Scale Arpeggio Fingerings For Piano

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Scale & Arpeggio Fingerings for Piano
Rules and tricks for remembering the fingerings for two octave scales and arpeggios on the piano.
Major Scale Groups
Major Arpeggio Groups
Group 1: C, G, D, A, E
Group 1: C, G, F (all white keys)
rd
3
finger in each hand always plays together.
RH 123 1235
Both thumbs play at the octave.
LH 5421 421
Oddball: F
Group 2: D, A, E, B/C♭ (white-black-white) plus
F is like C, but the RH goes 1234 123 1234 1234.
G♭/F# (all black).
RH 123 1235
Group 2: D♭/C#, G♭/F#, B/C♭
LH 5321 321
Black key 2’s: use fingers 2 and 3.
Black key 3’s: use fingers 2, 3, and 4.
Group 3: E♭, A♭, D♭/C#, (black-white-black) plus B♭*
Thumbs on white keys.
(black-white-white).
RH 2 124 124
Group 3: B♭, E♭, A♭
LH 21 421 42
th
RH: follows the rule for Group 2 scales; also, 4
finger
No thumbs on black keys!
always on B♭.
LH: 321 4321 321 4321 3(2)
*Alternate fingering for B♭:
RH 23 123 12
LH 321 321 3
Minor Scale Groups
Minor Arpeggio Groups
Natural and Harmonic:
Group 1: Cm, Gm, Dm, Am, Em
rd
Group 1: Am, Em, Dm, (all white) plus Bm (white-
3
fingers always play together.
white-black)
Fingering is the same as the parallel major.
RH 123 1235
LH 5421 421
Group 2: Fm, B♭/A#m, E♭/D#m, G#/A♭m (natural
only), Bm
Group 2: Gm, Cm, Fm (white-black-white) plus
Black key 2’s: use fingers 2 and 3.
E♭/D#m (all black).
Black key 3’s: use fingers 2, 3, and 4.
Fingering is same as Group 1.
Fingering is similar to the relative major.
Group 3: F#m, C#m, G#/A♭m, (black-white-black).
Oddball: G#/A♭m (harmonic only)
RH 2 124 124
RH is normal.
LH 21 421 42
LH: 321 4321 321 4321 3(2)
Oddball: B♭/A#m (black-black-white).
Group 3: F#m, C#m
rd
RH 23 123 12
3
fingers always play together.
LH 321 321 2
Fingering is similar to relative major.
LH: Follows rule of Group 2 above.
RH: 34 123 1234 123 123
Order of Sharps: F C G D A E B (fat cats go down
alleys eating bugs).
Melodic:
All melodic minor scales follow the same
Order of Flats: B E A D G C F (“bead” then G C F; or,
rules/fingerings as the above, with these exceptions:
the order of sharps but backwards).
F#m, C#m
RH descending only: 321 321 4321 321 43.
rd
For F#m, 3
fingers no longer play together.
G#m
LH ascending is like harmonic: 321 4321 321 4321 3
LH descending only: 34 123 1234 123 123.
 
   2 011   J oy   M orin   |   c  
 
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