Beginner guide
The five-finger position, starting in C
Short answer
In a five-finger position each finger rests on its own key, five keys in a row. In C position the right thumb is on middle C, and fingers 2 to 5 fall on D, E, F and G. The left hand takes the C below: finger 5 on C, thumb on G.
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Finger numbers
Thumbs are 1 and little fingers are 5, on both hands. So the right hand counts up to the right, and the left hand counts up to the left. More in Finger numbers.
Place your right hand
- Find middle C and rest your right thumb on it.
- Let fingers 2, 3, 4 and 5 rest on D, E, F and G, one key each.
- Rest the fingertips on the keys without pressing. Each finger now plays only its own key.
Read it on the staff
In C position the right hand reads five notes in a row, from middle C up to G: line, space, line, space, line. Finger 1 plays the first, finger 5 the last.
Then the left hand, and new positions
The left hand mirrors it: finger 5 on the C below middle C, thumb on G. TwoThree gives each hand its own turns, the left hand first.
Later lessons move the same shape to G position and F position. In F position, finger 4 of the right hand plays B♭, the first black key.
Try C position on your keyboard
3D hands show each finger first. Then you play, 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.