Give Me 5! A Kinesthetic Way to Learn Piano Finger Numbers

Piano finger numbers and beginner hand positions are what students learn in primer piano method books. Quite often though, the lessons don’t allow enough time for the concepts sink in before moving on to new material. This leaves students frustrated, which leads to avoiding practice. I get it, I’m a piano teacher, I’ve seen the frustration. This is why I created, ‘Give Me 5!’

What are piano finger numbers?

Piano finger numbers let the pianist know where to place their hands on the piano as indicated by the numbers written under or over specific notes in a piece of music. This is achieved by learning the number for each finger and then assigning the finger number to a specific key on the piano. When all the fingers are placed on the piano in a certain position, we call this a hand position.

What is a hand position?

Typical beginner hand positions are Middle C position, C position and G position. For beginners, we keep our hands in one of these positions for the entire song to learn which fingers should be played with specific notes. For more experienced players, finger numbers indicate how to play specific passages with consistency and fluidity. Finger numbers and beginner hand positions are an essential component in the pianist’s journey to develop muscle memory and good technique.

How does ‘Give Me 5!’ work?

This creative resource uses a high-five gesture for students to align their hands with the hands on the page. By lifting each finger, one at a time, saying the finger number out loud, students have a memorization tool to learn more effectively. For beginner hand positions, we say the finger numbers out loud along with the corresponding note names that each finger will play.

The lessons cover fingering and hand positions for Middle C, C, and G. ‘Give Me 5!’ offers 14 engaging lesson pages and activities to support students in understanding proper fingering and hand positions.

Piano diagrams are included, with right-hand notes labeled in one color and left-hand notes in another. This is an ideal supplement to traditional piano primer books or as an introduction to piano for beginners.

This resource has helped my students get more concrete in understanding beginner concepts. They are able to play their music confidently, are more consistent with practice, and enjoy piano lessons. If you are a teacher, parent, or someone learning piano yourself, I hope you will give this a try.