Scale Fingering Chart

Guide to Learning Piano:
Scale Fingering Chart
Robert T. Kelley

Note: Use these fingerings with caution. The fingerings given here may not be the fingerings most commonly given in piano method books, but they are the most physically practical fingerings. In the case you have to play scales for judged competitions, you may want to revert to the "accepted fingerings" given in that competition's guidelines.

General Fingering Rules
1. The fingering always alternates 123 1234 (or 321 4321) so that the same fingering pattern repeats every octave.
2. The thumb always stays on the white keys, never on black keys.
3. The fourth finger always plays a black key (when there is a black key to be played in the scale).
4. The fifth finger is only used at a starting place, a stopping place, or a turning-around place.
5. The augmented second in harmonic minor scales must fit conveniently under the hand (preferably between 1 and 2 or 2 and 3), except for Eb/D# minor LH.
6. When working out scale passages in the literature, consider alternatives that put the fingering patterns in alignment between the hands (thumbs happening together somewhere in the scale).
The Fingerings
1. These are just the fingering patterns: Feel free to use 5 when appropriate (first note, last note, turning around).
2. Feel free to revert to traditional fingerings, especially when performing the melodic minor scale ascending and descending.

	Major		Natural Minor		Harmonic Minor		Melodic Minor (ascending)
	Key	Fingering	Key	Fingering	Key	Fingering	Key	Fingering
RH	C major	12312341	A minor	12312341	A minor	12312341	A minor	12312341
LH	C major	14321321	A minor	14321321	A minor	32132143	A minor	21321432 (14321321)
RH	G major	12312341	E minor	34123123	E minor	12312341	E minor	12312341
LH	G major	32132143	E minor	14321321	E minor	14321321	E minor	14321321
RH	D major	12312341	B minor	34123123	B minor	12312341	B minor	12312341
LH	D major	21432132	B minor	13214321	B minor	13214321	B minor	13214321
RH	A major	12312341	F# minor	34123123	F# minor	34123123	F# minor	23123412
LH	A major	21321432	F# minor	43213214	F# minor	43213214	F# minor	43213214
RH	E major	12312341	C# minor	34123123	C# minor	34123123	C# minor	23123412
LH	E major	14321321	C# minor	32143213	C# minor	32143213	C# minor	32143213
RH	B/Cb major	12312341	G#/Ab minor	34123123	G#/Ab minor	34123123	G#/Ab minor	34123123
LH	B/Cb major	13214321	G#/Ab minor	32132143	G#/Ab minor	32143213	G#/Ab minor	32143213
RH	F#/Gb major	23412312	D#/Eb minor	31234123	D#/Eb minor	31234123	D#/Eb minor	31234123
LH	F#/Gb major	43213214	D#/Eb minor	21432132	D#/Eb minor	21432132	D#/Eb minor	21432132
RH	C#/Db major	23123412	A#/Bb minor	41231234	A#/Bb minor	41231234	A#/Bb minor	41231234
LH	C#/Db major	32143213	A#/Bb minor	21321432	A#/Bb minor	21321432	A#/Bb minor	21432132 (21321432)
RH	Ab major	34123123	F minor	12341231	F minor	12341231	F minor	12341231
LH	Ab major	32143213	F minor	21321432	F minor	21321432	F minor	21432132
RH	Eb major	31234123	C minor	12312341	C minor	12312341 (23412312)	C minor	12312341 (23412312)
LH	Eb major	32143213	C minor	21321432 (14321321)	C minor	21321432 (14321321)	C minor	21432132 (14321321)
RH	Bb major	41231234	G minor	23412312 (12312341)	G minor	12312341	G minor	12312341
LH	Bb major	32143213	G minor	21321432 (14321321)	G minor	21321432 (14321321)	G minor	21432132 (14321321)
RH	F major	12341231	D minor	23123412 (12312341)	D minor	12312341	D minor	12312341
LH	F major	32143213	D minor	21321432 (14321321)	D minor	21321432 (14321321)	D minor	32132143 (14321321)

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