newb to piano - figuring out positions

[Patrick]

I'm learning some basic songs from a beginners book (stuff like When The Saints Go Marching In, Amazing Grace, etc.). When learning a new song on piano, I first go over it all and figure out when the position changes on the right hand are necessary, and I write a little mark on the page to show where this occurs and which new position to shift to. I choose my positions based on what seems to be the easiest way to do it.

-Is this the way to figure out the position shifts, or is there some other more proper way/methodology to position shifts? My beginner book (actually a booklet) doesn't say.

-Keeping with the idea of only making a position shift when necessary; If there's an occasional key that is just one key out of reach of the position I'm currently in, I'll often stretch my right hand's thumb or pinky over one key to temporarily make the stretch. So this allows me to play seven white keys in any position rather than only five. Do others do this, or should I always 'actually' change positions even if the next key is only one key out of reach? thanks in advance.

[irinamarella]

I'm learning some basic songs from a beginners book (stuff like When The Saints Go Marching In, Amazing Grace, etc.). When learning a new song on piano, I first go over it all and figure out when the position changes on the right hand are necessary, and I write a little mark on the page to show where this occurs and which new position to shift to. I choose my positions based on what seems to be the easiest way to do it.

-Is this the way to figure out the position shifts, or is there some other more proper way/methodology to position shifts? My beginner book (actually a booklet) doesn't say.

That's how I'd go about figuring out the position shifts in a piece.

If there's an occasional key that is just one key out of reach of the position I'm currently in, I'll often stretch my right hand's thumb or pinky over one key to temporarily make the stretch.

This questions is kinda complicated to answer (at least for me) if I don't have the music sheet in front of me. That being said, I don't remember ever seeing any other strech aside from one between finger 1 and 2 of your right (or left hand).

So, if I were you, I adapt my finger so that things flows and that you don't have any weird strech in there.

Examples:
Let's say that you need to play this:
C D E F G; I'd use fingers 1,2,3,4,5

But if I had to play this:
C D E G A; I'd use fingers 2,3,1,4,5


Hope this can help.

Good Luck with your songs.

[Megus]

The classical voice leading method is letting the notes move as close as possible (derived from the need of having the vocalists sing in small intervals (steps) and avoiding big jumps in their line of melody.)
Of course there are more forbidding rules in the classical voice leading, but let's say that a good voice leading would be, in the progression of chords C, F, G:

C-E-G > C-F-A > B-D-G .

I hope this answers your question, though it seems you already play this way.

[Channi]

Hello Patrick!

I´m a classical trained pianist (ten years of lessons, private and university) and recommend:
- don´t jump with your hand unless the music really requires it
- instead use your thumb the way irinamarella suggested
- and stretch your hands as you allready started to do!! That´s perfectly okay! I´m comfortable with an octave (every keyboard-player should be!) and can do a ninth if necessary.
- but don´t stop using your 4th and 5th finger ;-)

Take some time to figure out which finger to use, write it down and stick to it! Your hand is learning movements, not notes or melodies, it´ll get confused when you change the fingering.