Percepções de pianistas acerca da funcionalidade, conforto e adequação de padrões de dedilhado em diferentes andamentos

Abstract

Research Question/Problem

Piano fingering is characterized by multiple possibilities as there is no fixed correspondence between specific fingers and keys (Sloboda et al., 1998). Thus, the choice of which fingers to use in a musical passage is governed by factors including motor, physical/ergonomic, cognitive, and interpretive/expressive aspects (Parncutt & Troup, 2002). Recent research has, on one hand, developed and refined systems that automatically generate fingerings for simple passages (Guan et al., 2022) and, on the other, investigated how pianists make fingering decisions when confronted with external sources (such as score suggestions and videos of performances) from the perspective of collective embodied knowledge in terms ofconventional fingering patterns, which form a motor grammar acquired during instrumental training (Kim, 2025, 2026). However, it remains to be explored how the selection of possible fingerings for a given musical excerpt aligns with specific tempo goals for performance, particularly considering the challenges posed by coordinating both hands required in much of the piano repertoire.

Objectives

The goal of this paper is to investigate pianists’ perceptions regarding the functionality, comfort, and suitability of different fingering patterns when considering distinct tempi in performance situations.

Method

Three experienced pianists (D1, D2, D3) performed two bimanual excerpts from Sonata K. 271 by Domenico Scarlatti with three fingering patterns (A, B, C) in three different tempi: moderate, fast, and very fast (eighth note = 160, 200, and 240 b.p.m., respectively). Considering that the first fingering employed tends to affect the perception of other alternatives (see Kim, 2026), the fingerings were presented in different orders for each participant (A-B-C, B-C-A, C- A-B). The choice of materials (musical excerpts, fingering patterns, and tempi) was based on a previous study (XXXXXX, XXXX). Data from performances (audio, video, and MIDI) on a Yamaha Disklavier DKC-800, as well as semi-structured interviews, were gathered.

Results

The results showed that tempo played a critical role in how the functionality, comfort, and suitability of fingering configurations were perceived. All fingering patterns were viewed as comfortable and appropriate at a moderate tempo, supporting the notion that slow performance tempi tend to pose fewer constraints on fingering choices (Kim, 2026). As the tempo increased, participants reported preference for one option (fingering C), which was considered less conventional as it involves note arrangements between hands at points preceding rapid hand displacements (leaps). Besides comfort, this fingering allowed a greater sense of security and freedom in manipulating interpretive aspects (such as articulation) even at faster tempi.

Elements such as fingering consistency between similar passages and between hands, thumb crossing, maintaining hand positions on the keyboard, and the landing finger in leaps were listed by participants as influential in their personal perception of the fingerings.

Implications

In the fields of piano performance and pedagogy, this paper stresses the importance of accounting for final performance tempo when choosing or devising fingerings, as well as considering the potential benefits of less conventional patterns, particularly at faster tempi.