Chromatic scale fingering
A chromatic scale plays every key in turn, black and white, going up one semitone at a time until you reach the same note an octave higher. Pick any starting note below: the fingering follows the same pattern whichever note you start on.
- Thumb on white keys, third finger on black keys. Fingers 1 and 3 do most of the work, so your hand stays calm and close to the keys.
- Where two white keys sit side by side (E–F and B–C), the hands change finger. Right hand: thumb on E or B, then finger 2 on F or C. Left hand: finger 2 on E or B, then thumb on F or C.
- Coming down, use the same fingers in reverse. Start slowly and keep your wrist loose.
Start on
Fingering
| Hand | C | C♯ | D | D♯ | E | F | F♯ | G | G♯ | A | A♯ | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| LH | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Hand | C | C♯ | D | D♯ | E | F | F♯ | G | G♯ | A | A♯ | B | C | C♯ | D | D♯ | E | F | F♯ | G | G♯ | A | A♯ | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| LH | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Thumb on the white keys and finger 3 on the black keys. At E–F and B–C the right hand plays the thumb on E or B and finger 2 on F or C, and the left hand plays finger 2 on E or B and the thumb on F or C. Coming down, use the same fingers in reverse. In two octaves the pattern simply repeats. RH is the right hand and LH the left hand. Finger 1 is the thumb (shown in colour) and 5 is the little finger.
Sheet music
On the keyboard
Plays up and back down, with the hands and octaves shown.