Fingering
Fingering is the assignment of fingers to notes: which finger plays which key. In the score it is written as numbers from 1 to 5 above or below the notes.
Pianists number their fingers: thumb 1, index finger 2, middle finger 3, ring finger 4, little finger 5. Both hands count the same way, from the thumb: the hands are mirror images, but the thumb is always 1.
Good fingering lets you play smoothly, without jumps. Five keys in a row need only five fingers; when there are more notes, the thumb passes under the other fingers and the hand moves along. The right-hand fingering of the C major scale is 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5: after E the thumb tucks under the third finger and takes F.
Scores do not number every note, only the places where the fingering changes or might be unclear. When a number is written, it is worth following: it is chosen so that the hand stays in a comfortable position for what comes next.
Where it is taught: the studio’s interactive textbook, chapter 4, “The left hand and the bass clef” and chapter 6, “The C major scale”.