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I recently learned how to finger scales both left and right. I am having trouble figuring out how to finger arpeggios without running out of fingers! Can anyone enlighten me? Thanks

I am not much of a teacher, having problems myself with fingering and other things. But if you can get hold of it, try to acquire George Posca's "Am Strande", a great etude for arpeggio learning. And it comes with fingering and the whole nine yards. And the best thing is, once you have mastered this rather simple piece, it's a showstopper for your hungry audiences, a real Piece de Resistance. As we said in Germany in the real old days, before cell phones: Ein schönes Salonstück.

Way I learned it is the scales that start on a white key are usually either 1-2-3-...or 1-2-4 for the RH, and 5-3-1 or 5-2-1 for LH. If the apreggio starts on a black key, then I start 2-1-2-4(3)-1-2-...for RH and 2-1-4(3)-2-1-...for LH. One exception is F#major arpeggio. Since the notes are all black keys, 1-2-3 RH and 5-3-1 LH works fine.

They fall`into 2 groups:
Group 1 - RH 1-2-3-5
LH 5-4/3-2-1
This works for all white keys major/minor, F# major and Eb minor (all in root position)

Group 2 - RH 2-1-2-4
LH 2-1-4-2
This works for Db, Eb and Ab major as well as C#, F# and G# minor.

The odd one out is Bb

Bb major is RH 2-1-2-4 and LH 3-2-1-3

Bb minor is RH 2-3-1-2 and LH 3-2-1-3

But then how would you re-position your hand to go to the next octave. Do you have to shift your whole hand? That seems like it would interupt the flow.

You don't have to shift your entire hand. For example, for c major:

RH: 1-2-4-1-2-4-1-2-4-1-2-4-5 (going up 4 octaves)
LH: 5-3-2-1-3-2-1-3-2-1-3-2-1 (going up 4 octaves)

going down is just the reverse. you can bring your thumb under you palm for the RH going up, and your third finger over the thumb for the left hand.

Thanks. But say on the right hand ascending...Does that mean you have to cross your thumb all the way underneath your ring finger. That seems awkward and my favorite keyboardist (Jordan Rudess) doesnt do that I dont think.

For C Major I would use RH: 1-2-3-1... and LH: 5-4-2-1... But for C Major in 1st inversion, I change my RH to 1-2-4-1. There are variations in other inversions as well, plus you need all your fingers for seventh arpeggios. So there is a lot of variety, and, yes, sometimes you have to pass your thumb under 4 to continue.

To make sure you get a solid foundation, I would recommend a book such as Alfred's "Complete Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios & Cadences." You get detailed fingerings in every major and minor key (although these fingerings aren't a universal standard and some players or teachers may prefer something different in some cases).

Benny, RH 5th finger is only used on the top note. To add more octaves you must pass the thumb eg. RH C major (root position) 1-2-3-1-2-3-5

Thats seems like an awful long way to pass the thumb underneath. Passing the thumb under works for me with scales, but not for arpeggios.

When doing arpeggios, you not only need to move your hand, fingers, and thumb, but you also have to move your wrist and elbow. If you keep your wrist straight, then yes, you're going to have some serious difficulty with bringing the thumb under.

Try loosening up your wrist and elbow and see if this helps. Also, I've found using C.C. Chang's chord attack in arpeggios very useful for ensuring my fingers are over the correct keys at the correct time.

Grow more fingers

As you rotate (quick flick of the wrist) for fingers 2 and 3 move your thumb behind the fingers (I do a little slow practice actually touching my thumb to the pads of 2 and 3 as I play) then the thumb is ready (i.e., closer) to start the next group of notes.