Learn How to Play Piano Scales

(Scroll down to see the full list of lessons in this section)

Piano scales allow your hands to gain practice while teaching your brain which note belongs to which key. Practicing these scales will be necessary in order to imprint these locations into your brain. Pathways are created between your mind and the nerves and muscles of your hands.

Many students become overwhelmed with the amount of practice necessary in learning the piano, however it is absolutely necessary to routinely practice in order to learn piano.

Repeating scales should not be considered as simply an exercise for your hands and should always be taken seriously. Concentration is necessary while practicing your scales, distractions will prevent you from receiving the most of your time. Leaning scales is a two-step process: first you must learn scales using only one hand, followed by the use of both hands.

A musical scale is a series of notes composed of different pitches delivered in a specific manner. While learning the piano, you will encounter both major and minor scale. They are variations of the diatonic scale, which is constructed with intervals of 5 whole steps and 2 half steps. The major scale is constructed as followed:

whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half

The scale is built of eight notes, the first 7 notes are distinct and complimentary and the eight is a repetition of the first note. The minor scale is slightly more complicated, made up of three scale degrees: tonic, minor third and perfect-fifth. The minor scale is:

whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole

You will quickly notice key differences between both scales including the position of the 3rd and 6th notes, their different moods and location of intervals.

There are many advantages in practicing piano scales. As previously mentioned, they will aid in remembering the location of each key by creating pathways from your hands to your head. They are also beneficial in the development of dexterity and technique.

Practicing both scales will improve your timing and hearing skills when playing piano songs. You must engage your mind while practicing scales by not allowing yourself to practice scales mindlessly. If you focus and apply some work hard, you will reap the benefits.

One of the key elements of piano scales is fingering. It is important to become comfortable with your piano in order to deliver smooth melodies and rhythms. Your decision concerning which finger to use for each note is a personal decision.

You will find advised positioning while learning the basics. These suggestions tend to be the most comfortable. It is important to find the right fingering for you as this will allow you to play both rapidly and evenly.

Once you are ready to dedicate your time and effort to the practice of scales, you must find an instructional book or website. These educational formats will teach you theories of scales, proper techniques and hand positioning.

By learning and memorizing your scales you will create the building block of piano music as they are the foundation of any musical piece. If you are capable of playing scales perfectly, you will be playing piano beautifully in no time.

List of Piano Scales Lessons:

1. Learn Major Scales on Piano
   
   The major scale is the most fundamental basics that you need to learn. Almost all the songs in popular media today are derived of it
2. Natural Minor Scales on Piano
   
   The major and minor scales are built similarly but they do have some distinct aspects to them. With 12 different notes on the keyboard, there are 12 possible scales that could be possible.
3. Melodic Minor Scales on Piano
   
   The melodic minor scales are actually variations of the natural minor scales. Depending on the key of music you are in, the melodic minor raises the 6th and 7th notes by a semi-tone.
4. Harmonic Minor Scales on Piano
   
   The harmonic minor scale is another variation of the natural minor scale. Unlike the melodic minor, the seventh tone of is raised by a semi-tone for both ascending and descending playing.
5. Beginner Piano Improvisation Lessons
   
   Most piano players that I personally know actually have no clue on improvising when it comes to playing. Did you know that with some practice, you can actually play impromptu in front of audiences?
6. Exercises To Help You Master The Major Scales
   
   The major scales are a great practice tool with tons of variations on the exercises that you can do with it. Let's explore some of these exercises to help you get familiarized with them.
7. Piano Scale & Chord Fingering
   
   Do you want to play with speed and accuracy? The first thing that helps you achieve that is to get good fingering tips and advice on your form.
8. Harmonizing the Minor Scales
   
   If you want to go in-depth into learning the scales, harmonizing is a great way to create unique tones and also get you applying the theory into practical applications in music.