Welcome to this lesson on the CORE Exercise #2: the Five Finger Drill
If you've ever seen someone who just sounds smooth on piano (what we often call Flow, or Evenness) – there's a very specific technique they're using called the Over Under Technique.
And while we learned the basics of it in the Finger Gauntlet, this drill is really going to take it all the way, and transform “sloppy, disjointed” playing into “smooth, fluid” playing.
It's one of the big things that makes your playing go from “amateur” to “pro”. But you'll see what I mean in the video…
The Five Finger Drill: Notes + Movement Pattern + Accelerated Learning Technique
The Five Finger Drill: Progression and Journey
Key Points From the Lesson
1. For the notes, using the first five notes on the cheat sheet PDF (see below) play 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 and repeat 2x. Then move your finger up one note and repeat 2x again. Repeat this until you get back to the starting note, one octave up.
2. Whenever you're playing thumb to pinkie, roll your wrist down and out, and whenever you're playing pinkie to thumb, roll your wrist up and in.
3. Exaggerate the motion when you're first learning it. You'll learn it faster that way, and it's easy to tone it down when you actually play pieces.
4. Use the Dynamic Variation drill to develop solid flow whether you're playing soft or loud.
PDFs and Cheat Sheets
The Five Finger Drill Cheat Sheet
Keys and Notes Cheat Sheet
Technique Mastery Checklist
Technique Drills Sheet Music (optional)
Technique Mastery Cheat Sheets PACK
Frequently Asked Questions (optional):
Sure thing – let's take a few examples of what notes to use in different keys.
Key of C Major (the first key you'll learn):
Notes in C Major: C D E F G A B C
Finger Pattern: 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: C D E F G F E D (and repeat)
Then you move up one note (thumb on D) and do the same thing:
Actual Notes to Play: D E F G A G F E (and repeat)
Then you move up one note (thumb on E) and do the same thing:
Actual Notes to Play: E F G A B A G F (and repeat)
Continue moving your thumb up one note at a time (and repeating the pattern) until your thumb on the next C.
This pattern is the same for all of the keys, for the next few, I'm just going to give you the exact notes to play:
Key of D Major (week 5):
Notes you'll be using: D E F# G A B C# D
Finger Pattern: 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: D E F# G A G F# E (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: E F# G A B A G F# (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: F# G A B C# B A G (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play:G A B C# D C# B A(and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: A B C# D E D C# B (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: B C# D E F# E D C# (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: C# D E F# G F# E D (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: D E F# G A G F# E (and repeat)
Key of Bb Major (week 6):
Notes you'll be using: Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
Finger Pattern: 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: Bb C D Eb F Eb D C (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: C D Eb F G F Eb D (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: D Eb F G A G F Eb (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: Eb F G A Bb A G F (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: F G A Bb C Bb A G (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: G A Bb C D C Bb A (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: A Bb C D Eb D C Bb (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: Bb C D Eb F Eb D C (and repeat)
Key of F# Major (week 12):
Notes you'll be using: F# G# A# B C# D# E# F#
Finger Pattern: 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: F# G# A# B C# B A# G# (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: G# A# B C# D# C# B A# (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: A# B C# D# E# D# C# B (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: B C# D# E# F# E# D# C# (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: C# D# E# F# G# F# E# D# (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: D# E# F# G# A# G# F# E# (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play: E# F# G# A# B A# G# F# (and repeat)
Actual Notes to Play:F# G# A# B C# B A# G# (and repeat)
Hope that all makes sense! If you're starting out, don't worry if Bb and F# look super complicated – by the time you get to that point in the course, they'll be much easier.
Yes – as you play keys with more and more black notes, often times you're forced to play white notes in the space between the black notes (more “into” the keyboard).
This makes it more challenging because it's harder to press the notes down at this point in the keys since you don't have as much leverage way up on the keys, and it can also be tough navigating the black keys so your fingers don't get “stuck”.
This is normal – it WILL feel awkward at first. But guess what, it happens all the time in songs! And the more you do this drill, the more you'll develop the ability to play gracefully between the black keys and the more natural it will feel.
And then when these passages come up in songs, you'll be able to play them with ease.
The Rhythmic Variation strategy often becomes students favorite Accelerated Learning Technique – and absolutely you can use it here as well!!
That being said, if you do, you want to do it AFTER you get your Dynamic Variation Drill finished. Because it's very important you learn Flow at different dynamic levels to that it stays consistent.
But after that, if you have extra time, you can always run it through the rhythms as well.
Happy practicing!!
-Zach
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Main Technique Mastery Home Page
Daily Workout Plan Overview
The Journey to Technique Mastery
Basic Positioning at the Piano
CORE Exercise 1: The Finger Gauntlet
CORE Exercise 2: The 5 Finger Drill
CORE Exercise 3: Scale Drills
CORE Exercise 4: The Miyagi Technique
Full Technique Workout Plan
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