Five-finger scales chart
A five-finger position puts one finger over each of five keys: a key's first five notes, the thumb or the little finger on the key note. It is the first hand position most beginners learn, and a lot of easy music stays in one. Here are all 30, the major and minor position of each of the 15 key signatures from no sharps or flats to seven sharps and seven flats, on the grand staff in both hands, up and back down.
No sharps or flats, then the sharp keys
No sharps or flats · the full scales in this key
C major
C D E F GA minor
A B C D E1 sharp: F♯ · the full scales in this key
G major
G A B C DE minor
E F♯ G A B2 sharps: F♯ and C♯ · the full scales in this key
D major
D E F♯ G AB minor
B C♯ D E F♯3 sharps: F♯, C♯ and G♯ · the full scales in this key
A major
A B C♯ D EF♯ minor
F♯ G♯ A B C♯4 sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯ · the full scales in this key
E major
E F♯ G♯ A BC♯ minor
C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯5 sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯ and A♯ · the full scales in this key
B major
B C♯ D♯ E F♯G♯ minor
G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯6 sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯ and E♯ · the full scales in this key
F♯ major
F♯ G♯ A♯ B C♯D♯ minor
D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯ A♯7 sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯ and B♯ · the full scales in this key
C♯ major
C♯ D♯ E♯ F♯ G♯A♯ minor
A♯ B♯ C♯ D♯ E♯The flat keys
1 flat: B♭ · the full scales in this key
F major
F G A B♭ CD minor
D E F G A2 flats: B♭ and E♭ · the full scales in this key
B♭ major
B♭ C D E♭ FG minor
G A B♭ C D3 flats: B♭, E♭ and A♭ · the full scales in this key
E♭ major
E♭ F G A♭ B♭C minor
C D E♭ F G4 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭ and D♭ · the full scales in this key
A♭ major
A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭F minor
F G A♭ B♭ C5 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭ · the full scales in this key
D♭ major
D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭B♭ minor
B♭ C D♭ E♭ F6 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭ and C♭ · the full scales in this key
G♭ major
G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭E♭ minor
E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭7 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭ and F♭ · the full scales in this key
C♭ major
C♭ D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭A♭ minor
A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭Five-finger scales chart, from clefsight.com/learn/five-finger-scales. One finger a key, five notes up and back down; the hand never moves.
How to read the chart
Each position goes up five notes and back down, the hands an octave or two apart, and the numbers say which finger plays each note (piano finger numbers has the hands drawn). C major is C, D, E, F, G: the right thumb and the left little finger on C. Nothing crosses and nothing moves, so set every finger over its key before the first note and keep it there.
The major and minor position on the same key note differ in one note, the middle one: C major has E where C minor has E♭, a half step lower. Play one, then the other, and listen for the change.
The shapes under the hand
Read from the key note up, the 30 positions sit on 15 patterns of white and black keys. 4 are on white keys alone: C major, A minor, G major and D minor. Positions in different keys that share a pattern feel the same under the hand, so learn them together:
black black white black black: C♯ minor, G♯ minor, C♯ major, A♭ major, D♭ major and A♭ minorwhite white white white white: C major, A minor, G major and D minorwhite white black white white: D major, A major, G minor and C minor
In 15, F♯ minor, C♯ minor, G♯ minor, F♯ major, D♯ minor, C♯ major, A♯ minor, B♭ major, E♭ major, A♭ major, D♭ major, B♭ minor, G♭ major, E♭ minor and A♭ minor, the right thumb starts on a black key. The fingers stay 1 to 5 all the same: in a five-finger position the thumb plays the key note wherever it is.
Library pieces that stay in one position
30 of the library's 502 pieces never move either hand to a new position: each hand's notes fit under its five fingers, stretched to a sixth at most, from the first bar to the last. They are the first to play once the positions feel easy:
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 1 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 19 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 2 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 20 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 5 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 9 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 7 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 21 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 23 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 3 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 4 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 6 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 15 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 11 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 12 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Theme from the Sonata in A, K. 331 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 8 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 10 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Old German Dance Michael Praetorius · level 2
- Study, Op. 101 No. 38 Ferdinand Beyer · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 13 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 14 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 22 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Ode to Joy Ludwig van Beethoven · level 2
- Allegro in C Alexander Reinagle · level 2
- Berceuse, from Enfantillages pittoresques Erik Satie · level 2
- Exercise Piece in C, Op. 190 No. 18 Louis Köhler · level 2
- Gavotte James Hook · level 2
- Little Prelude to the Day, from Enfantillages pittoresques Erik Satie · level 2
- March of the Grand Staircase, from Enfantillages pittoresques Erik Satie · level 2
Know the notes under your fingers. The grand staff drill shows one note at a time on the treble or bass staff; play it on a MIDI keyboard or the keys on screen. Every answer is timed and goes on your reading map.
Start the drillWhen the positions feel easy: the piano scales chart, the same keys for a whole octave with the thumb passing under, and the piano arpeggios chart, their chords spread over two octaves.