Major Scale Exercise
In the previous lesson i gave you an assignment to write down the tone names of some major scales. Now, i’m going to show you the correct answers and while i’m displaying the spreadsheet feel free to pause the video and check whether you got them right or wrong. If you have any errors make sure you understand them and correct them. If necessary, refer to the previous lesson if you have any doubts. So here are your answers:
Now, what happens if we want to create an F# major scale? Let’s see, we have F#, G#, A#, B, C#, D#, E# now visually this key is an F, right? But in the F# major scale this tone must be spelled E# rather than F because the next tone will be F# we can’t have two F’s one after the other. And after the tone D# must follow some kind of E, right? So that’s why we must spell correctly. And finally we came to F# again.
Now, with this in mind i want you to create a C# major scale for me. Pause the video, figure out the tones and then i will give you the answers…….ok, now these are your correct spellings for C# major: C#, D#, E#, F#, G#, A#, B#, C#. So everything sharp. And this scale is the one with the most sharps in it.
Ok, now last assignment. I want you to figure out the spellings of the Gb major scale. Pause the video, write down the spellings and now i’m going to give you the answers. Ok, the correct spellings are Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb.
Congratulations, you have just mastered all of the major scales in the world.
Now, after you’ve understood what are the black keys used for it’s time for us to implement them in our playing exercises. I’m going to give you the first exercise which will contain one black key which is F#, and the scale which contains only F# is…. which one? G major. Also, this is the first exercise which will help you separate your left hand from your right hand.
First i’m going to give you the right hand melody separately. Master the right hand first and then i’ll give you the left hand melody which you will also practice separately. After you master them separately we will play the exercise with both hands simultaneously.
Ok, so we’ll start from the tone G with the same principles, thumb over the middle finger and now the seventh tone will be F#, now G, going down F#, middle finger over thumb now index finger over thumb and we play the scale from E now, F#, thumb over middle finger to the E, now down, middle finger over thumb, thumb over index finger and we came back to the G. This is without interruption:
Now, the left hand will go like this. We’ll start with the pinky on the tone G, thumb on D, middle finger on B, D again. Repeat four times this. Now the same only the thumb will play E instead of D. Same 4 times. Now without interruption:
Now simultaneously with both hands.
And this concludes our seventh piano lesson for today. Make sure you master this exercise i gave you. If it’s difficult for you to play it with both hands try it at really slow tempo and then add up more and more tempo until you can play it flawlessly.