Piano Q&A: Your Scales Questions, Answered

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

I learned all the scales fairly quickly, but realized that I was lacking in other areas. I really thought you discussion of playing for a year before becoming a beginner was great advice. I'm now happy to slow down, smell the proverbial roses and really learn the basics well.

[@nikospap8470]

Hi pianoTV, I am a 48 years old amateur flutist and tenor saxophonist and recently my little daughter 7 started taking piano lessons and i play some of her exercises alonside or at least i try to and see how far it can go. We find your videos enlightening and took so many good ideas off them to overcome pitfals of the instrument we have encountered up to this albeit early point. Congrats and keep it up!

[@mugflub]

Such a great video with great info. You deserve more views and subscriptions!

[@alec2247]

love the video thank you!

[@ItadakiTontaro]

This is funny because as an adult begginer i litterally started with scales and i love knowing them. I have studied intervals through them ie making a c manor an A major etc. I like to play as many scales as I can each day or at least when I am feeling it. It also helps me learning early as i have realised how scales relate to freestyling. Still a ton of work to do this is still my first year piano/theory.

[@RoxiTube1]

Thank you 🤗 so much for answering my question 😎😊😉! I shall take note and start learning my scales.

[@bSharpHacker]

My first teacher had me start with 5 finger scales (similar to what was mentioned in the video, moving along the Circle of 5ths). I put the notes together in Noteflight which is pretty easy to use. I was taught to make sure each note is pressed firmly and evenly. Try to keep your fingers on the keys, not sicking up in the air. For the chord at the end, be sure all 3 notes play at the same time -> www.noteflight.com/scores/view/e111c3b1de6989a56c56c9358ac1b2399a4d7cc6

[@GarryBurgess]

Scales can be a tool for me to procrastinate starting to work on my piece. Now I can throw in some 5 finger scales to delay a few minutes more.

[@ezandman6804]

I am into Hanon. Learning all "basic" 36 scales. Insane

[@Leandrewz0r]

Hello, Allysia. I'm teaching piano but I don't have that much experience with long term teaching. I teach music theory in a music school, which is quite easy because I have a fixed job and I am suposed to be boring, but I have a piano student of my own, which is an adolescent 13 years old. At the beggining I tried to approaching the very basics at the slow pace that it must be done, but that boy does not get motivated to study this "boring things" and didn't study at all, but every time I showed him a "cool thing" he spent time practicing. Right now I'm teaching him für elise even though I know it is beyond his current level and that is the only way I find to keep him motivated. If I try to get him to play scales, exercises or study things, I know he won't, but I also know that teaching things that are beyond his current level is wrong, but it is the only way I can get him to play. I always try to squeeze that "boring stuff", but it usually end up me reading things with him and teaching things on the spot, he never did "homework" and I don't hope him to. I tried to get him to play the g major minuet by Bach but that is too "boring" for him, specially because it is way harder than it sounds. Did you have students that behave like this? What did you do? What pieces did you teach? EDIT: I'm in music university right now geting what should be the "major" in your country and teaching is a good way for me to acquire currency, it helps me a lot to get through my financial issues.

[@Dickens20]

I recommend you stop kowtowing to the kid and let him know that the "homework" you assign is required to be done, just like homework assigned at school. If he doesn't want to do the work required, dump him. You are only teaching him to be a lazy boy by giving him only the nice things to work on (like Fur Elise), and letting him bypass the real work require to play piano. The world is so full of lazy people who want something for nothing. Get with it there, teacher, and teach!

[@jslonisch]

Interesting. I had never heard of 5 finger scales before.

[@sdka9922]

There are 30 scale major and Harm Minor, of which 6 are duplicate, so 24 different. Of those 10 have exactly the same fingering. 2 additional are really close (B major and B minor) and other 2 are also really close (F Major and F minor). So we are left with 10 which are more difficult to learn as they require a different fingering (though with some similarities).

[@ezandman6804]

30? I thought 36 (12major, 12minor harmonic, 12minor melodic). Have I missed something?

[@Dickens20]

Thank you for answering so many questions I had about learning scales. I really enjoy learning them, seeing how fast I can go without making a mistake! I practice them over two octaves, both hands together (parallel motion), forward and backwards, as well as contrary motion, just to really challenge (or fry) my brain!

[@Showbiz092]

I was sad because I couln't play the G mayor scale at two octaves after learning the C mayor scale and I just started it last week lol. So thank you! your video really makes me feel better.

[@julioatrejo7687]

Felipe Silva oh nice ive started learning two octave scales this month.

[@Showbiz092]

Oh nice! I strongly recommend you this pdf: ia801404.us.archive.org/25/items/pdfy-QFjQChOFF0dsYVPr/57083652-Alfred-s-Basic-Piano-Library-The-Complete-Book-of-Scales-Chords-Arpeggios-Cadences.pdf

[@julioatrejo7687]

Oh thank you so much, i think this will definitely help!

[@redstonewarriorplays1356]

Hello You might remember me from yesterday but im going to try some of your stuff.

[@max1492a]

this was very helpful. thank you so much

[@charleslaine]

I have a question about keeping the hands in sync when playing scales. When I try to go faster, say... 16th notes at 90bpm, My hands go out of sync, and it sounds like noise. I have many scales memorized and locked in to muscle memory, so I don't have to "think" about it. But my finger dexterity is just underdeveloped and I can't keep the middle fingers in sync. The delays between finger 3 and finger 4 are different than between 3 and 2, I guess because my fingers are just not in good shape. So... my question is, do you have any suggestions for how to go about improving this? Is it just a matter of time and repetition? As in, find the speed that I can play reasonably cleanly and do that for a while, then bump up the clock in very small increments, week by week? Or, is there some other more specific exercise one can do to improve finger speed. I've also recently taken up a daily routine of doing Hanon with a metronome and keeping daily records of my speeds. It's currently not good though! My left hand gets tired very quickly and basically it seizes up due to muscle cramping. I have to lower the speeds quite a bit in order to prevent this. But I'm thinking that through daily continued effort, things will begin to improve.

[@lupahole]

I have exactly the same question. Did it fix with time spent on manageable tempo's?

[@carmeniorga6144]

thanks. very good

[@notefunctioncollapse]

Wouldn't you think that the best scale to start with is B major? It's the one that really fits the hand, which would make the thumb passing more natural to assimilate correctly. Even with it's 5 sharps, it's easy to memorize.

[@sdka9922]

Given that you'll need to know all the scales anyway, the choice of the first scale is more subject to other criteria; namely that most easy pieces are written with few sharps and flats and therefore it makes sense to start learning the scales that match the pieces you play. In addition the B major uses a slight variation on the standard fingering. Starting with the standard fingering allows to learn most basic keys such as C, G, D, A, E Major and A, E, D, G, C Minor without having to learn different fingering. The next easy ones are indeed B Major and Minor and F major and Minor which uses each the same fingering.

[@notefunctioncollapse]

K S I'm sorry but I don't see where the fingering (thumb passing and all) differs from C major, D major, etc. to B major. It's exactly the same, with the advantage that the thumb is always in a white key whereas the rest (2, 3, 4) are in the blacks, so the thumb passing is easier. Having a good feeling for technique is also very important for beginners. Also, how many (even some of us pianist) started with C major, then G major, and a few steps later we got overwhelmed or just bored of scales and never take them seriously again. If we start with 5 sharps we kind of dismistify those scales with many alterations and they won't be as scary later on. Anyway, that's another small point, but the fingering thing is more clear, so think about it, B major is made for the beginner hand. Way easier to play evenly than C major for sure. Also, read the book "The art of piano playing" by Neuhaus.

[@sdka9922]

The fingering is different, because you start left hand B on 4th finger and first turn is also on the 4th finger when standard fingering is first turn on the 3rd finger. It is not a question of being bored. You have to learn all the scales anyway, eventually. Some scales are somehow slightly easier to play than others but nonetheless the whole point is to help you play the pieces and reason why everybody starts with C and G is because most beginners pieces are written with few incidentals and are much easier to play those that have several sharps or flats. It does not make much sense to learn a scale just for the sake of learning it, but for using it to play.

[@ezandman6804]

Must agree with you K S ! Bmajor has different fingering as C. Still Fernando has a point about the 'dimistifycation' and the easy feel to the hands with the Bmajor. Me myself, I am working on the Bb major scale right now and it SUCKS! hahaha Bmajor and Cmajor are still 'fun' , 'fun' is over when working on Bb major and the horrifying scales which still have to come.... .....must learn all 36 ! Greets

[@TheGavranatar]

Start with the first on the circle of 5ths, and work round. (Therefore start on C)

[@filharmonix]

And what's your view on scales in contrary motion?

[@mikecipriani7495]

I use Alfred's Complete Book of Scales.

[@vegknitter]

May I ask why you leave it so long before moving into one or two octave scales?

[@vramsaran]

Should you learn thoroughly the scale on which you are practicing your piano recital piece?

[@filharmonix]

Why is it important to learn scales?

[@gtothedizzle]

I have a question. Why do my cats follow me into the bathroom?

[@Dickens20]

Hello Allysia: As a second year student of piano, what do I need to know about the Circle of Fifths? I don't understand what it is, or what it is used for. Maybe you can do a video on the subject?

[@jslonisch]

Michael New has a really good simple and basic video on the circle of fifths. Link here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmLEe2l-nt2Gm5I

[@sdka9922]

The circle of Fifths is just one piece of music theory. You do need to acquire elements of music theory in parallel with learning the piano. At some point, passed the really easy pieces of music, if you do not master the rules of harmony and voice leading it will more and more difficult to understand how the pieces are composed. I would advise to avoid the You Tube video at the beginning as they tend to focus on specific topics and to start with the basics with a solid book on the subject or ask your teacher.

[@jslonisch]

I’d actually recommend doing both. The videos of top KZbin educators like Rick Beato, Adam Neely and Michael New are full of comments like “that’s fantastic, my teacher never explained that”. And that’s because music theory from traditional books and teachers is still taught really, really badly, like something out of the 1930s where the teacher says “just learn this” with minimal explanation or understanding.

[@julioatrejo7687]

Can you do an analysis/video on Liszt's Transcendental 12 Études.

[@julioatrejo7687]

charlie cowan thanks

[@SantaRosaGal]

I don't see the logic of learning five finger patterns. To me it seems better to learn a few complete scales than a lot of five finger patterns. Then the scale relates to the key signature, and makes more sense. I have been going through the method books and don't learn a new scale until it is taught in the method book, along with learning songs in that key. This also makes more sense to me than learning scales (or five finger patterns) without learning songs in those key signatures at the same time. I practice only the scales that have been covered in the books so far.

[@rodgermyles2871]

Whilst the presentation is pleasant I find there is no real content for it's length. I would certainly have thought learning scales would come with some mention if theory like the Circle Of Fourths/Fifths.

[@gtothedizzle]

I have a question. Why don't I feel God's love?

[@yannisconstantinides7767]

Hi there. Great channel you've got here. Happy to subscribe. Please change your user icon though; it's freaking creepy.