Scales are very important to learn because they
are the building blocks of music. There are many different kinds of
scales. This lesson will only deal with the most common type of scales
which are the MAJOR SCALES and the MINOR SCALES. Odd fingering numbers for
scales will be notated in RED letters. There
is no one specific right way to do the odd fingerings that you see in some of
the scales. Different method books teach different fingerings. I
wrote the fingerings that I like to use for a one octave scale. When you
start playing 2 and 3 octave scales then you have to modify the fingerings.
This lesson is designed for beginners and will only show you the basic one
octave scale. The main thing to memorize when working with scales are the
notes that make up the scales. Scales are the basis of understanding key
signatures. I double checked the fingering numbers below, and I think
there are no typographical errors. But, it is really, really easy to put
in a typographical error when you are assigning fingering numbers. But, at
least I can say that after double checking, I feel that 99 percent of them are
correct. Sometimes you just don't see the error, no matter how many times
you look. If you do not know the fingering numbers for your fingers, I
will review it with you right quick: Thumbs are 1; index fingers are 2;
middle fingers are 3; ring fingers are 4; little fingers are 5.
The ascending right hand fingering for Db major
scale is: 2-3-1-2-3-4-1-2
The ascending left hand fingering for a Db major scale is:
3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3
CADENCE PRACTICE
To be proficient at the piano and to be able to
play a song in any key that you want, you have to know the cadences. I am
going to give you one of many cadences. This cadence plays the I - IV - I
- V. You start out with the I in the root position. Then you play
the IV chord in the 2nd inverted position, then you go back to the I chord in
the root position, then next play the V chord in the 1st inverted position, then
finish the cadence with the I chord in the root position. This is the
first cadence that every piano student learns, before going on to the other
cadences. For example, you could start the cadence out with the I chord in
the 1st or the 2nd inverted position. Also, in some cadence studies you
play the V7 chord instead of just the V chord. Anyhow, it is not difficult
to memorize the other cadence systems once you learn the one I am presenting
here, because they are so similar. The key thing is to be able to play any
chord in the root, 1st inverted position, and the 2nd inverted position, if you
can do that, then learning all the various cadences is quite easy.
Learning how to play the cadences really gives you great insight into key
signatures and into transposing. If you go back and analyze the left hand
part to some of the scale exercises, you will see where I used a key signature
chord cadence to support the scale.
WATCH ME DEMONSTRATE THIS C
CHORD CADENCE
FOR BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT HANDS
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