sormitus

Sormitus is a Finnish term used primarily in music to refer to fingering—the suggested use of fingers to play notes on an instrument. The word comes from sormi, meaning finger, with the suffix -itus indicating a process or practice. In practice, sormitus denotes the fingering choices editors and composers indicate in a score to guide performers.

In published music, sormitus is typically shown with numbers near notes, where the digits 1–5 correspond to the thumb through the little finger on the appropriate hand. On piano and keyboard music, fingering aims to facilitate smooth movement, control hand position, and enable legato and accurate shifts between notes. For other instruments, the principle remains the same: fingering provides a practical map for how to place the fingers to execute passages efficiently.

Fingering choices can vary between editions and performers. Editors may offer suggested sormitus, while players often adapt fingering to their own hand size, technique, and musical interpretation. It is common for learners to study sormitus as part of technique development, with attention to transitions, scales, arpeggios, and comfortable hand positions.

Beyond pedagogy, sormitus reflects broader considerations in performance practice, such as economy of motion and tonal control. While most prominently discussed in piano literature, the concept of fingering applies to many instruments, with the specifics of notation and conventions adapting to each instrument’s technique.