Piano Tutorial & Tips

Major piano scales basics and construction Guide:

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The playing of piano scales is an important part of the training of any player of the piano, especially if you try Minor scales.

The fingering will cause trouble in playing piano scales. The human hand was not built to play the piano, or it would have had seven fingers. Since there are seven notes in the scale, all scales are fingered by some combination of 1-2-3 and 1-2-3-4. The question is where to put the thumb.

There are many systems of fingering the scales; but the simplest and the best for the ear player can be simply stated. Put the thumb on the key next above the black key played in the right hand and next below the black key played in the left hand. This not only results in the best fingering of the formal piano scales but is a good principle to follow in all passage work where it can be applied.

The following table gives the fingering for all piano scales. Do not try to memorize the fingering. Learn the principle of passing the thumb in under the hand when the fourth finger is on a black key and when the third finger is on a black key. By holding consistently to this one principle, the hand eventually takes it over as a habit, and the greatest difficulty of fingering is overcome.

Key of - right hand - left hand

C - 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 - 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

C# or Db - 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 - 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 4

D - 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 - 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2

Eb - 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 - 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3

E - 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 - 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

F - 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 - 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3

F# or Gb - 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 - 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4

A - 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 - 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2

Bb - 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 - 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3

B or Cb - 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 - 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 1

The 5 th finger is never used except at the end of the scale.

Scale Habits

Scales should be practiced through several octaves; the fingering repeats in each octave. Practice them as slowly as is necessary to get the correct fingering. You are trying to form a habit in the sequence of your fingers; this is a very complicated habit, and each wrong fingering damages the formation of the habit. Your speed will gradually increase as your fingers learn the sequence. When you feel fairly secure in playing the piano scales with each hand separately, try playing with the two together.

Sometimes it is easier to begin at the middle of the piano and play the hands in opposite direction. The most useful practice, however, is playing them in the same direction an octave apart.

Practice them very slowly without any accent. Then accent every third note and play them for three octaves. Then accent every fourth note and play them for four octaves. This brings the accent out even at the top of the piano scales. Gradually get faster.

Technique

To develop speed and a smooth technique, a few suggestions will be helpful. In practicing the piano scales keep the fingers curved; this makes it easier for the thumb to pass in under the hand. Keep the thumb curved also and bend it far in under the hand when necessary.

Do not raise the wrist up to help the thumb to pass under the hand; and do not twist the hand to right and left any more than is absolutely necessary. Make the thumb do the work. Do not pull the hand to the front when playing white keys and then shove it in to play the black keys. In short, avoid all excess motion.

Remember practice makes perfect. Playing piano scales is no different.

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Have you learned the major scales well? If so, then these minor scales will not be difficult to understand. There are three kinds of minor scales– NATURAL, HARMONIC, and MELODIC. In this article, we will be discussing the natural and harmonic minor scales. As with the major scales, if you want to USE minor scales, you must PRACTICE them.

NATURAL MINOR SCALES

Remember that each major scale has a specific number of sharps or flats? There is a RELATIVE Minor (having the same number of sharps or flats) for each of those major scales. The main thing to remember is this:

If you want to play the relative minor scale of any major scale, just start on the 6th note of the major scale and include the sharps or flats of that major scale. For example, an E Natural minor scale starts on the 6th note of the G Major scale and has one sharp, F#.

IMPROVISATION using Natural Minor Scales: You can use the NATURAL MINOR scales to improvise ONLY in a major key. That is, if the chord progression is in a major key, then you may use the NATURAL minor scale in the relative key. For example, if the chord progression is in “D” major–use the “B” natural minor scale.

HARMONIC MINOR SCALES

Harmonic minor scales are simple to build if you know the Natural Minor scales! You simply sharp the seventh note.For example: the “A” Natural minor scale is

A B C D E F G A

To form the Harmonic minor scale, you sharp the G and you have

A B C D E F G# A

Let’s try another one. The “E” natural minor scale is

E F# G A B C D E

To make it Harmonic minor, sharp the “D”.

E F# G A B C D# E

Pretty easy, right? Just remember that you have to know the key signature(how many sharps or flats) of the relative major scale. You have to think a little backwards here–on the 6th note of which major scale does my chosen natural or harmonic minor scale start?

IMPROVISATION using harmonic minor scales: These scales may be used to improvise only in a minor key. That is because the seventh note is sharped to accommodate the V chord which, in a minor key, is major.

I will be writing more about major and minor keys in future articles.

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The circle of fifths is an essential part of music theory. The circle of fifths provides a picture that is an easy to see complete set of rules for how to learn all of the major and minor scales. The circle of fifths itself is the same as the circle used on an analogue clock face. Instead of being used to tell the time, it is used to show all the major and minor scales, and it goes in both directions, clockwise and anticlockwise. Also similar to a clock face, which has five-minute intervals around the clock, the distance between each scale is also an interval of five notes.

In the circle of fifths we give the scale names and we also provide the key signatures (sharps and flats) located on a musical stave. Starting at the top of the circle of fifths is the C major which does not have any sharps or flats. From the C major, moving around the circle of fifths, either left or right, the next key signature adds an extra sharp or flat, depending on the direction you are moving in around the circle of fifths. When you go clockwise, you go in

the direction of increasing sharps up to seven sharps. The reason why you can go up to seven sharps is because there are seven notes in a scale, and every note can have a sharp. When you go anticlockwise, you go in the direction of increasing flats up to seven flats.

For each major scale, there is a minor scale with the same key signature. They are called relative scales because they share the same key signature. So at the top of the circle of fifths is the C major and it is also relative to the A minor. They are the same and both do not have any flats or sharps. Minor scales are also moving in their own circle of fifths, following the same rules as the major scales.

Looking at the picture of the circle of fifths, (To view this image, click here) the first sharp appears in G major that is located clockwise after C major. The key signature for G major is F sharp. The next scale is D major. In D major there are two sharps (F sharp and C sharp). Notice that the C sharp is the fifth note from F sharp. So all the sharps also are moving in their own circle of fifths. The flats in the key signatures also go by five notes going in an anti-clockwise direction.

The important rule is when you write the key signature it is different from the order of how you play the piano scale on the piano. You will always write the sharps in the order as they appear in the circle of fifths. For example, look at the A major scale on the circle of fifths. In the key signature there are three sharps that are written in the order of: F sharp C sharp G sharp. However, when you play scales, you will play: A B C# D E F# G# A.

It should now be very clear to you that the circle of fifths allows you to easily see all major and minor scales used in music. Knowledge of the circle of fifths is very important for every musician because it shows the foundation of major and minor scales.

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Some would have you believe that the Chromatic Scale is some high-tech complicated concept from the way they explain it to people. It isn’t that complicated — but it is important.

The Chromatic Scale has been around forever. Much of music theory is based off of it. The piano (or keyboard), IS a chromatic scale. The strings on a guitar or bass are all chromatic scales. It follows then that it would be a very useful thing to understand.

If you are interested about the “theory behind the theory” about this scale, the internet has all kinds if stuff you can look at. But most of us simply want to know what it is and how to use it.

A A#/Bb B C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A etc…

The Chromatic Scale is also known as a 12-tone scale. It’s also called a 1/2 step scale because the distance or interval between each note is 1/2 step.

Also know that this scale can be started from any point, not just an A.

Before we continue, let’s deal with a few definitions:

A 1/2 step + 1/2 step = 1 whole step.

A sharp (#) means to raise a note or tone 1/2 step. An A# is an A raised 1/2 step. In fact, because of this definition, I could call a B an A## — an A raised a 1/2 step, then raised 1/2 step again. I could even, if I wanted to, say that a C is an A###. I wouldn’t want to, but I could if I wanted to.

A flat (b) means to lower a note or tone 1/2 step. A Bb is a B lowered 1/2 step. Because of this definition, I could call a G an Abb. I could even, if I wanted to be silly, call an A a Cbbb.

Why do some notes have 2 names? In general, whether you call a note an A# or Bb (for example) depends on whether you are raising an A 1/2 step, or lowering a B 1/2 step.

Ok, so what’s the big deal about this scale anyway? Like I said earlier,much of music theory comes from this thing.

If you are a pianist or keyboard player – your keyboard IS a chromatic scale. The white keys are plain letter names starting from A on the bottom, and the black keys are the sharps/flats.

If you play the harp — harps are tuned either in what’s called a “diatonic scale” (the white keys on a piano), or the chromatic scale.

If you play the guitar or bass — the frets on a guitar and bass are all 1/2 steps, making each string a chromatic scale.

If you understand the idea of this scale, and especially if you have it memorized, you are well on the way to:

1. Understand how to construct major, minor, pentatonic, and blues scales

2. Understand chord construction

3. Find all of the notes on a stringed instrument.

4. Transpose music

Scales and chords have “formulas” based on combinations of whole and half steps. If you understand the chromatic scale, these formulas will be easy to understand.

This scale can be used directly and simply when transposing music from one key to another.

The best way to learn this thing is to first of all memorize it. If you play a stringed instrument, this will help you to find all of your notes. Secondly, you want to be able to count in your head up to 2 whole steps (or 4 half steps) from any given note, This will help you with chord construction when you get to that point. It also allows you to transpose music quickly “in your head”.

The Chromatic Scale is one of the foundational building blocks in music. Take the trouble to learn it.

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Are you currently taking piano lessons and having a difficult time with piano scales? The problem is not you in most cases, it is what you are learning and how you are learning it. Piano scales are a necessary part of learning how to play the piano correctly, and getting your frustration under control is top priority. Anyone can learn to play scales flawlessly if taught properly and the student is willing to put in the time practicing.

If you don’t know your notes inside and out that is the first place you should start. Playing scales is a lot like typing. If you don’t know where the letter “A” is, it will stop you from being a fantastic typist, even if you know where every other single letter is located. It is the same with the piano. You should know the notes inside and out before you can expect to play the scales perfectly. If you don’t know the notes, continue to work on them while you are mastering your abilities at playing scales.

To get better at the scales you are going to have to put in a lot of time practicing. There are a few different ways you can tackle this. You can take one scale and practice it until you complete it absolutely perfectly. A good test for this is to be able to play it three times in a row without any mistakes. Once you have accomplished that you leave that scale and go onto the next. This may get a little frustrating, but it does indeed work.

The next thing you can do is practice a variety of piano scales one after the other. This is not as effective as the first technique, but it can be less frustrating and more enjoyable. You should practice the scales, but continue learning all of your notes so that you can become truly proficient at it. Remember, knowing these notes and scales are what will get you where you want to go.

Practice is your best friend when you have problems with piano scales. You will be able to improve your scales every time you put in some practice. Whether you are learning the piano on your own or taking piano lessons with a private instructor, you will find that practice really does make perfect.

There are some useful online courses that can help you with your practicing and they are very helpful. If you are having a hard time it might be the course you are taking isn’t right for you, and you need more help. There are videos and sound files you can listen to that can help you conquer these scales once and for all. There is nothing better than finally achieving the ability to play piano scales comfortably and without effort.

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Have you started playing your scales yet? If you have, then you realize the value of practice and repetition. You need to play the scales every time you practice so that you can learn to play them without even having to think about it. The scales need to become second nature in your piano playing.They need to be something you can play effortlessly and you will show dramatic improvements in your piano songs if you’ve taken the time to learn the scales well. If you have not been playing scales yet and are looking for piano scales for the beginner than you should know that the best place you can find them is on the Internet.

All of the piano introductory courses show the beginner how to play certain scales. You will need to find a course that lays it all out in a very simple way so that you can start playing them immediately and practice them until you know them perfectly. The best course for learning piano scales for the beginner offers both written material and videos (Just waiting.. in process) so that you can see firsthand how they should be done.

To become a true master of the piano you are going to need to know how to play the scales very well. It is an integral part of any piano course, and as long as they are presented in a very easy to use way, you will have no problem learning them as long as you commit yourself to practice.

When you are beginning you are going to want the simplest scales to practice. There is no use in going to a higher level scale before you are very good at the beginner ones. This can be in problem for many people that want to race ahead and learn very quickly. Going to the next step before conquering the first one is fatal when you are taking piano lessons. You must do each step in order, and you need to start with very simple scalesbefore you even think about tackling harder ones.

It may take some patience on your part, but if you stick to the piano scalesfor the beginner you will find that it was well worth it. Through programs with your skills you will find them much easier to perform because you took the time to do the beginner ones right the first time. Practicing scales will make your songs sound lovely and alive because scales get your hands used to moving quickly and smoothly. You can become a master of the scales.

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Piano chord charts are used to help you keep track of chord changes. And the cool thing about them is that you can use them for improvisation and composition. Here’s how.

Let’s say you have an 8-bar phrase to play. There are no chord symbols yet so you don’t know what chords you’ll be playing. You just have 8-bars in front of you. The first thing you need to know is the time signature. For our purposes here, we’ll keep it simple and use 3/4 or 4/4 time.

Now let’s select 4/4 time for our 8-bar phrase. Now we know the meter but what about the chords? Here’s where we can jot down chord progressions for either improvisation or composition. For example, you may want to begin something in the Key of F Major. Having made that decision, you know that you have 6 chords to use right away. These are F Major, G minor, A minor. B flat Major, C 7, and D minor.

All that’s left to do now is begin your piece in the Key of F Major. We usually start with the F Major chord itself so you now know that your first bar or 2 will be the F Major chord. But now a problem arises - how do you fill up the rest of the space? By using an 8-bar phrase to begin with, you don’t have to worry about filling up a lot of space and taking forever to complete a section of music.

For instance, let’s suppose we want to chart out an 8-bar phrase for improvisation purposes. We know what chords we will be working with. Now it’s just a matter of fooling around on the piano and playing with the chord choices. You may want to place a chord change at every 2-measures. You can even use 2 chords for the entire 8-bar phrase such as F Major and B flat Major.

The whole point of the piano chord charts is to have a tool that will help you navigate what chords to play and when to change chords.

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