Piano for Vocalists - 5 Finger Patterns

This series of posts is intended for the vocalist who wants to acquire more skills at the piano, but may not currently have the means or access to piano lessons. The tips and techniques discussed in these posts should not be taken as a piano curriculum. They are specifically focused on giving the vocalist the skills they need to use the piano most effectively as a singer. While the best attempt at providing good piano technique will and should always be made, these posts are no substitute for actual lessons with a good piano teacher.

The five finger patterns described in piano technique are important for vocalists to learn because they are the basis for so many vocal warmups. They are also the first step to building some technical skill and prowess in playing piano.

We start with the two most basic patterns – C and G (Figure 1). Both of these consist of all white keys. By placing the bottom finger (RH 1, LH 5) on the tonic note and simply allowing the rest to fall on the next four white keys you’ll be in the proper position.

Using these initial positions we can learn three patterns that, through variations and combinations, form the basis of so many different warmups (Figure 2). The first is the simple five finger scale. This series of steps is the most basic way to figure out patterns. It must have a major sound, formed by the sequence of whole step, whole step, half step, whole step. After the scale is comfortable start working the arpeggio. Once these two are solid a pattern of thirds is good to practice. This pattern is not only good for ear training, it is also very good for working the dexterity of the fingers.

I like to roughly group the rest of the patterns by the number of black keys they use. There are three that use one black key. D and A (Figure 3) are related like C and G are because the black key is in the same place, under the third finger.

The third is F, which requires a B-flat (LH2, RH4), making it the first asymmetrical pattern (Figure 4).

After that I typically go to E Major with my students, which requires two black keys. To complete all the natural patterns (ones that start on the white keys) I’ll go to B next, with three black keys (Figure 5).

From there I’ll move on to the patterns that start on accidentals (black keys). D-flat and A-flat are symmetrical like their natural counterparts, with the third finger on the white key (Figure 6).

B-flat has two black keys, and E-flat has three (Figure 7). They are the inverses of their natural counterparts.

F-sharp/G-flat is also the inverse of F with LH 2/RH 4 on the white key (Figure 8).

I find the best thing to do is to work one group at a time, one pattern at a time until it is solid with at least the scale and the arpeggio (Figure 9). Once all twelve patterns are comfortable you can begin moving between them chromatically. I have found that it makes sense for most of my students to initially go back and forth between two patterns at a time. When doing so make sure to move the whole hand each half step as a unit, rather than one finger at a time. The hands should shift along length of the keys (toward and away from the body) a bit to facilitate ease between patterns with more white keys and ones with more black ones. It is helpful to notice which patterns give you issues (I always had issues with the transition from B-flat to B for example) and focus on those. Once the smaller transitions are comfortable you can start doing longer strings until you are doing the full octave of all twelve keys.

Being able to do this with the scale, arpeggio, and thirds pattern will allow you to play so many warmups, and by the time that is mastered there will be a great deal of facility in the you piano skills. The next step (which, should be worked in rotation with this one) is to focus on melodic lines.