Mastering Scales - Free Piano Lesson
To be a proficient pianist, one needs to master the basic of piano scales. Do you know that all chords are derived
from scales? Knowing how to play piano scales effectively will help you improvise as well as making up melodies of
songs.
There are two types of scales:
Major and Minor scales
They are 12 major scales, and each major scale has its relative minor scale (also called the natural minor scale).
Beside the 12 natural minor scales, they are also 12 harmonic minor scale and 12 melodic minor scale. Sounds too much? Do not be overwhelmed! Let's take a look at each type of scale.
Major Scales
We can form a major scale using a simple formula:
whole : whole : half : whole : whole : whole : half
*half step is the closest key to any key. C to B is a half step down. C to C# is a half step up.
*whole step is two half steps. C to D is a whole step up. D is also two half steps up from C.
C major scale
Let's say we want to form the C major scale, we can plug in this formula
Starting with
C >
D (D is a whole step from C)
E (E is a whole step from D)
F (F is an half step from E)
G (G is a whole step from F)
A (A is a whole step from G)
B (B is a whole step from A)
C (C is an half step from B)
Always ask yourself what is a whole step from the note you want to form a piano scale. Asking questions based on
the formula (whole whole half whole whole whole half).
Remember there are 8 notes in a scale. You may also remember the scale notes by a roman numeral.
C major scale: C > D > E > F > G > A > B > C
I II III IV V VI VII VIII
Fingering for scales
After playing the E (3rd finger), placed thumb (1st finger) under to reach and play F note.
(LH) 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1
After playing the G note (1st finger), 3rd finger (long finger) crossed over to reach and play A note.
Repeat playing the scale until you can play relatively fast and smooth!
Remember after you are done playing with the thumb (1st finger), you need to let third or fourth finger cross over to reach the next
note. If you are done playing with third or fourth finger, you need to let the thumb go under to reach the next note.
Tip: Thumb under, finger over!
Remember there are 12 major scales. Let's talk about each one of them briefly!
Db major scale
Db major scale consists of: Db > Eb > F > Gb > Ab > Bb > C > Db (notice Db major has 5 flats; Bb Eb Ab Db Gb)
I II III IV V VI VII VIII
Rule: The scale needs to be made up of every letter (the letter can be a sharp or flat). For example: You may not
say D# is part of Db major since Eb is also called D#. By saying so, you end up with two types of D (Db and D#), and
short of an E note.
Fingering:
Db > Eb > F > Gb > Ab > Bb > C > Db
RH 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2
LH 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 2
Question: Why does Db major scale start with a second finger instead of a thumb?
Answer: Generally, we do not use thumb to play black note. The structure of the thumb makes it hard and slow to
reach for a black note. Whenever possible, use 2nd, 3rd, or 4th fingers to play black note.
D major Scale
Applying the same formula "whole whole half whole whole whole half" gives you the following:
D > E > F# > G > A > B > C# > D (Notice D major has 2 sharps; F# and C#)
I II III IV V VI VII VIII
| D |
E |
F# |
G |
A |
B |
C# |
D |
| Right Hand Fingering 1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
| Left Hand Fingering 5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Eb Major Scale
Eb > F > G > Ab > Bb > C > D > Eb (three flats for Eb major; Bb, Eb, Ab)
I II III IV V VI VII VIII
| Eb |
F |
G |
Ab |
Bb |
C |
D |
Eb |
| RH. 2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| LH. 3 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
E Major Scale
E > F# > G# > A > B > C# > D# > E (E major has 4 sharps; F# C# G# D#)
I II III IV V VI VII VIII
| E |
F# |
G# |
A |
B |
C# |
D# |
E |
| RH 1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
| LH 5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
F Major Scale
F > G > A > Bb > C > D > E > F ( F major has one flat, Bb)
I II III IV V VI VII VIII
| F |
G |
A |
Bb |
C |
D |
E |
F |
| RH 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
| LH 5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Gb Major Scale
Gb > Ab > Bb> Cb > Db > Eb > F > Gb (Gb major has 6 flats; Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb)
| Gb |
Ab |
Bb |
Cb |
Db |
Eb |
F |
Gb |
| RH 2 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| LH 4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
G Major Scale
G > A > B > C > D > E >F# > G ( G major has one sharp, F#)
I II III IV V VI VII VIII
| G |
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F# |
G |
| RH 1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
| LH 5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Ab Major Scale
Ab > Bb> C > Db> Eb> F > G > Ab (Ab major has 4 flats; Bb, Eb, Ab, Db)
I II III IV V VI VII VIII
| Ab |
Bb |
C |
Db |
Eb |
F |
G |
Ab |
| RH 2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| LH 3 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
A Major Scale
A > B > C# > D > E > F# > G# > A (A major has 3 sharps; F#, C#, G#)
I II III IV V VI VII VIII
| A |
B |
C# |
D |
E |
F# |
G# |
A |
| RH 1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
| LH 5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Bb Major Scale
| Bb |
C |
D |
Eb |
F |
G |
A |
Bb |
| RH 2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
| LH 3 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
B Major Scale
| B |
C# |
D# |
E |
F# |
G# |
A# |
B |
| RH 1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
| LH 4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Make sure to practice one major scale at a time. Since they are 12 major scales, you may devote one month of a
year to practice just one major scale. The following needs to be done when working out major scale:
1. Understand what notes belongs to that particular scale.
2. What are the key signatures (sharps or flats) of that scale.
3. What are the recommended fingering of that scale.
4. What are the I, IV, and V notes of that particular scale.
5. Once familiar with the I, IV, V notes of the scale, figure out the chords of those note.
For example: The I, IV, V notes of D major scale is D, G, and A. The respective chords are D chord (DF#A), G chord
(GBD), and A chord (AC#E). If you are having problem figuring out the what made up the chord, refer to our
previous lesson on chord structure.
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