This is a quick reference guide to commonly used fingering for scales.
- The fingering always alternates 123 1234 (or 321 4321) so that the same fingering pattern repeats every octave.
- The thumb always stays on the white keys, never on black keys.
- The fourth finger always plays a black key (when there is a black key to be played in the scale).
- The fifth finger is only used at a starting place, a stopping place, or a turning-around place.
- Based on previous rule, use #5 finger at the end of a scale, instead of #1 as indicated below. The e The chart below is marked with #1 at the end of the scale, assuming you will continue to play another octave.
Major | Natural Minor | Harmonic Minor | Melodic Minor (ascending) |
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---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Key | Fingering | Key | Fingering | Key | Fingering | Key | Fingering | |
RH | C major | 12312341 | A minor | 12312341 | A minor | 12312341 | A minor | 12312341 |
LH | 14321321 | 54321321 | 32132143 | 21321432 (14321321) |
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RH | G major | 12312341 | E minor | 34123123 | E minor | 12312341 | E minor | 12312341 |
LH | 32132143 | 14321321 | 14321321 | 14321321 | ||||
RH | D major | 12312341 | B minor | 34123123 | B minor | 12312341 | B minor | 12312341 |
LH | 21432132 | 13214321 | 13214321 | 13214321 | ||||
RH | A major | 12312341 | F# minor | 34123123 | F# minor | 34123123 | F# minor | 23123412 |
LH | 21321432 | 43213214 | 43213214 | 43213214 | ||||
RH | E major | 12312341 | C# minor | 34123123 | C# minor | 34123123 | C# minor | 23123412 |
LH | 14321321 | 32143213 | 32143213 | 32143213 | ||||
RH | B/Cb major | 12312341 | G#/Ab minor | 34123123 | G#/Ab minor | 34123123 | G#/Ab minor | 34123123 |
LH | 13214321 | 32132143 | 32143213 | 32143213 | ||||
RH | F#/Gb major | 23412312 | D#/Eb minor | 31234123 | D#/Eb minor | 31234123 | D#/Eb minor | 31234123 |
LH | 43213214 | 21432132 | 21432132 | 21432132 | ||||
RH | C#/Db major | 23123412 | A#/Bb minor | 41231234 | A#/Bb minor | 41231234 | A#/Bb minor | 41231234 |
LH | 32143213 | 21321432 | 21321432 | 21432132 (21321432) |
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RH | Ab major | 34123123 | F minor | 12341231 | F minor | 12341231 | F minor | 12341231 |
LH | 32143213 | 21321432 | 21321432 | 21432132 | ||||
RH | Eb major | 31234123 | C minor | 12312341 | C minor | 12312341 (23412312) |
C minor | 12312341 (23412312) |
LH | 32143213 | 21321432 (14321321) |
21321432 (14321321) |
21432132 (14321321) |
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RH | Bb major | 41231234 | G minor | 23412312 (12312341) |
G minor | 12312341 | G minor | 12312341 |
LH | 32143213 | 21321432 (14321321) |
21321432 (14321321) |
21432132 (14321321) |
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RH | F major | 12341231 | D minor | 23123412 (12312341) |
D minor | 12312341 | D minor | 12312341 |
LH | 32143213 | 21321432 (14321321) |
21321432 (14321321) |
32132143 (14321321) |