More Scale Fingering Help

by Sharon Kaplan
originally published January 2013 in the MMTA Newsletter

At the MMTA Visioning Session last August, there was a request that MMTA provide a book that has all the piano syllabus technical skills spelled out, with fingerings. And wouldn’t you know, we found someone, Elise Rieke, who is working on that and is willing to share it with us!! But working everything out and getting it all on paper takes time. Until then, here are some references that some of our committee members have found helpful.

THE FJH CLASSIC SCALE BOOKS by McArthur/McLean

FJH CLASSIC FIRST SCALE BOOK for Prep - level 2

* Major and parallel minor pentascales

* Cross-hand arpeggios
* Tonic chords (blocked and broken)
* Cadences (I-V-I, I-V(7)-I)
* Major and minor One-octave scales
* Three-note tonic chord inversions
* Cadence I IV V V7 I
* Instructional pages explaining all of the concepts covered in this book
* Quick Guide to Scale Fingering
* Practice guides
* Progress charts.

FJH CLASSIC SCALE BOOK for Level 3 - 6

* Explains concept for Major Scales

* Explains concept for Minor Scales
* One-octave major and minor scales in parallel motion in quarter notes
* Two-octave major and natural, harmonic and melodic minor scales in in parallel motion in eighths notes
* Contrary motion major and harmonic minor scales
* Triads and inversions ,block and broken
* Diminished 7th 4-note chord block
* Diminished 7th arpeggios
* Key note arpeggios.
* Cadence I IV V V7 I and inversions
* Chromatic Scale.

THE BROWN SCALE BOOK: Scales, Chords and Arpeggios for Piano Level 7- 11

This no-nonsense compendium is just the ticket as a reference source for scales and arpeggios. Every key is covered with major and minor (harmonic and melodic) scales, arpeggios, and chords. There's also a useful repertoire of practice ideas, contrary motion, third, sixths,...

THE COMPLETE BOOK OF SCALES, CHORDS, ARPEGGIOS & CADENCES

Scale, chord, arpeggio and cadence studies in all major and minor keys presented in a convenient two-page format. Includes an in-depth 12 page explanation that leads to complete understanding of the fundamentals of major and minor scales, chords, arpeggios and cadences plus a clear explanation of scale degrees and a two-page guide to fingering the scales and arpeggios. In addition, several enrichment options are provided with exercises such as harmonizing scales, accelerating scales expanding scales and much more!

Scales: Easy as 1 - 2 - 3

by Kathie Younker

Scales have suddenly become easier for me to teach because I have come across an easy way to get the fingering across to my students. Since I had learned my scales from a book and never had a teacher who taught me “tricks,” I always dreaded teaching the scales with the more unusual fingerings, until now. Now I group them into four simple fingering groups. While there is the occasional exception (for example, F major and minor in the right hand are exceptions to the 123, 1234 fingering pattern), if I teach the exception along with the rule, all goes well.

Fully half of the keys belong to Group 1 (below), while all three of the other groups are somehow related to the easiest fingering pattern, the “black key rule”, which is also explained below. A student can learn all of the major, natural minor and harmonic minor scales while only needing to learn one exception to the fingering rules (F) and one scale that appears in two different fingering groups (g# minor). The two exceptions in the melodic scales that occur in group 4 (below) are then easily applied, because the basic patterns are already learned.

GROUP 1: Left hand: 54321,321; Right hand: 123,1234.

There is ONE exception: F (Major and minor) R.H. uses 1234,123.

Keys:
Major: C,D,E,F,G,A
minor: c,d,e,f,g,a

GROUP 2: ‘Black key rule’: fingers 2 and 3 (3 and 2) go on the paired black keys, and fingers 234 (432) go on the three black keys. The thumb then goes on the appropriate white key between the black keys.

Even if a particular key doesn’t contain all of the black keys (for example, b minor), this fingering can be applied.

Keys:
Major: B, F#(Gb), C#(Db)
minor: b, bb, eb
g# natural

GROUP 3: Right hand uses the ‘black key rule;’ Left hand uses 321,4321

Keys:

Major: Bb, Eb, Ab
minor: g# harmonic, g# melodic
(G# melodic minor going down uses the ‘black key rule’ as in GROUP 2 above.)

GROUP 4: Left hand uses ‘black key rule;’ Right hand.: 34,123,12

Keys:

minor: c# and f#
Exceptions: R.H. c# and f# melodic minor going up use the ‘black key rule’ (but going down they go back to GROUP 4 fingering.)

Teaching technical skills with ease

by Sharon Kaplan

Technique – ugh, say some teachers. Ugh, say some students. But I find teaching and playing technical scales rewarding, challenging and fun, and by trying to teach creatively, many of my students are  beginning to think so, too.

The requirements in the 2010 syllabus are structured much differently from the old and are helping me in my task. This syllabus will be printed in January, 2010 and testing from it will begin in the fall of 2010. However, I have been testing out the requirements on my students now. My challenge has been to make the segue between old and new without making it confusing for my students.

Most skills will be played in major/parallel minor sequence to solidify fingerings and have a sense of key

center. At level two, C G D will be tested and at level three, A, E, F. My students learn C, G, D, A, E and F at level two. That way, they will be secure with one-octave scales and are preparing ahead for the two-octave scales at the next level. However, for the month before an exam, I prepare them using the P. E. P. P. - Piano Examination Preparatory Packet at the correct level. This is the time I “teach to the test”.

I have found that teaching two-octave scales is easiest using the rhythm eighth note followed by sixteenths . As one student said, “sitting on that tonic note gives me a second to think.” Because it is rhythmic, it is also more fun. I also “borrow” rhythms from pieces or ask kids to make up a jazzy rhythm.

At level 4, students will play a mini-grand scale instead of contrary scales: Once again, I use different rhythms if there is a problem.

Another change in the technical requirements is that diminished chords and arpeggios are introduced before the Mm7. This is because we are trying to promote facility. The dim7 chords and arpeggios are symmetric, making them easier, and they are easier for a smaller hand. The extra year of physical growth should make the Mm7 easier for students to play well. I have been requiring my students to learn both, and it has been helpful.

I do not teach only the required keys. I work in fingering groups, circle of 5ths – anything. I focus on

the required keys and required manner of playing them when we begin to seriously prepare for the
exams, but by then it becomes a job of polishing what they already know.

Here are some “fun” patterns once a student has played in all keys. They are not on the exam, but will help to secure what is needed:

·        Scales: One student calls this the marathon scale – natural minor → harmonic minor → melodic minor → major → down 2 more notes of the major scale (played slowly) to the relative minor and then begin the pattern on that key. Student will cover 1/3 of the possible scales every day.

·        Chords (works for arpeggios, too) 1. Start on any key and play this sequence, either solid or broken: Mm7 → mm7 → half dim7 → dim 7 → down to next Mm7, etc.

·        In any key, 4/4 time, play either solid, broken, or in patterns I (root and 2 inversions) → IV (root and 2 inversions) →V (root and 2 inversions) →V7 (root and 3 inversions)  ending I (root if 4 note chords, I if using 3 note chords)

 This is only a sampling of ideas for teaching the technical skills found in the 2010 syllabus.