Fingering

Fingering technics play an important role in playing the keyboard smoothly at high speeds and also for playing notes with gamakas/anu-swaras. We normally use only one hand for playing the melody in Indian Music.

For easy reference, right hand fingers are numbered as given in the diagram below :

                                                           

Standard Fingering :

Fingers 1 to 4 play major role, and the 5th finger is used occasionally. We should use fingers 1, 2, 3, 4 to play S, R, G, M and the same order is used to play P, D, N, S' also. While shifting the fingers from M to P, thumb should be moved below the ring finger and while coming back in the reverse direction, ring finger should be moved above the thumb.

 

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  ...............                           Fingering for moving between middle octave & upper octave :

     

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...............             .             Fingering for moving between middle octave & lower octave :

 

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Note: The Thumb should always cross below the other fingers., and the other fingers should always cross above the thumb. By using the above logic, you can move the fingers throughout the keyboard smoothly in both the directions.

Variations in fingering :

In order to handle some difficult phrases, we will have to make some variations in the standard fingering, and of course, with some logic.

                                                                                Use of 5th finger for 'P'   

 

Examples : S R G M | P M G R ,  S R G M | P M G M ,  ... if the phrase has notes within S to P, we can use the 5th finger for P.

We have to use a mix of standard fingering and variations..

Example of mixed usage of fingering:

S R G M | P M G R | S R G M | P D N S' ||   ::::  1 2 3 4 | 5 4 3 2 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 ||

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Keyboard Fingering for some Carnatic Ragas:

Mohanam (all white keys) : 

Arohanam     : S R2 G3 - P D2 S' :::  1 2 3 | 1 2 4

Avarohanam : S' D2 P - G3 R2 S  :::  4 2 1 | 3 2 1

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Vasantha (R black) : 

Arohanam     : S G3 M1 -  D2 N3 S'      :::  1 2 1 | 2 3 4

Avarohanam : S' N3 D2  - M1 G3 R1 S  :::  4 3 2 | 1 3 2 1

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Hindolam (G, D, N - black) :

Arohanam     : S G2 M1 -  D1 N2 S'  :::  1 3 1 | 2 3 4   (or)   1 2 1 | 2 3 4

Avarohanam : S' N2 D1 -  M1 G2 S  :::  4 3 2 | 1 3 1   (or)    4 3 2 | 1 2 1

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Sunadhavinodhini (M - black) :

Arohanam     : S G3 M2 -  D2 N3 S'  :::  1 2 3 | 1 2 3

Avarohanam : S' N3 D2 -  M2 G3 S   :::  3 2 1 | 3 2 1

For phrases S G M D / D N S' G' - 1 2 3 4

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Hamsanandhi (R, M - black) :

Arohanam     : S R1 G3 M2 -  D2 N3 S'  :::  1 2 1 2 | 1 2 3  (or)  1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3

Avarohanam : S' N3 D2 M2 - G3 R1 S   :::   3 2 1 2 | 1 2 1  (or)  3 2 1 4 | 3 2 1

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Hamsanadham (M - black) :

Arohanam     : S R2 M2 -  P N3 S'  :::  1 2 4 | 1 3 4  (or)   2 1 2 | 1 2 3

Avarohanam : S' N3 P -  M2 R2 S   :::  4 3 1 | 4 2 1  (or)   3 2 1 | 2 1 2

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Note: In all the above ragas, while moving from middle octave to upper octave,  we have to use finger No.1 for S' (instead of 4).