Making Scale Practice Creative and Fun: Jazz Chords & More

Welcome to Day 16 of the Piano Scales Challenge! Today we’re diving into B-Flat Minor with a focus on making your practice more creative and fun. From harmonic and melodic modes to jazz-inspired chords and exciting arpeggio variations, this session is packed with tips to break the monotony and elevate your skills. Whether it’s exploring triplets, working on double octaves, or experimenting with 7th chords, there’s something here to inspire your practice. Let’s jazz it up and transform your scales into something exciting!
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00:11 Outline for today
00:30 Getting familiar with B-Flat Minor
00:45 B-Flat Minor Harmonic and Melodic modes explained
01:56 Melodic mode exercise (with contrary motion)
03:28 Triplets exercise
03:47 Harmonic Scale in 6ths (slow vs fast practice)
05:33 Left hand thumb exercise
06:06 Practice playing relaxed (chords)
06:54 Broken chords exercise
07:12 Make practicing arpeggios more exciting (inversions, hand unity, wrist rotation, playing in 10ths and 6ths)
10:08 Jazz chords explained
10:16 B-Flat Minor 7th chord (arpeggios, broken chord)
11:30 B-Flat Major 7th chord
12:31 B-Flat Dominant 7th chord (broken arpeggios)
13:31 Diminished chord from B-Flat
13:52 Double octaves (technique advice)
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[@PianoBuffs]

Who's gonna guess the piece at the beginning? 🎶 Let me know your thoughts or your favorite way to practice in the comments, and don’t forget to leave a like to help more people discover this challenge! 😊

[@PianoBuffs]

Here are the timestamps: 00:11 Outline for today 00:30 Getting familiar with B-Flat Minor 00:45 B-Flat Minor Harmonic and Melodic modes explained 01:56 Melodic mode exercise (with contrary motion) 03:28 Triplets exercise 03:47 Harmonic Scale in 6ths (slow vs fast practice) 05:33 Left hand thumb exercise 06:06 Practice playing relaxed (chords) 06:54 Broken chords exercise 07:12 Make practicing arpeggios more exciting (inversions, hand unity, wrist rotation, playing in 10ths and 6ths) 10:08 Jazz chords explained 10:16 B-Flat Minor 7th chord (arpeggios, broken chord) 11:30 B-Flat Major 7th chord 12:31 B-Flat Dominant 7th chord (broken arpeggios) 13:31 Diminished chord from B-Flat 13:52 Double octaves (technique advice)

[@UltraLeetJ]

for some reason, both harm. minor and melodic minor are easier for me descending. Jazz pianist here, wish I knew the piece at the start of the video. Wonderful technique recomendations and playing in 6ths is fabulous. Thanks!

[@PianoBuffs]

Thanks for your input! For me most of the stuff is easier when the wrist rotates towards inside , so for scales that would be RH descending, but LH ascending. It's kinda like clenching your fingers into a fist - try clenching with your pinky being the first one to touch the palm, and then the other way around - with your index finger touching the palm first. Which one feels more natural? For me it's 'starting' with pinky for both hands! Let me know if that makes sense.

[@PianoBuffs]

Btw the piece is Rachmaninoff's epic 2nd Sonata in B-Flat Minor, op. 36 :)

[@thelastcell]

Guitarist here who just occasionally plays piano - how do you even think when you're playing stuff like this? Every note by name, or is it a visual thing? Like at 05:05 - I'd have to split my brain to follow both hands moving in opposite directions. :D Impressive stuff!

[@PianoBuffs]

I guess in a way you do indeed have to "split your brain" :D But I think most of it is simply muscle memory - you learn to "automate" separate hands first, and then combine them very slowly, gradually increasing the tempo. There are multiple layers of how it then gets more complicated, like playing different rhythm patterns in separate hands, playing with different dynamics or articulation. The end-game, especially in performing virtuoso repertoire, is mostly thinking in "ideas", like each hand is telling of a separate story, depicting a character. Otherwise there's really no chance you'd be able to look at sheet music or think of every note by name!