avoid hand crossing — Piano Fingerings Database

BARBER | Hermit Songs: V. The Crucifixion: m. 15

LH = blue
RH = red

“The redistribution of notes allows the downbeat to played easier in measure 15, though this takes away the ‘struggle’ or forced broadening that Barber intended. That can still come across though with this restructuring.”

Submitted by Wade Troyer

Published on 9/1/2023

Art SongMichael ClarkFebruary 18, 2020Samuel Barber, Hermit Songs, Wade Troyer, redistribution, avoid hand crossingComment

BARTÓK | Piano Sonata (1926): I. mm. 103–6

Original:

Piano fingerings for Sonata (1926) by Béla Bartók

Suggested performance:

“The F-flat grace notes in mm. 105–6 are extremely awkward when played in the right hand. Catching them with left-hand 5 eliminates the crowding.”

Submitted by Michael Clark

Published on 2/13/2022

Solo PianoMichael ClarkDecember 12, 2019Béla Bartók, Piano Sonata (1926), Michael Clark, redistribution, avoid crowding, awkward passagework, grace note(s), avoid hand crossingComment

BARTÓK | Piano Sonata (1926): I. mm. 108–11

Original:

Suggested performance:

“Redistributing the notes in m. 110 eliminates an awkward hand crossing and allows the right hand to remain in a closer position to the succeeding octaves.”

Submitted by Michael Clark

Published on 1/1/2020

Solo PianoMichael ClarkDecember 12, 2019Béla Bartók, Piano Sonata (1926), Michael Clark, avoid crowding, redistribution, grace note(s), avoid hand crossing

BARTÓK | Piano Sonata (1926): I. mm. 219–21

Original:

Suggested performance:

“The B-flat grace note in m. 220 is extremely awkward when played in the right hand. Catching it with finger 5 in the left hand eliminates the crowding.”

Submitted by Michael Clark

Published on 1/1/2020

Solo PianoMichael ClarkDecember 12, 2019Béla Bartók, Piano Sonata (1926), Michael Clark, avoid crowding, redistribution, grace note(s), awkward passagework, avoid hand crossing

PRICE | Cherry Blossoms in Her Hair (Debutante Waltz): mm. 103–10

“Playing the first note of the chromatic inner line in m. 106 with the right hand improves the legato. I take the end of the thirty-second note run end in the left hand instead of crossing over.”

Submitted by Michael Clark

Published on 10/6/2023

Solo PianoMichael ClarkJuly 14, 2017Florence Price, Cherry Blossoms in Her Hair, Michael Clark, redistribution, avoid hand crossing, maintain technical pattern, improve legatoComment

RACHMANINOFF | Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30: II. Rehearsal 33

Piano fingerings for Piano Concerto No. 2 in D Minor by Sergei Rachmaninoff

“Playing as written makes the hands crowded. This distribution prevents that.”

Submitted by Michael Lenahan

Published on 6/7/2020

Piano ConcertoMichael ClarkMay 16, 2017Sergei Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor (Op. 30), Michael Lenahan, redistribution, avoid hand crossing, avoid crowdingComment

RAVEL | Miroirs: Alborada del gracioso: m. 43

Piano fingerings for Alborada del gracioso from Miroirs by Maurice Ravel

Submitted by John Kline with thanks to Igor Resnianski

Published on 2/29/2020

Solo PianoMichael ClarkApril 25, 2017Maurice Ravel, Miroirs, John Kline, avoid hand crossing, repeated notes, redistribution, Alborada del graciosoComment

RAVEL | Cinq mélodies populaires grecques: V. Tout gai!: mm. 20–21

Piano fingerings for Tout gai! from Cinq mélodies populaires grecques by Maurice Ravel

“At the rapid tempo of this song, I can do without this particular hand crossing. This fingering also reduces position shifts in the right hand and uncrosses the distribution of the inner notes .”

Submitted by Michael Clark

Published on 4/13/2020

Art SongMichael ClarkApril 20, 2017Maurice Ravel, Cinq mélodies populaires grecques, Michael Clark, art song, avoid hand crossing, reduce position shifts, redistribution, avoid crowdingComment

RAVEL | Valses nobles et sentimentales: IV. mm. 35–37

Piano fingerings for Valses nobles et sentimentales by Maurice Ravel

SPECIAL COLLECTION | Dorothy Brandwein’s Ravel Fingerings

Published on 4/7/2022 with the author’s permission

First appeared in Dorothy Woster Brandwein, "Divisi Fingering in Selected Passages from Ravel's Solo Piano Works" (DMA diss., University of Missouri–Kansas City, 1981), 109.

Solo Piano, Special CollectionMichael ClarkApril 13, 2017Maurice Ravel, Valses nobles et sentimentales, Dorothy Brandwein, redistribution, reduce position shifts, avoid hand crossingComment

RAVEL | Valses nobles et sentimentales: VI. mm. 37–44

SPECIAL COLLECTION | Dorothy Brandwein’s Ravel Fingerings

Published on 4/8/2022 with the author’s permission

First appeared in Dorothy Woster Brandwein, "Divisi Fingering in Selected Passages from Ravel's Solo Piano Works" (DMA diss., University of Missouri–Kansas City, 1981), 33. 110.

33: “The hand-crossings in Example 14 are simplified by allowing the hands to remain in stationary positions.”

Solo Piano, Special CollectionMichael ClarkApril 13, 2017Maurice Ravel, Valses nobles et sentimentales, Dorothy Brandwein, redistribution, reduce position shifts, avoid hand crossingComment