Piano Scales...

Major and Natural Minor

Major piano scales are composed of a series of five whole and two half steps in this
sequence: whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half
step. So, basedupon this sequence a C major scale would be comprised of the
following tones: C, D, E, F, , !, ", C #octave$.
%ets refer bac& to our piano graphic and count the steps. C to D is a whole step, D to
E whole step,E to F half step #notice no blac& note between$, F to whole step, to
! whole step, ! to " whole step and we finish our C 'ajor piano scale with " to
octave C half step #again notice no blac& note between$.
%et(s tr) a few more for practice. *he D major scale would contain the scale tones of:
D, E, F+, , !, ", C+, D #octave$. D to E is a whole step, E to F+ whole step, F+ to
half step #notice we ,stepped, down from a blac& tone to a white one$, to !
whole step, ! to " whole step, " to C+ whole step, #from white &e) to blac& &e)$and
we finish the D 'ajor piano scale with C+ to octave D half step #again blac& tone to
white tone$.
-ne more,this time we will begin with F+. *he piano scale tones would be F+, +,
!+, ", C+, D+, F, F+ #octave$. !gain,this major scale follows our rules of whole
step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, and half step. "ased
upon this sequence of whole steps and half steps, )ou can now build major scales
upon an) &e) on the piano.
! music term )ou need to become familiar with is interval.!n interval is simpl) the
distance from one piano scale tone to another. So again using the C major scale, C
to D is a Second, C to E is a *hird, C to F is a Fourth, C to is a Fifth,C to ! is a
Si.th, C to " is a Seventh, and C to C is an -ctave. *his is the interval order
ascending #going up$ the piano &e)board.
/hat )ou need to do now is, b) using these rules for building scales construct the
major scales for all 01 &e)s. *o help )ou with this ,tas&, we have provided a lin& to a
cool tool which will show )ou the tones #notes$ of the major scales in all 01 &e)s.
2ust clic& on a note for e.ample ,!, and scale ,'ajor, and the notes for an ,!, major
scale will be spelled out on our ,virtual piano&e)board,.
o to major scales now and clic& on a few to see how the) loo& on the piano
&e)board. 3ou ma) have noticed on this application a multitude of scales we have
not covered. For now, the stud) of major and minor piano scales will be sufficient for
these lessons.
!fter )ou learn the notes of the scales,practice all 01 of the major scales with both
hands. !s )ou become more proficient at pla)ing, graduall) increase the tempo
#speed$ at which )ou practice )our scales. !t first )ou ma) practice each hand
individuall). "ut as soon as possible, practice using both hands simultaneousl) #at
the same time$.
4 cannot stress enough how important it is to master this part of )our piano
training.Scale #not just major scales$ passages appear in man) popular recordings.
/hen )ou practice )our scales, 4 want )ou to use the fingering technique 4 have
outlined here, scale fingering technique. *his technique wor&s with major and minor
piano scales and will help with )our finger de.terit) and control. 5ow, get to wor&
practicing those major scales6
Piano Scales-Natural Minor
! natural minor piano scale is also &nown as a relative or related minor scale. *o
find the relative minor scale of an) major scale, locate the 7th tone #note$ in a major
scale and )ou will have found it(s related minor. For e.ample, C major scale is
composed of C, D, E, F, ,!, ", C #octave$. *he 7th note of the C major scale is !.
*herefore ! minor is the relative or related minor of a C major piano scale.
*his means that both ! minor and C major are comprised of the same tones #notes$.
4f )ou start at ! #an) ! tone #note$ on the piano &e)board$ and pla) all the white
notes to octave !, )ou can count the series of whole and half steps which ma&e up a
natural minor scale. *he sequence is whole step, half step, whole step, whole step,
half step, whole step, whole step. *a&e a loo& at our piano graphic below.
! to " is a whole step, " to C is a half step #notice no blac& &e) in between$, C to D
is a whole step, D to E is a whole step, E to F is a half step #again no blac& tone
#note$ between$, F to is a whole step, and we finish the ! natural minor piano
scale with to octave ! whole step. /hat we have done is ta&en the ! major scale
and lowered #flatted$ the 8rd, 7th, and 9th tones #notes$ a half step.
5ow lets do one more this time beginning with one of the blac& piano &e)s, +:!b.
;sing our rules for forming natural minor scales and beginning on +:!b we have
the tones #notes$< +:!b, !+:"b, ", C+:Db, D+:Eb, E, F+:b, and +:!b #octave$.
+:!b to !+:"b is a whole step, !+:"b to " is a half step #notice )ou went from a
blac& &e) to the white &e) immediatel) adjacent which is a "$, " to C+:Db is a whole
step #remember " to C is a half step because the two tones #notes$ are immediatel)
adjacent to each other$, C+:Db to D+:Eb is a whole step, D+:Eb to E is a half step
#again )ou move from a blac& &e) to the white &e) immediatel) adjacent to D+:Eb
which is an E$, E to F+:b is a whole step, and we finish the +:!b natural minor
piano scale with F+:b to octave +:!b whole step.
") using these rules )ou can now construct a natural minor scale from an) point
#&e)$ on the piano &e)board. 4f )ou would li&e to see the natural minor scales in all
01 &e)s clic& on minor scales and )ou will be transported to our ,virtual piano
&e)board,. 2ust pic& a &e) #C, D, F+:b, etc$ and clic& !eolian #refer to our section
on ,'odes,$ and the notes for a natural minor scale will appear on the &e)board.
=ractice these piano scales with both hands until )ou can move smoothl) #not
necessaril) quic&l)$ from beginning to end and bac& again in all 01 &e)s. /hen )ou
practice )our scales, 4 want )ou to use the fingering technique 4 have outlined here,
scale fingering technique. *his technique wor&s with major and minor piano
scalesand will help with )our finger de.terit) and control. So get to it and practice
those natural minor scales6