As a child, I had no idea how much time the exercises must have taken for her to write - for all of those keys, too! - but even then, I appreciated and enjoyed playing these patterns. There seemed something a bit magical and comforting in this routine: playing a pattern in one key, and then repeating it in another key, necessarily adjusting hand position and utilizing different fingering choices, getting the same overall sound, but with a sudden freshness. My piano teacher wrote out all 12 major scales, chord progressions, cadences, chord inversions and arpeggios for me when I was a little girl. But she did it by hand! There were no copy machines back then. How spoiled we've become.
The 12 Major Scales Tutorial. Scales provide the foundation for understanding harmony and learning the 12 major scales is a fundamental step in learning jazz piano. When we play a piece of music using the notes of a particular scale, we say that we are playing in that key.
I always begin assigning the 12 major scales and chords with the 'Key of C' sheet. This won't be until my piano students are able to read the chord notes in the first measure (number 1) - or until they NEED to be able to play chord inversions and the octave scale, in which case I'll give them the, with lettered notes. We don't move in a hurry - on their assignment sheet, I will write 'Key of C sheet, #1' until they can do it quickly with no prompting.
Soon, their assignment sheet will say, 'Key of C sheet, #2, #3, #4.' Eventually, they will drop the easiest numbers off their assignment and pick up the harder techniques, such as chord inversions and arpeggios. Well, using matching fingering '1-2-3, 1-2-3-4, (tuck under) 1-2-3 etc.'
Is a very easy way to learn a hands-together C scale initially. (And the page didn't look as nice with crowded fingering when I initially laid it out with parallel scales!) With the 1-octave scale, this is how I first approach hands together, so they can have the fun of achieving speed and coordination over the 'big stretch' even in the initial stages of learning where to tuck under and cross over. Of course, this becomes much harder in the later scales, when black notes enter the picture! In fact, once piano students have mastered parallel scales in one key, it becomes much easier to accomplish them in all 12 major scales, and we just go straight to parallel scales. The concept of the I, IV and V chords seems obvious to piano teachers who've been thinking that way for years, but the connections aren't at all apparent to some young students.
I try to keep reinforcing their grasp of the theory by coming at it from different angles, such as playing, but using major chords only (the real version has one minor chord). When they have memorized it, then we start it again in a different key! Same thing with, and others. My favorite way to talk about 'The Three Main Chords' is to play the regular scale slowly with a left-hand finger while making matching chords in the right hand. Both hands move up the octave as I say, 'The one chord, the two chord, three chord, four chord.' Then I ask them to do it. (And usually I say nothing about the chord on the seventh step of the scale and how it is different from all the rest; that would be too much information at this time!) And my favorite way to actually drum the 3 main chords into their fingers (and brains) is to use an energetic song.
Is my current favorite. I make them (with my assistance, during lesson time) figure out what the chords will be for the key of the day (we work our way slowly around a Circle of 5ths, hand-drawn by me - or by them! - on their lesson sheet each week, with their assistance). Then we execute a quick duet, by rote, with me on a made-up-on-the-spot melody, and them 'pounding' away on chords. First they play open chords, Left Hand, Right Hand, L,R,L,R, etc.
Then I ask for a LH single bass note with a RH full triad (3 notes). Then (and this is their favorite!) they must figure out the 3-chord cadence for that key, and use those inversions in the accompaniment.
Students will move on to the other keys before they have finished the full page of C. Two-octave scales, chord inversions and arpeggios will wait until they seem appropriate. You may not agree with every one of my arpeggio or scale fingerings. I put down the ones I personally use most. Certainly there are times when it is advisable to choose '5, 4, 2, 1' for left-hand arpeggio fingering, but I consider it the exception to the rule.
Judith, in Canada, suggests starting with finger 2 when playing all-white note arpeggios in the right hand. 'Try starting all white note arpeggios with 2nd finger in the right hand instead of 1st finger; This eliminates reaching a 4th when turning 1st finger under and replaces it with a 3rd. 'I always allow my students to experiment to find which fingering fits their hand best.
'For me the basic rule of fingering is that it must be logical and the hand must move smoothly; as long as students follow that guideline, they can use any fingering they wish. 'Just a little note: B Major and B minor are awkward arpeggios, no matter which fingering is used.' Just cross my fingering out if you want something different. I hope you find these 12 major scales and chords sheets useful in your music studio! The links for the scale downloads: A beginning version of the Key of C sheet, with lettered notes, can be downloaded ) And here are the enharmonic keys.
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What do all the major scales have in common? They all share the same pattern of whole and half steps! Actually, there is only one major scale pattern, but it can be transposed (moved) to start from any note. Of course the scales don't look the same, since each piano scale has its own specific pattern of black and white keys.
You also need to adjust the fingering for most piano scales so they are comfortable to play. But quite a few scales actually share the same fingering, and these are also the easiest to begin with. The not-so-secret formula for a major scale is all about the distance ( interval) from one note to the next:. From one note to the next there is either a whole step (tone) or a half step (semitone). The specific pattern of intervals between each step in a major scale (ascending) is: (any starting note)-whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half. The first seven of the 12 major scales all start on a white key. The first 5 of those use exactly the same piano fingering patterns:.
Right hand 123-1234 (5 for stopping and turning), and Left hand (5) 4321-321. Learning these first and really setting the fingering patterns, makes it easier to learn the rest of the scales.
F and B major keep the basic fingering in one hand but has to change in the other. B major is by using all 5 black keys also preparing you for the last scales in the second group. C major scale The C major scale is the only major scale without black keys, so it’s easy to begin with.
The fingering you learn will be used in the next 4 scales as well. So take time to learn it, it really pays back later! G major scale The G major scale has one black key, F#.
D major scale The D major scale has two, F# and C#. A major scale An A major scale has three black keys, F#, C# and G#.
E major scale E major has four, F#,C#,G#,D#. F major scale And now for something different! The F major scale has one black key too, but this time it is a flat key, Bb. This Bb makes it necessary to change fingering in the right hand. The left has the same fingering as before. B major scale The B major scale includes all the black keys!
It is actually the easiest of all the 12 major scales to learn in the right hand, since it shapes your hand very nicely and makes it super easy to learn the fingering. This is said to be the first scale Chopin gave to his students to learn. However, the left hand has to change fingering from before, starting on 4.
Here is a clever little exercise for the scales using all five black keys:. Play fingers 2 3 4 on the groups of three black keys, all over the piano. Play hands separately and both, parallel and contrary motion, whatever you like. Then fingers 2 3 on the groups of two black keys, and finally both groups.
The only things you will add later are the 2 “missing” white keys that will be played with the thumb most of the time. Make sure to keep a good 'cupped' hand posture, with lightly curved fingers playing on your finger tips. Tip: If your 5th fingers stick out like antennae, relax your shoulders and arms from the neck, even more.
Group 2 Scales The second group of the 12 major scales are 5 scales that all start on a black key. They could be called two names, since the black keys have two names (for example C# or Db). The choice of the one over the other has to do with how many sharps or flats they have in the key signature. Bb major scale Bb major has two black keys, Bb and Eb.
Since it starts on a black key, the previous fingering has to be changed, as in all scales starting on a black key. Well, for smooth playing you have seen that we avoid using the thumb, or first finger, on a black key when playing scales. The thumb is short and is better used to tuck under your palm for smooth lateral movements. Start with finger 4 on Bb, and immediately tuck under the thumb on C.
After that the pattern is very easy, since the finger groups 1 2 3 and 1 2 3 4 each end on a black key. The left hand will start directly with the finger groups 3 2 1 and 4 3 2 1 starting on a black key each time. Eb major scale Eb major has three black keys, Bb, Eb and Ab. The fingering changes again, but look for the finger groups and it is easier to see the pattern. Eb major could also be called D# major, they are enharmonic.
Db/C# major scale Db major has 4 black keys. Db major is enharmonic with C# major. The two scales look, sound and are played exactly the same on the keyboard but are written differently with notes. It’s easier to use Db since it has fewer flats, 5, instead of C# that has 7 sharps.
Ab/G# major scale Ab is very similar to B major if you look at what keys to use. The only difference is the two white keys!
Gb/F# major scale Gb has five black keys, as before. See how the last 2 scales have so much in common with B major!