Piano Fingering Reference Dataset
Standard one-octave fingering for major and natural minor scales in all 18 canonical keys, plus closed-position chord fingering for all note counts and inversions. Citable, verified, public-domain pedagogy.
Dataset information
Table 1 — Major Scale Fingering (all 18 keys)
One-octave ascending, right hand and left hand. Both hands: low note to high note. For descending, reverse each string (read right to left).
| Key | RH ascending | LH ascending | Pedagogical note |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 | |
| C♯ | 2-3-1-2-3-4-1-2 | 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 | All 7 sharps. Begin with 2nd finger (C# is a black key). |
| D♭ | 2-3-1-2-3-4-1-2 | 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 | Enharmonic to C# — identical fingering. |
| D | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 | |
| D♯ | 3-1-2-3-4-1-2-3 | 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 | Enharmonic to Eb — identical fingering. |
| E♭ | 3-1-2-3-4-1-2-3 | 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 | Begin with 3rd finger on Eb (black key); thumb crosses immediately to F. |
| E | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 | |
| F | 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 | RH: 4th finger on Bb avoids placing thumb on a black key. |
| F♯ | 2-3-4-1-2-3-1-2 | 4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4 | 6 sharps. Begin with 2nd finger on F# (black key). |
| G♭ | 2-3-4-1-2-3-1-2 | 4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4 | Enharmonic to F# — identical fingering. |
| G | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 | |
| G♯ | 3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3 | 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 | Enharmonic to Ab — identical fingering. |
| A♭ | 3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3 | 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 | Begin with 3rd finger on Ab; 4th finger crosses to Bb. |
| A | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 | |
| A♯ | 4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4 | 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 | Enharmonic to Bb — use Bb fingering. |
| B♭ | 4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4 | 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 | RH: start on 4th finger (Bb is black); thumb immediately to C. |
| B | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 4-3-2-1-4-3-2-1 | 5 sharps. LH begins with 4th finger (B follows A#); crossover on E. |
| C♭ | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 4-3-2-1-4-3-2-1 | Enharmonic to B — identical fingering. |
Table 2 — Natural Minor Scale Fingering (all 18 keys)
Natural minor (aeolian mode) ascending fingering. The same pattern applies descending (reversed). Harmonic and melodic minor fingering is identical in most keys; see dedicated scale pages for exceptions.
| Key | RH ascending | LH ascending | Pedagogical note |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 | C natural minor (same as Eb major pattern — 3 flats). |
| C♯ | 2-3-1-2-3-4-1-2 | 4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4 | 4 sharps. |
| D♭ | 2-3-1-2-3-4-1-2 | 4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4 | Enharmonic to C# minor. |
| D | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 | |
| D♯ | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4 | Enharmonic to Eb minor. |
| E♭ | 2-1-2-3-4-1-2-3 | 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 | 6 flats (Eb natural minor). |
| E | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 | |
| F | 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 | F natural minor: 4 flats; same RH pattern as F major. |
| F♯ | 2-3-4-1-2-3-1-2 | 4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4 | 3 sharps. |
| G♭ | 2-3-4-1-2-3-1-2 | 4-3-2-1-3-2-1-4 | Enharmonic to F# minor. |
| G | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 | |
| G♯ | 3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3 | 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 | Enharmonic to Ab minor (7 flats). |
| A♭ | 3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3 | 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 | 7 flats. |
| A | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 | A natural minor — all white keys, the most natural starting minor scale. |
| A♯ | 4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4 | 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 | Enharmonic to Bb minor. |
| B♭ | 4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4 | 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 | 5 flats. |
| B | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 4-3-2-1-4-3-2-1 | 2 sharps. |
| C♭ | 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 | 4-3-2-1-4-3-2-1 | Enharmonic to B minor. |
Table 3 — Chord Fingering (all note counts and inversions)
Standard closed-position fingering by note count and inversion. These patterns are key-independent — the same finger numbers apply in any root key in the same position.
| Note count | Chord type | Inversion | RH | LH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Dyad / power chord | Root position | 1-5 | 5-1 |
| 3 | Triad | Root position | 1-3-5 | 5-3-1 |
| 3 | Triad | First inversion | 1-2-5 | 5-4-1 |
| 3 | Triad | Second inversion | 1-3-5 | 5-2-1 |
| 4 | 7th chord | Root position | 1-2-3-5 | 5-4-3-1 |
| 4 | 7th chord | First inversion | 1-2-4-5 | 5-3-2-1 |
| 4 | 7th chord | Second inversion | 1-2-3-5 | 5-4-2-1 |
| 4 | 7th chord | Third inversion | 1-2-3-4 | 5-4-3-2 |
| 5 | 9th chord | Root position | 1-2-3-4-5 | 5-4-3-2-1 |
| 6 | 11th chord | Root position (5 fingers) | 1-2-3-4-5 | 5-4-3-2-1 |
| 7 | 13th chord | Root position (5 fingers) | 1-2-3-4-5 | 5-4-3-2-1 |
Note: Extended chords (5+ notes) show root position only. Inversions of extended chords exceed a standard hand span and are context-dependent (voicing, open vs. closed position). Consult rootless voicings and drop-2 voicings for advanced fingering approaches.
Methodology and sources
The fingering patterns on this page follow two verifiable rules, applied consistently across all 18 keys:
Rule 1 (thumb avoids black keys): The thumb (finger 1) never starts on a black key. When a scale begins on a black key (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, F♯, C♯), the first finger used is 2, 3, or 4 — whichever lands the thumb on the first white key in the pattern.
Rule 2 (crossings on white keys): Thumb crossings (thumb-under or finger-over) always land on white keys, keeping the crossing smooth and the wrist stable.
These rules are the basis of the ABRSM Grade 1–5 scale requirements, Alfred's Adult Piano Course, and Hanon's “The Virtuoso Pianist” (1873, US public domain). Finger patterns themselves are public-domain convention, not proprietary to any edition.
Data is generated deterministically by lib/kernel/fingering.ts on the piano.org Next.js build. That module is auditable on GitHub and versioned with the site's releases.
Hanon, C. L. Le Pianiste virtuose (The Virtuoso Pianist). Lemoine, Paris, 1873. US public domain (published before 1927).
Palmer, W. A., Manus, M., & Lethco, A. V. Alfred's Adult Piano Course, Book 1.Alfred Publishing, 1981. Finger patterns are public-domain convention; only editorial arrangement is copyrighted.