digitación

Digitación is the system of indicating which fingers should be used to play notes on a musical instrument. It is not a fixed notation but a set of recommended fingerings that can vary by instrument, repertoire, or editor. The goal is to enable efficient technique, accurate articulation, and smooth phrasing.

In piano, digitación uses numbers 1 through 5 for each hand, with the thumb as 1 and the little finger as 5. Fingering guides help players navigate scales, arpeggios, leaps, and legato passages, supporting stable hand position and fluent transitions between notes and chords.

In guitar and other fretted instruments, the left-hand fingering commonly employs 1–4 (index to little finger) with 0 denoting an open string. The right hand is often notated with letters such as p, i, m, a (thumb, index, middle, ring) in classical practice, though some editions also show right-hand fingering patterns. For violins, violas, cellos, and other bowed strings, digits 1–4 mark left-hand fingers and 0 indicates an open string. fingering choices aid intonation, shifting, and string crossings.

In wind and brass instruments, fingerings are fixed for different notes, and editors may propose alternative fingerings to simplify difficult passages or improve tone, though terminology varies and “digitación” is less standardized than in keyboard or string notation.

The practice of digitación supports technique development, consistency across passages, and efficiency in learning, with experienced players often adapting suggested fingerings to suit their hand size, tone, and musical interpretation. It is taught through method books and gradually refined through practice and performance.