Beginner guide
Piano finger numbers: the thumb is 1
Short answer
Thumbs are 1 and little fingers are 5, on both hands. The index finger is 2, the middle finger 3 and the ring finger 4. A small number by a note in music says which finger plays it.
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One number for each finger
| Finger | Number |
|---|---|
| Thumb | 1 |
| Index finger | 2 |
| Middle finger | 3 |
| Ring finger | 4 |
| Little finger | 5 |
Both hands use the same numbers, so finger 1 is always a thumb and finger 5 is always a little finger.
Why the hands seem to count backwards
Both hands count from the thumb outwards. Your thumbs sit nearest the middle of the keyboard, so the right hand counts up to the right and the left hand counts up to the left.
With both thumbs on middle C, the left hand reads F, G, A, B, C with fingers 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Finger numbers in music
In C position the right thumb is on middle C. The first tune in the lesson is C, D, E, D, C with fingers 1, 2, 3, 2, 1: each finger stays on its own key, up and back.
Finger 1 on C up to finger 5 on G is the five-finger position.
Try finger numbers on your keyboard
3D hands show each finger first, one hand at a time. Then you play C, D, E and back, and the lesson waits for each key. No account needed. Your practice saves on this device. A free account keeps it safe and on your other devices.