CBA major scale fingering

[Bobo]

Using the Galliano book, his fingering for a major scale is:

1-2-3-4-2-3-4-5 (or land on 1 if continuing on)

There's a "leap of faith" when jumping from 4 to 2, and also I can't see how you can play it smoothly without a break.
I've seen other methods that use 1-2-3-4-2-3-4 etc.

Curious what your thoughts are.

 

[Nuuksu]

I suppose You mean C system CBA, Galliano use it, it is very popular in France. There is some situations on CBA when You must take extra care for smoothness because that same reason You mentioned. This is sometimes also mentioned as disadvantage of CBA, it can be somewhat elliminated with choosing right fingering pattern for each situation. Compared to PA there is usually two to four different possible fingerings for one situation.

For C major I use 2-4-3-4-3-2-4-2, but this pattern is for B system.

 

[george garside]

there are no hard and fast rules for fingering on a cba and for best results a flexible approach is needed i.e. adjust to suite the particular part of a particular tune.
As a basic starting point counting thumb as one I use 123 234 21 which puts you back on 1 for the next octave. But for starters pick one that works for you and then try it with 'variations' so that you can use various fingers for various buttons if necessary and without conscious thought.

Its not unlike the british chromatic player automatically using aa different choice of button for the same note depending on the circumstances without conscious thought as when playing 'for real' there is no time for such cogitations!

george

 

[Bobo]

Thanks. I just wanted to make sure that I practice correctly and don't "bake in" any incorrect muscle memory.
I logged 6 hours of practice yesterday.

 

[debra]

there are no hard and fast rules for fingering on a cba and for best results a flexible approach is needed i.e. adjust to suite the particular part of a particular tune.
As a basic starting point counting thumb as one I use 123 234 21 which puts you back on 1 for the next octave. But for starters pick one that works for you and then try it with 'variations' so that you can use various fingers for various buttons if necessary and without conscious thought.

Its not unlike the british chromatic player automatically using aa different choice of button for the same note depending on the circumstances without conscious thought as when playing 'for real' there is no time for such cogitations!

george

This is what I do as well: 123 234 21 to continue or 123 234 24 to stop.
But going down I do not reverse this sequence. I do 321 321 21 instead.
My wife does reverse the sequence from going up when going down. It's all a matter of personal preference.

 

[Bobo]

Watching the pros play CBA, there's not much technique to glean. Their fingers just float over the buttons.
I love watching Ludovic Beier.

 

[george garside]

you would glean even less watching a pro British Chromatic player. Watch some of the youtube vids of Brandon Mcphee on the Shand Morino - by comparison the continental chromatic looks dead easy!

george

 

[Russ]

the reason that jump puts your hand in a position to play the next octave. The Galliano book will also show you different ways to finger that scale.

 

[Acon]

For Major scales starting from different rows, here are fingerings I use:
Row 1: 1-2-1-2-3-1-2-1 (up and down)
Row 2: 3-1-2-1-2-3-1-3 (up and down)
Row 3: 2-3-1-3-1-2-1-2 (up and down)

Yes I love to use the thumb! :tup:

But I also use an alternative fingering. It's all the same as shown above but the 1(thumb) is replaced by the 4 (ring finger).
Works well for me too.

 

[dan]

There's no "leap of faith" if you rotate your wrist when ring finger hits. With practice it can played almost legato but I never figured out the benefit of this sort of move. I prefer the fingering recommended by George

 

[Bobo]

Thanks, Dan...I'm working on that rotation.

George...thanks. Those videos are amazing. Pretty cool that there are videos from his childhood on up to recent.

Acon...you DO love that thumb!
It just occurred to me last night that I need to learn different scale patterns for rows 2 and 3.
I think I'm making good progress for just a few days, but the side of my thumb is pretty raw. I've been practicing about 5 hours/day.

 

[TomBR]

I'm certainly not criticising Acon's fingering (wouldn't want to, and wouldn't dare to given the video he posted a little while back!) but I'm wary of getting to rely on the thumb too much on the outer row, and try to make sure that other fingers share the load.

 

[george garside]

I would argue that it is beneficial to use the thumb fairly frequently so as to keep it 'in training' rather than limiting it to just occasional or none usage. For what its worth the thumb is has a much better sideways range of movement than any of the fingers anad there are occasions when that can be very handy.

george

 

[TomBR]

I would argue that it is beneficial to use the thumb fairly frequently so as to keep it 'in training' rather than limiting it to just occasional or none usage. For what its worth the thumb is has a much better sideways range of movement than any of the fingers anad there are occasions when that can be very handy.

george

Can't disagree with that George!
There's also the factor that those who've grown up with smartphones and game controllers may have the most agile thumbs in human history - "homo pollex agilus!" or something!

 

[Bobo]

For the Row 3 major scale Gallianos book uses 3-2-3-4. It feels weird. I came up with something else but it was just last night and I need to be on the instrument to remember.
I think Im doing 2-3-4-1. Im finding out that my thumb is only comfortable on the 1st row.

I was curious if its common to play multiple buttons with one finger.
For example:

https://beginningcba.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/rose.jpg?w=448>

For the first chord Im using 5-3-1 then moving to 4-3-2 (retaining the thumb on C) for the next chord. But for the G7 Im removing my thumb from C and using my index finger to mash the B and D at the same time. There are several places in the piece where it just seems easier and more logical for me to do it this way.

Also, any suggestions on how to glissando to the C major chord as shown? I dont know what Im supposed to do there.