The white keys on the piano use a certain finger pattern over a two octave range. It is important to understand this finger pattern to maintain fluidity in playing and ease of moving within a piece. The muscle memory is important so the fingers know the movement that they re expected to take in specific situations. The scales that use sharps and flats teach us which finger we can expect to be used on a flat or sharp to make the music flow smoothly without any unnecessary, awkward movements to put a short digit on a short note. The ascending pattern in the right hand is 123, 1234, 123, 12345
The descending pattern in the right hand is 54321, 321, 4321, 321.
This pattern is used in the right hand major scales of C, G, D, A and E.
C Major Right Hand Ascending
C Major Right Hand Descending
In this video Vikki demonstrates the right hand descending finger pattern for C major. This is the section that can easily go wrong when it is put together so make sure you understand the pattern well.
Left Hand Ascending
In this video Vikki demonstrates the left hand Ascending finger pattern for C major.