Beginner Piano Finger Exercises: How to Tame the Flyaway Fourth Finger

Using a metronome to practice “playing” a scale on a tabletop or even on your forearm 

Here’s a video with even more helpful piano finger exercises you can do from anywhere:

Rely on Piano Finger Exercises Books

Pick up a few piano finger exercises books. These have all kinds of exercises you can do so you never get bored – and can instead focus on constant improvement! 

Some good options include:

• HANON The Virtuoso Pianist in sixty exercises For The Piano – Book 1
• Béla Bartók’s Mikrokosmos: 153 Progressive Piano Pieces
• Best Traditional Piano Etudes, Book 1 (Ed. Lynn Freeman Olson)
• Musical Fingers, Book 1 – 4(Frances Clark Library for Piano Students)
• Jazz Piano Technique: Exercises, Etudes & Ideas for Building Chops (John Valerio)

Of course, you can always try Hanon piano finger exercises, too. 

Some piano players aren’t fond of Hanon piano finger exercises, but the reality is that these exercises are so popular because they do work well for most people.

The Best Piano Finger Exercises for Taming the Fourth Finger

When I first began to learn piano, my fourth finger seemed bent on being anywhere but on the keys. Whenever I was not using it, the fourth finger–and by extension, the fifth finger–simply floated in midair, hovering above the ivories. This meant that whenever those fingers were needed, they were nowhere to be found. To sum it up, this was no good!

My piano teacher devised many ways to make my fingers stay where they were supposed to. Sometimes she would place a penny on the backs of my hands and make me play scales that way. If my bridge began collapsing, or my fingers began doing funky things, the penny inevitably began to slide off. Honestly, the activity made me giggle, and I often could not get through it for that reason.

In any case, my fourth finger woes didn’t last long. Through a combination of scales and rigorous practice, it was soon where it needed to be at all times.

Recently, though, I had a similar problem with one of my own piano students, and the habit was particularly difficult for him to shake. No matter how often I corrected him, no matter how rigorously he practiced his scales and pieces, this particular child could not seem to keep his fourth finger from hovering over the keys whenever he played.

I was starting to wonder if we would ever overcome this obstacle when my mother, who is also a piano teacher, revealed to me a simple exercise that solved my student’s problem within the space of a couple weeks at most.

These are the most essential finger exercises piano players should master if they want to tame the fourth finger. 

The Best Fourth Finger Exercise to Try

Looking for the best piano 4th finger exercises? There’s really only one you need to know, and I’ll tell you about it below.

Here are the simple steps to taming that flyaway fourth finger:

1. Place your right hand on the piano, with your thumb on C (for now, your left hand can remain in your lap).
2. Play a normal five-finger piano exercise, ascending up to G and then descending down to C.
3. Do it again, but this time hold your thumb down on the C throughout the entire exercise, as you ascend to G and then descend back to C. You will notice that it is very difficult to lift the fourth finger while the thumb is sustaining a note!
4. Repeat this exercise in the left hand by holding down the C with your thumb while descending down to F, then back up again to C.
5. When this becomes easier, you can play hands together, with both thumbs on C.

If you play this piano finger exercise every day before practicing, you will likely begin to see results very quickly.

More Piano 4th Finger Exercises and Tips

Pay close attention to all of your fingers, especially the fourth finger, as you play. Most people have issues with the fourth finger simply because they aren’t concentrating on that finger as they play. Play your notes thoughtfully and watch how your fingers depress the keys.

As you do so, make sure the first finger joint is in a hooked position – this can be trickier with the fourth and fifth finger, but as you get better at hooking the other joints on your other fingers, you can work toward this goal for your fourth finger, too.

Try playing a five-finger note pattern like C-G. As you play the F with the fourth finger, watch how you depress it – are you using just the tip of the finger? Keep your finger position on the keys and pay attention to how the finger feels as it depresses the key. Once you get used to this feeling and to playing with a heavier touch, you’ll get better at committing it to muscle memory.

As you play make sure your hand and wrist are guiding each finger as it is depressed. Use a rotational wrist motion to make sure your fingers stay firm. Over time, you’ll also be able to add some arm weight.

Whenever you play a song on the piano, try to add additional power to the weaker fingers. You can add an accent or tenuto marking to notes played by the fourth finger. This can be especially helpful when you are playing arpeggios or scales. 

How Can I Get Flexible Fingers for Piano?

Everyone knows that it can be hard to force ourselves into positions that feel unnatural, which is why basic piano finger exercises such as these are so important. There is no doubt that poor hand position keeps you from moving forward with piano, but don’t get frustrated if you or your children are struggling–with this easy exercise, those hands will ultimately learn to do what we want them to!

Flexibility is key – and by doing the piano finger exercises mentioned above, you’ll be able to strengthen each and every one of your fingers to become a stronger pianist. Of course, taking lessons with a piano teacher who can guide you toward the best practices and techniques for finger strengthening never hurt anyone, either! 

Sign up for piano lessons today – and keep practicing to keep that fourth finger strong and flexible!

Amy C. teaches beginner to intermediate piano lessons in Ann Arbor, MI. She specializes in working with young children (5-10 age range). Learn more about Amy here! 

Photo by Akash k