• Nov. 13, 2006
Scales - A New Approach
Warning: If you are not 'musically inclined', you may get slightly confused while reading this. But no worries, Google unknown words to find easy definitions!
About Teaching Scales to Beginner Piano Students
When I was a beginner in piano, I was taught 'scales'. It became so that the list of 'technique' (which in the early days, was just scales) was a boring, awful, terrible thing which had to be completed every day during my practice time. Besides, by the time they began to teach me minor scales, I was as confused as a right-side-up bat! In any case, I did make it through, and make a startling discovery, but only recently. Practicing scales and other technique can be a fun activity! Simply amazing!
First, I will begin by telling you how I was taught scales:
Teacher: Okay, this is a C major scale. [plays C major scale]
Sheila: Okay... [ding ding ding...] um...
Well, I finally learned it, lucky me!
Teacher: This is a G major scale [plays G major scale]
Sheila: [Frowns] {Thinking: Major what?} [ding ding ding...]
Once again, I did muddle my way through and learn G major. I can't quite remember if I learned more major scales before proceeding to the minor key scales, but it doesn't really matter all that much. In any case, after a while, I'm not quite sure when, I got introduced to the minor scale.
Teacher: This is an A minor scale, it is related to C major because they have the same key signature! [plays A minor scale]
Sheila: {Thinking: Wait a moment, you just played a G sharp! C major doesn't have a G sharp, therefore, how can A minor have the same key signature as C major? Oh well.} [ding ding ding...]
I, while still a little confused, learned A minor with a raised G sharp, and eventually was told that this kind of minor scale was called a 'harmonic minor' scale. "Great. Why?" I learned that A minor and C major were related, I learned other minor scales, I learned the melodic minor, but nobody ever mentioned the natural minor.
Not until several years later when I started to study music theory rudiments, did I start to 'get it'. A natural minor has no sharps or flats, just like C major. So A minor had no sharps or flats in it's key signature. 'Click'. "I get it now!" I didn't fully understand it untill I started writing out the scales in harmonic, melodic, and natural minor. I saw a chart connecting the major and minor scales. The penny dropped. Why didn't it drop sooner?
If I had been introduced to the natural minor scale at the beginning, I would have been able to grasp the concept of the major and minor being 'related'. My Granny and I are 'related', but we look different, and sound different, just like the relation between C major and A minor.
I am teaching two beginner students, and this is how they are learning scales. I introduced them several months ago to 'Five-Finger-Patterns' They put, for instance, their right thumb on C, and play up to G and back down. There are five fingers on their hands, and five keys under their fingers. They don't have to try to figure out the 'thumb under' etc. of a full scale yet. Goodness, they've only been taking piano since March! What a wonderful introduction to technique. It's simple, clear, and understandable. Little children's minds are so different than ours. They work fast, but they are still learning the basic things in life. Start them early with something they understand and can grasp, and it becomes one of those basic things in life.
The students learn a Five-Finger-Pattern starting on C playing both hands seperately, and eventually, the teacher shows them how to start the Five-Finger-Pattern on G, which is the only other scale that doesn't have any sharps or flats (accidentals) in the first five notes. Very clear! Then they learn how to play them hands together, so both hands are going at the same time. It may be an easy feat for nimble hands of someone who has used them for many years, but little hands are not so coordinated yet. "It's hard because I have to play with different fingers in each hand at the same time instead of playing the same fingers in both hands!" was a complaint I got. No 'Left hand (LH) thumb and Right hand (RH) thumb', or 'LH pinky and RH pinkie', it is 'LH pinkie and RH thumb'! What a concept! Then they master it and feel proud, but not frustrated.
Now they can play Five-Finger Patterns on C and G, hands together! They learned legato in their songs, so why not play Five-Finger-Patterns legato (smoothly). Wonderful! Now they can play it legato or detatched!
Next, they will learn to play C major scale, hands seperately, legato and detatched. Then they will learn G major scale!
Me (Teacher): Listen to C major scale: [plays scale] Now listen to G major [plays G major without F sharp] can you hear the note that sounds wrong? [plays both scales again]
If they notice the missing sharp, great, if they don't, point it out. "Does that sound better?" "Yeah." (If they think that you think it sound better, they will most likely answer in the affirmative.) They then start to 'get' the idea that it sounds better with the sharp in. I'm not going to try to explain the tone/semitone order in scales yet. That would be much to confusing for them, and that's what I'm trying my best to avoid.
Asking the students if it makes sense is worthless. They don't want to be embaressed or look ignorant, so they always say yes, or "Yeah, kinda." They best thing would be to ask the students parent privately (in a private meeting, over the phone, or by email) if they have noticed they're child being confused about something, or asking them questions about something. If the parent is musical, the answer will most likely be clear: "Yes, Tommy asked me about G major and said he didn't understand why there was an F sharp in it.", but if the parent is not musical, they might only say: "I'm not sure, Tommy mentioned something about a scale being hard, though.", so in that case you have to read into the answer and cover any ground with the student that the parent might be implying with their vague response.
Eventually, after a long while, maybe only once the student starts Grade 1, it depends on their personality, you can introduce them to the minor scale. No matter about having to complete Grade one by June and having learned certain things by then, only move ahead if the student is ready to. The student will then learn an A natural minor scale. It is really that simple. No harmonic minors, melodic minors, or confusion about key signatures. That way it is incredibly easy to understand how C major and A minor are 'related'.
They will have already learned about other major scales and triads and maybe even arpeggios, and learning the most basic minor scales like A and E will come very easily. When they have mastered the natural minor scale in a few keys, and only then, the harmonic minor can be introduced as a 'Prettier sounding minor scale!' (avoid the word 'nice') Eventually melodic minor can be introduced, but wait for a while and let the rest of the scales sink in. Melodic minor sounds different going up than it does going down, so it can be introduced as a 'More interesting kind of minor scale!'.
These children will still be young, and yet will have mastered the most fundimental parts of technique, it will have become a 'basic thing in life', and because they never had the chance to get frustrated about it since their teacher took it slowly, and carefully - layer upon layer - instead of skipping ahead to things the student was not yet read for, they will be able to enjoy practicing technique, an ability I was severly lacking until just recently when I discovered the secret joys of understanding what you play.
Sheila
Comments
• Nov. 14, 2006
Scales
Posted by Mariah
I am in third grade of piano and have just recently learned about all different kinds of scales. It is always hard for me remember them because I learned them all at on time. I think this new approach of yours sounds great. It's best to start with the fundamentals. Thanks for the great post!
• Nov. 14, 2006
Piano
Posted by Maria
You sound like a great teacher Sheila!! I think it depends on the age and level of the student, but I've taken a little piano, and my teacher made me play all the major scales, but I never got to the minor ones. I did do triads though! I was in sixth grade.
