Fingerrekkefølge

Fingerrekkefølge, or fingering, is the planned sequence of finger movements used to play notes on a musical instrument. It guides how the hands move between pitches to achieve fluency, accuracy, and musical phrasing. The choice of fingering depends on the instrument, the repertoire, and the player’s hands; it may change across editions and teachers.

In keyboard instruments such as the piano, finger numbers 1–5 are used for each hand, with 1 for the thumb and 5 for the little finger. Fingering patterns are chosen to enable legato connections, efficient hand shifts, and comfortable stretches. While many passages have conventional solutions, performers often adjust fingerings to suit hand size or personal technique, especially in scales, arpeggios, and repeated notes.

In guitar, left-hand fingering typically uses 1–4, while right-hand fingering uses letters P, I, M, A in classical technique. For other instruments, fingering conventions differ: wind and brass use combinations of keys or valves; string instruments use positions and shifted fingering to navigate the neck or fingerboard. In all cases, fingering aims to minimize movement, preserve range of motion, and support accurate intonation and articulation.

Notation and pedagogy: fingerings are often indicated in sheet music by small numbers above or below notes, sometimes with slurs or ties indicating legato. Teachers provide recommended fingerings, but players may revise them to fit technique or tone goals. Practice approaches include slow, precise repetition with a metronome and gradual tempo increases.