Mazmann

A scale on the piano consists of the eight notes that lay between one note and the same note but an entire octave higher.  The scales are all different.  There are minor scales as well as major scales.  The more upbeat and lighter sounding scales are known as the major scales.  The more melancholy or deep and gloomy sounding scales are what people refer to as the minor scales.

If you spend a part of your practice time playing scales, you build muscle memory in your hands. This means that, after much time practicing, your hands go more easily to notes in the scale you are playing at any given time. You only have to see the piano sheet music or think of the melody and your hands know what to do.

Any time you talk about scales you will also find yourself discussing keys.  The piano has two different types of keys on it.  The word “keys” as it pertains to the piano could mean the physical ivory or wood keys on the keyboard or the keys that a song or scale is played in.

You may hear a singer who is about to give their big performance lean over to the piano player and whisper “The key of C please”.  The singer is telling the piano player where he or she wants the pianist to being on the keyboard.  The keyboardist will know which keys to begin with as well as the chords that will need to be played to accompany the singer.  Playing in the correct key is a vital part of any good musical piece.

As you start your training in mastering the scales, the key signatures do not all need to be learned.  (The written notation in regards to the keys is referred to as the key signatures.  This is referred to as the key of G, for example).  Start your training off with the C scale.  When playing a C scale all on white keys you will be playing the major C scale.  You should start by putting your right hand in the Home Keys position on the keyboard.  You should put an imaginary number on each finger beginning with the thumb and going up from number one.

Press the keys and listen to the sounds of the one two three keys being played.  You have now heard the sounds of you playing the C D E chord.  Rather than going on to the next finger, place your thumb under your other fingers and continue with your thumb hitting the fourth key in the row, or the F key.  Let your fingers flow from there to complete the scale with the final note being keyed by your pinkie finger.  When you are finished you can pat yourself on the back as you have completed the complete scale by pressing the keys in order, 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 (otherwise known as C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C.  Continue to practice this so you can play it fluently.

If you would like to learn to play the C scale using your left hand, begin by placing your little finger directly on the C that is below the middle C.  Place your other fingers in order from one to five traveling up the keyboard.  Push the keys in order, 5-4-3-2-1.  As you get to one, pull your middle finger over your pointer finger and put it on the next available key.  Begin again by playing 3-2-1 from that position on the keyboard.  When you are finished you have played C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C or 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1.

Combining the functions of both hands at the same time is the next step once you have spent some time practicing with each individual hand.  You will be playing the C below middle C using your pinkie on your left hand just as you are using your right hand thumb to play the middle C.  Travel up the scale using both hands.  The task may seem a little challenging until you have gotten over having to maneuver one hand over and the other under to finish the scale.  After you practice you will find that it comes much easier.

After you have mastered this scale you will find that it is much easier to grasp the other major scales.  Be sure to concentrate on the order of the half steps and the whole steps that occur in a major scale.  If you are following the right order up the major scale you will be playing like this:  starting note-step-step-half step-step-step-step-half step.  Keep in mind as you follow these steps that there are no black keys found in between the B and C and the E and F so they are considered to be half steps.

Your scale can be played from any point on the keyboard.  You only need to select a starting point and you are ready to begin.  You can begin on a black key or a white key, it doesn’t matter as long as you are following the steps that were described above and are playing a scale that consists of eight notes.  You may even want to begin the scale with the key on the furthest left and play the scale until you reach the last key on the piano.  All you need is some practice and you will find that your fingers are flying down the keyboard playing major scales.