Arpeggio/Chord Fingering For Big Hands (RH)

Hi everyone! Working on a piece by Ginastera I found out that maybe the whole fingerings that I used so far for major/minor chords and arpeggios might not have been the best match for my hand (I can pick a 10th and stretch for an 11th and -that's what brought me here- my middle finger is very long: 11.5cm from the knuckle). I've been told that the usual right hand fingering for major/minor chords/arpeggios (root position) is 1235. When I play this way, however, I must curl the 3rd to play in the white zone of the keyboard (with the exception of 3rd on a black note: B, b, Eb, etc.). I tried hard to release the tension in the 3rd when I play with the curled finger, but it's almost impossible. On the other hand, playing in the black zone with a straigthened finger feels awkward too (it doesn't fit well). The question is: Could it be that for some people is a better choice to play this positions with 1245? Or should I stick with 1235 and try to release the tension? By the way, I feel the fingering 1245 more comfortable, but maybe that's just cause I'm not releasing the tension properly with 1235. Any help would be highly appreciated!

Hi I have the same "problem" my third is like 11cm and a bit thick to. If your third can fit in easily between black keys you shouldn't have a problem at all. One solution is to be vigilant with going in an out with your whole hand. Approaching the key with the back of the palm (while third is resting on key) gets you in the same position as if drawing back your third-but without strain. You could also watch pianists with similar "problems" Ivo Pogorelish,Arthur Rubinstein, José Iturbi and Rudolf Serkin.Or Oscar Petersen. Using the Alan Fraser "birdbeak" is a god way to find out about stability and make any finger more potent. Hope this helps.

Don't "curl" to play your long fingers in the white key area. That's a recipe for disaster. Move your entire hand out.

1245 sounds good to me - if it's more comfortable, that means it's not that you're doing something wrong! AFF

Anyway all your proposed solutions are off base. The presenting problem stems from an unacknowledged problem: lack of activity in the fingers and a sense of skeletal connection to the key gained through vital action. If this was cultivated you would find eventually the problem you thought you had would melt away... AFF