The course › Unit 3: C position
Lesson 13 of 72 · Five fingers on five keys, without moving your hand
Put your right thumb (1) on middle C, then one finger per white key: 2 on D, 3 on E, 4 on F, 5 on G. This is C position.
In a position, your hand doesn’t move: every note already has its finger. You can play without looking and focus on the music.
Tip: Your fingers stay resting on their keys, even when they’re not playing. That way, they’re always ready.
Why this way: Piano methods like Faber or Bastien begin by playing in a fixed position. Since your hand doesn’t move, you can listen to what you play and learn the note names and the fingers together.
Go up from C to G, then come back down. Listen: is every note as loud as the others?
Each finger needs to be able to play on its own, without dragging its neighbors along. You build this slowly, with small patterns.
Watch out: Finger 4 is the hardest one to lift on its own: it shares tendons with its neighbors. That’s normal, and it gets better with a little practice every day.
Every other note, then back. Keep your fingers resting on their keys.
Melodies in C position. The first note lights up; it’s up to you to find the rest.
The same five-finger scale, this time in rhythm. Go up from C to G, then back down. One finger per note, without moving your hand.
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