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Many piano students find themselves frustrated and confused when practicing scales, especially when it comes to understanding piano scale fingerings. In today’s Quick Tip, The Ultimate Scale Exercise, Jonny May helps piano students understand how scale fingerings for various different piano scales are actually related. You’ll learn:

• Intro to the Ultimate Scale Exercise
  • Why are piano scale exercises important?
  • Why do some piano students avoid scale exercises?
• Understanding Piano Scale Fingerings
  • Step 1: Learn the 4 “C” Blocks
  • Step 2: Learn the 5 “F” Blocks
  • Step 3: Put the “C” & “F” Blocks Together
  • Step 4: Learn the 2 “B” Blocks
  • Step 5: Learn the 4 “E” Blocks
  • Step 6: Put the “B” & “E” Blocks Together

Intro to the Ultimate Scale Exercise

Today’s lesson is designed to help piano students of all ages experience a breakthrough when it comes to practicing scales. If you are a beginner, or even if you are a more experienced piano student, you will likely find today’s lesson interesting and insightful. That’s because today’s lesson offers a unique approach on how to think about piano scale fingerings.

Of course, we’ll talk all about nitty-gritty details concerning sharps and flats and specific fingerings. However, before we begin, it’s important for you to acknowledge how you feel overall about practicing scale exercises. Do you look forward to them like your favorite snack, or are you more likely to shun and shy away from them?

Becoming cognizant of your own feelings about scale practice is important because negative emotions surrounding the subject are one of the biggest barriers that students must commonly overcome. To that end, let’s examine some benefits that come from practicing scales consistently and also some potential reasons why you may have not yet developed this habit.

Why are piano scale exercises important?

Piano scale exercises have many benefits for students of all levels. Scale exercises are especially important for beginner students in the development of proper piano fingering habits and quality tone production. With consistent practice, scale exercises help pianists improve their speed, strength, control and musical expression.

Why do some piano students avoid scale exercises?

Despite all the benefits that scale exercises offer, many piano students still avoid practicing scales for reasons that may include:

• Confusion about scale fingerings
• Difficulty crossing over or under the thumb
• Trouble with key signatures
• Overwhelmed by so many different scales

If you can identify with any of these negative emotions, then this lesson is especially for you. In fact, our aim is to ease these frustrations for you so that you can experience all of those benefits described earlier!

If you are a PWJ member, be sure to download the lesson sheet PDF which appears at the bottom of this page after logging in with your membership.

Understanding Piano Scale Fingerings

Most traditional scale exercises typically begin and end on the tonic note of the key. In other words, we generally expect a C major exercise to begin on C, an F major exercise to begin on F, a B♭ major exercise to begin on B♭, and so on. Exercises arranged in this manner possess a simple and straightforward melodic sensibility that conforms to centuries of harmonic norms and expectations. However, for the pianist, these sorts of exercises often require different scale fingerings in each key. As a result, piano students can become confused, frustrated and even disillusioned about whether or not piano scale fingerings are based on any logic at all!

Allow us to introduce the Fixed-Finger Piano Scale Exercise…a unique workout designed to help piano students comprehend the logic behind conventional piano scale fingerings. Unfortunately, there is not one “universal fingering” that works for every piano scale. However, piano scale fingerings are based on anatomical considerations that result in some commonly reoccurring patterns. For the sake of simplicity, we’ve limited the scope of this lesson to the right hand only. That’s because a pianist’s right hand is most often used for melodies and improvisation. However, once you grasp these fingering principles, you can easily apply them to the left hand as well.

One scale fingering principle that commonly occurs in right hand scales is that the thumb most often plays the notes C and F. This is because the thumb is too short for use on the black keys when playing scalar passages. Attempting to do so would be awkward and clumsy. Therefore, our first Fixed-Finger Scale Exercise takes a closer look at the specific major scale fragments that the thumb can play when fixed on the notes C and F.

Step 1: Learn the 4 “C” Blocks

The first step to playing the Fixed-Finger Scale Exercise is to learn the four “C” blocks. These are major scale fragments in which the right thumb plays the note C. The image below shows these four scale fragments and the corresponding major scales from which they are drawn.

Now that we have identified the four “C” blocks, let’s place them into a harmonic context. To do so, we’ll match the scale blocks in the right hand with the tonic note of each potential parent key in the left hand. Note, this is more of a cognitive exercise than an aural exercise. Our purpose is to envision each scale fragment within its native major key. However, since we’re only playing fragments at this point, the aural picture will remain somewhat opaque and incomplete.

“C” Block Scale Exercise

This exercise illustrates the fact that a simple scale fragment can occur in more than one major key. For example, C major and F major use the fragment C→D→E. Similarly, E♭ major and B♭ major use the fragment C→D→E♭. Likewise, D♭ major and A♭ major use the fragment C→D♭→E♭. In each case, the right-hand fingering for these fragments is 1→2→3, regardless whether it occurs at the beginner of the scale, the end of the scale or somewhere in between. However, the fragment C→D→E→F♯ is unique to G major (as far as major scales are concerned). This fragment is fingered 1→2→3→4.

So far, we’ve played fragments of seven different major scales with the thumb on C. In Step 2, you’ll learn the complimentary scale fragments of these same seven scales…this time with the thumb on F.

Step 2: Learn the 5 “F” Blocks

The second step to playing the Fixed-Finger Scale Exercise is to learn the five “F” blocks. These are major scale fragments in which the right thumb plays the note F. The image below shows these five blocks and the corresponding major scales from which they are drawn.

(Note, the key of G major contains an F♯, not an F♮. However, we’ve grouped the fragment F♯→G→A→B along with the “F” blocks so as to be able to complete all of the major scales from Step 1. Use the fingering 4→1→2→3 as shown to play F♯→G→A→B.)

Now, let’s place each of these “F” blocks into their respective harmonic contexts. To do so, we’ll match the scale fragments in the right hand with the tonic note of each potential parent key in the left hand.

“F” Block Scale Exercise

Once again, you should notice that some blocks are reused. For example, the fragment F→G→A→B♭ occurs in F major and B♭ major. Similarly, the fragment F→G→A♭→B♭ shows up in E♭ major and A♭ major.

In the next step, we’ll combine Steps 1 and 2 to play seven unique major scales.

Step 3: Put the “C” & “F” Blocks Together

Alright, Step 3 is where things really start to get interesting. Now, we’ll combine blocks from Step 1 and Step 2 to play complete 7-note major scales. This step is sort of like being in a dressing room and trying on different tops (Step 2) with different bottoms (Step 1). However, we’ll maintain our fixed-finger approach. In other words, we won’t begin each scale on its tonic note. Instead, we’ll continue to play each scale starting on the note C. This will allow us to more easily observer similarities in the piano scale fingerings. (Note, an upper neighbor note has been added at the end of each scale in order to create a scale exercise with continuous 8th notes.)

The “C” Fixed-Finger Scale Exercise

If you’ve been studying music for a while, then you know that there are twelve major scales. However, we’ve only played seven major scales so far—how come? The answer is that for the remaining five major scales, our right thumb will land on the notes B and E rather than C and F. Therefore, we’ll need to learn additional “B” blocks and “E” blocks.

Step 4: Learn the 2 “B” Blocks

The image below shows two “B” blocks and the major scales from which they are drawn. These are major scale fragments in which the right thumb plays the note B.

(Note: If you are already familiar with traditional right-hand major scale fingerings, then you’ll notice that this section features some alternative fingerings. This has been done is intentionally and will be addressed later in this lesson.)

The next step is to place each of these “B” blocks into their respective harmonic contexts. To do so, we’ll match the scale fragments in the right hand with the tonic note of each potential parent key in the left hand.

“B” Block Scale Exercise

Here, we see that the fragment B→C♯→D♯ appears in three major scales: B major, E major and F♯ major. In addition, B→C♯→D occurs in two major scales: D major and A major.

Now let’s continue to Step 4 in which you’ll learn the complimentary scale fragments for these same five scales…this time with the thumb on E.

Step 5: Learn the 4 “E” Blocks

The image below shows four “E” blocks and the major scales from which they are drawn. These are major scale fragments in which the right thumb plays the note E. (However, in the rightmost example, our thumb technically plays an E♯. In fact, this block is enharmonically identical to “F” block 4 in Step 2.)

Now, let’s place each of these “E” blocks into their respective harmonic contexts. To do so, we’ll match the scale fragments in the right hand with the tonic note of each potential parent key in the left hand.

“E” Block Scale Exercise

Alright, you’re ready to continue to Step 6 where you’ll combine the “B” blocks and “E” blocks to play a “B” Fixed-Finger Scale Exercise.

Step 6: Put the “B” & “E” Blocks Together

For the final step in today’s lesson, we’ll play a “B” Fixed-Finger Scale Exercise. This exercise contains 5 major scales: B major, D major, E major, F♯ major and A major. Just like in Step 3, we won’t begin each scale on its tonic note. Instead, we’ll play each scale starting on the note B. This will allow us to more easily spot similarities in the piano scale fingerings. Once again, an upper neighbor note has been added at the end of each scale in order to create a continuous exercise.

The “B” Fixed-Finger Scale Exercise

Earlier, we mentioned that some of these fingerings depart from traditional piano scale fingerings. In particular, the fingerings shown above for D major, E major and A major represent alternative scale fingerings. This has been done intentionally so that we can play all twelve major scales using just two fixed-finger exercises. Moreover, the experience of playing with alternative scale fingerings is beneficial for improvisers, since improv frequently requires spontaneous fingering choices. Nonetheless, you can learn all the traditional major scale fingerings in our Beginner Foundations Learning Tracks (Levels 1–3).

Additional Scale Exercise Possibilities

The exercises we’ve examined in today’s lesson have been limited to major scales. However, you could also construct many other piano scales using the same building blocks we’ve already explored. Here are a few examples:

• C Harmonic Minor Scale = “C” Block 2 + “F” Block 3
• C Melodic Minor Scale = “C” Block 2 + “F” Block 1
• C Mixolydian Scale = “C” Block 1 + “F” Block 2
• C Altered Scale = “C” Block 3 + “E” Block 1

It should be noted some scale types would require additional block configurations. For example, the harmonic minor scale cannot be formed solely from the blocks we’ve studied in this lesson. That’s because the harmonic minor scale contains the interval of an augmented 2nd, which is not found in any of our scale fragments. Therefore, a C harmonic minor scale would require a new “F” block containing the notes F→G→A♭→B♮.

Conclusion

Congratulations, you’ve completed today’s lesson on The Ultimate Scale Exercise. With the experience that you’ve gained in this lesson, you’ll now be able to easily identify an effective piano scale fingering for just about any scale that can be conceived!

If you enjoyed today’s lesson, then you’ll love the following PWJ resources:

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