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Hi, I'm having some trouble figuring out the best fingering for some arpeggio patterns. The one which is giving me the most trouble is the following: Db-Ab-Db-E-Db-E-Db-Ab-Db

The only fingering I've found that works with this is: 5-2-1-2-1
The thing is, though, that with this fingering to okay the E you have ro cross the index finger iver the thumb going from a black key to a white key, and then bring the thumb all the way to the Db

I've read that when doing arpeggios one shouldn't use the thumb for black keys.
The only other alternative which satisfies this condition is: 5-3-2-1-2
The problem is that I can't reach the highest Db with my second finger

For this arpeggio: E-B-E-G#-D#-G#-E-B-E I have four options
5-2-1-2-1
5-2-1-3-2 (there's a big stretch for me on the 3-2)
5-2-1-4-2 (feels easier than the previous one because of the smaller 4-2 stretch)
5-3-2-1-2

Finally, for this arpeggio: F#-D-F#-A-C-A
5-3-2-1-2-1
5-2-1-2-1-2 (happens what I described for the first fingering of the first arpeggio)

I'd really appreciate it if you could help me figure out the best option in each case.

Thanks!

First one 52131
Second one 52131
Third one 532131

It's not clear from what you have written that this is for the left hand, but your fingering suggests it is.

What is even less clear is whether or not this is a continuous upward figure; if so, it spans three octaves and I can't image this in any musical context. The jump from E to D-flat above doesn't make much sense. If, however, after the E, the next D-flat is a minor third lower rather than an upward jump of a sixth, this would certainly change the fingering possibilities and would re-arrange the figure somewhat.



I have similar problems with understanding this arpeggio figure.



I think you should be clearer in what exactly the notes are that are being played before appropriate fingering can be suggested. Or, maybe it's just me, but I don't understand what you have written.

Regards,

I'd try them all 5-4-3-2-1. Post the score and I'll tell you if it works.

Sorry about the ambiguity, it is indeed for the left hand.

It's actually Db-Ab-Db-E-Db ascending and then E-Db-Ab descending, and then the pattern repeats.

Thanks! I see, why did you choose the third finger as the second to last one instead of the second one? The way I see it, the third finger is further away.

Sorry, I don't have a score, it's something I wrote. The left hand just alternates between the first two arpeggios in the original post (the last one is from another piece). Your suggestion does sound like it would be the most ideal option, but unfortunately my hands are on the smaller side and there's just no way I can rech the notes with the 5th and 4th fingers consecutively.

Nothing to do with hand size. What's the tempo? Note values?

Well, I mean, there's no way I can play a fifth (Db-Ab), and much less a minor sixth (F#-D) with my 5th and 4th finger (regardless of how much wrist and arm rotation I use, my reach just doesn't get me there). The only way would be to jump from one to the next, but that wouldn't allow me to play it legato and I imagine I also wouldn't be able to play it as fast). Come to think of it, maybe that's why you ask the tempo and note values, because for this case it won't be a problem (I play it with pedal anyway). The tempo is around 70-80bpm and the all the notes are sixteenths.

Just connect the notes using pedal.

You can use 5-3-2-1-2, or 5-2-1-4-1 or 5-2-1-3-1.

Or else rewrite the arpeggios, adding an A flat between the E and D flat.....

You answered your own question.

From the standpoint of vocabulary, wouldn't this more correctly be C-sharp, G-sharp, C-sharp, E, C-sharp, G-sharp, C-sharp? I can't think of a traditional context where you would have an E-(natural) where you also have D-flat and A-flat. What is the key signature of this piece?

Regards,

Yeah, I guess you're right.
It's in E-flat.

To avoid similar problems/questions in the future, I recommend just buying this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Daily-Technical-Studies-Piano-Kalmus/dp/076926414X

Towards the end you'll find fingerings for all kinds of arpeggios.

TR

My teacher has been a catalyst in my tending not to use the pedal for legato purposes if possibly avoidable

Therefore, I would finger the first three notes as
D flat- 5
A flat - 3
D flat 1 switch to 5; I would annotate this on the score as 1-5

OK, then your vocabulary was right to begin with, but the E (natural) is the odd one, isn't it, because in the key of A-flat, the fifth note would be E-flat.

Regards,

Impossible unless tempo is quite slow.

Whoops, I totally messed up. It's in the key of E not E flat, sorry.

Then back to my previous comment that the notes in question should be listed as C-sharp, G-sharp, C-sharp, E, C-sharp, G-sharp, C-sharp. There is no D-flat nor A-flat in the key of E major.

Regards,

Yeah, I know, that's why I said you were right in my first response. It's something I wrote, andI wasn't really thinking of the key. I had to play around with it a bit to see where the melody resolved to, just to be sure it's in E major. I actually mixed things up in my first response, and wrote E-flat instead.

Thanks for the helpful observation.