Start learning
Piano finger numbers explained
On the piano, the thumb is finger 1, the index finger is 2, the middle finger is 3, the ring finger is 4 and the little finger is 5. That is the same on both hands, counting outward from the thumbs. The small numbers printed above or below notes in sheet music tell you which finger to use, and following them is what stops your hand tying itself in knots later on.
Click any key to hear it. Your computer's A to K row works too.
Why does fingering matter so much?
Because the piano has 88 keys and you have ten fingers, so every passage is a puzzle about which finger goes where. Good fingering means the next note is always within reach. Bad fingering means you run out of hand halfway through a phrase and have to stop, jump and restart, which is what makes self-taught playing sound broken up. Fixing bad fingering later is far harder than learning it right the first time.
Is the numbering the same on both hands?
Yes. Both thumbs are 1 and both little fingers are 5. This confuses people who expect the numbering to mirror, but it makes reading far simpler: a 3 always means the middle finger, whichever hand it is written for.
What is a five finger position?
Five adjacent white keys with one finger resting on each, most commonly C, D, E, F and G with the right thumb on C. Enormous amounts of beginner music never leave this position, which means the hand never has to move and you can concentrate entirely on reading and rhythm.
What is the thumb tuck?
When a passage goes further than five notes, the thumb passes underneath the other fingers to reach the next note, letting the hand carry on without a break. It is the single most important physical skill in scale playing, and doing it smoothly rather than with a jolt is most of what scale practice is actually for.
This page answers the question. Lesson 2: fingers and hand position lets you set both hands in C position and play the numbers rather than read them. It is free, and it starts the moment you open it.
Keep going
Read next
A piano has 88 keys, 52 white and 36 black, repeating one pattern of twelve. Find any note Open → ♪ Where is middle C on the piano?
Middle C is the white key just left of any pair of black keys, nearest the centre. Here is Open → ♪ Proper piano hand position
Curved fingers, level wrist, relaxed arm. How to sit and where to put your hands so nothin Open → ♪ How to play piano with both hands
The hardest early hurdle, broken into steps. Learn each hand alone, then join them one bar Open →
Put it into practice in the practice room, or start at the beginning with the five minute walkthrough.
Questions
Common questions
Which finger is number 1 on piano?
The thumb, on both hands. Index is 2, middle is 3, ring is 4 and little finger is 5.
Do I have to follow the printed fingering?
Mostly yes, at least at first. It has usually been chosen so the following bars work. Once you are more experienced you can adapt it to your own hand.
Does fingering differ for small hands?
Sometimes. If a stretch is genuinely painful, change it. Nothing on the piano should hurt.