Piano Technique 6 FHP EXERCISES General Fixed Hand Position No.1 Fixed Hand Position No.2 Fixed Hand Position No.3 Fixed Hand Position No.4 Practice Material Subject Index - Topic Index PIANO LAB - Intro - Songs Lessons | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ?? |

KT 6.1 - General

In fixed hand position (FHP) exercises one or more fingers of the hand remain fixed on the keyboard while other fingers move individually (or together in pairs).
These exercises are used to develop strength, independence and evenness of the individual fingers.

These are powerful exercises which will improve your finger strength and stretch enormously, but do not play them longer than recommended (5 - 10 minutes per day).

Practise the exercises : slowly - quaver half beats not faster than MM 50 - 60 steadily with an accent on each beat press very firmly with each finger down to the bed of the keyboard, then lift each finger high off the keyboard after it has been played practise these exercises for 5 - 10 minutes each day

Start with Exercise No.1, gradually add No.2, No.3 and No.4 over the next three to six months or so.

KT 6.2 - Fixed Hand Position No.1

In Fixed Hand Position Exercise No.1 the thumb of each hand stays on the keyboard throughout each bar while the other fingers move in a simple pattern.

You may take you time from one bar to the next to get your fingers into position, but within each bar play the pattern slowly and evenly.

Accent the first note of each group of four.

Audio 6.1 shows you how to play the exercise.

KT 6.3 - Fixed Hand Position No.2

In Fixed Hand Position Exercise No.2 the thumb and 2nd finger stay on the keyboard throughout each bar while the other fingers move in a simple pattern.

You may take you time from one bar to the next to get your fingers into position, but within each bar play the pattern slowly and evenly.

Accent the first note of each group of four.

Audio 6.2

KT 6.4 - Fixed Hand Position No.3

In Fixed Hand Position Exercise No.3 the thumb, 2nd and 3rd fingers stay on the keyboard throughout each bar while the remaining two fingers move in a simple pattern.

You may take you time from one bar to the next to get your fingers into position, but within each bar play the pattern slowly and evenly.

Accent the first note of each group of four.

Audio 6.3

If you have trouble stretching the fifth finger sideways you may modify the exercise as follows.

Audio 6.4

KT 6.5 - Fixed Hand Position No.4

In Fixed Hand Position Exercise No.4 the thumb, 2nd, 3rd and 5th fingers stay on the keyboard throughout each bar while only the fourth finger moves in a simple pattern.

You may take you time from one bar to the next to get your fingers into position, but within each bar play the pattern slowly and evenly.

Accent each note that falls on a downbeat.

Audio 6.5

Observe that FHP No.4 is played in quavers, not in semiquavers like the other three FHPs.
But the actual notes in all four exercises are played at the same speed.

KT 6.6 - Practice Material