet are
B G B F
D B E G
Now this is where I get confused out of that group of notes e f g a b a c a d e f g how do I know what E G F from e f g a b a c a d e f g do I play and for the bottom line of music the E & G.

Cheers Linda