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major scales

Whether you already play piano or want to learn, I’m glad you stumbled across this page. It means there’s one more person out there looking for a better way to add music to his or her life, or perhaps to improve on an already established skill set.

Either way, welcome. The good new is, I’ve got helpful advice for any level you may be at. I invite you to discover your potential and take the necessary steps to reach your goals.

Click Here For More Helpful Tips On How To Play Piano Regardless What Skill Level You Have!

Beginners Play Piano, Don’t Be Shy

If your idea of a scale is something in your bathroom that seems to know you like donuts, you’re definitely among the beginners. But seriously, if you know only a handful of basic chords, a song or two, or you have never touched a keyboard, you will want to learn the basics.

I recommend you take a course in introductory musical theory. You’ll want to learn the names of the notes, practice the scales, begin to put together chords, and embrace the art of repetition. That’s right, the key to picking up on the basics is to imprint them into your psyche, increase your dexterity, train your hands to make those stretches they’re not used to making, and find the connection between mind and body that will enable you to play naturally.

At the beginner level, students should have the patience to put off learning actual songs or

performance styles in favor of getting comfortable learning chords, fingering, etc. The good news is, with the right training, you can pass through the beginner level relatively quickly. Of course, the right training is, at best, half the equation. Your ability to master the above skills will depend on your determination to practice every day. Just like physical training, by going through the correct motions a little each day, you can accomplish much more than inconsistent practice every so often.

How you decide to learn is up to your preferred method of absorbing new information. Some people are visual learners, others are aural. What this means to you is, you might need to learn to play with the aid of sheet music (visual) or by listening to someone play a note or chord and you copy them (aural). The latter method is also known as playing by ear. Most websites that promote piano lessons offer a sample of their training style so you can try before you buy. It’s a good idea to try both so you can get started in the right direction and not waste time learning in a way that’s against your learning style.

When Intermediates Play Piano

By this point in your piano education, you should know all the scales, the popular chord styles, and be able to perform with confidence. This isn’t to say you should be a virtuoso. At the intermediate level, many musicians can find work playing out at various venues. But their skills are limited.

Now is a good time to think about the type or types of music you want to play. Will you study classical? Are you more into jazz or blues? Would you prefer to play rock? Or are you saving yourself for religious styles like gospel? With your intermediate skill level, you understand many of the chords and progressions you will use in your chosen genre. Now you need to focus on lessons that show you the fundamentals, the nuances, and the tricks behind playing a particular style.

Like the tip I gave for beginners, it applies here as well: Determine if you are a visual or auditory learner and pick the package you are most likely to understand, enjoy, and stick with.

And again, practice!

Advanced Performers Play Piano

Congratulations, you’ve come a long way in your musical journey. But you’re far from finished. With your advanced skills, you can sit in with another musician or ensemble and play piano. You can listen to a song and learn it with relative ease, or perhaps you can open sheet music and read the notes as easily as you read printed text. And just maybe, you are ready to flex your creativity and explore new horizons.

Some performers don’t know how to recognize when they surpassed the intermediate level. That’s okay, it will be clear eventually. If you are already performing comfortably but you want to infuse your music with more complex chord structures, creative runs, or you want to add another genre to your repertoire (that’s a lot of French!), you are most likely advanced and ready to take on a bigger challenge. It’s been said many times, learning to perform music is not a destination but a journey.

Many professional artists play multiple instruments. They are skilled guitarists or drummers who also play a little piano. It is not uncommon to encounter a musician who is very good at any instrument he or she decides to learn. If you are just such a person, and piano is one of your secondary instruments, consider how you could benefit from actual lessons.

I’ve discovered some outstanding courses for advanced piano playing that can be purchased online. Take the time to evaluate the publishers’ websites and read reviews if possible. Most lesson packages are moderately priced, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding a good, affordable lesson system.

And in case you forgot already, you still need to practice! Just remember to keep the fun in the fundamentals. Learning to play piano can be a lot of work, but it’s a form of entertainment and should never be a chore. Good luck!

Click Here For More Helpful Tips On How To Play Piano Regardless What Skill Level You Have!

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Basic Piano Fingerings for the 12 Major Scales

by Tania Gleaves on January 13, 2012

Here are the piano fingerings for all twelve major scales, in circle of fifths order.

The numbers correspond to the fingers of the left hands (LH) and right hands (RH):

hand positioning Basic Piano Fingerings for the 12 Major Scales

Click Here And Learn Basic Piano Fingerings Fast!

The numbers above the notes on the treble staff are typically for the right hand and numbers about the notes on the bass staff:

C Major (0 sharps/ flats)

Scale Notes C D E F G A B C
RH 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
LH 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

G Major (1 Sharp: F)

Scale Notes G A B C D E F# G
RH 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
LH 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

D Major (2 Sharps: F, C)

Scale Notes D E F# G A B C# D
RH 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
LH 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

A Major (3 Sharps: F, C, G)

Scale Notes A B C# D E F# G# A
RH 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
LH 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

E Major (4 Sharps: F, C, G, D)

Scale Notes E F# G# A B C# D# E
RH 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
LH 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

B Major (5 Sharps: F, C, G, D, A)

Scale Notes B C# D# E F# G# A# B
RH 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5
LH 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 1

We’re now at “6:00″ on the circle of fifths so will start going flat with our piano fingerings

Gb Major (6 flats: B, E, A, D, G, C)

Scale Notes Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb
RH 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2
LH 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 2

Db Major (5 flats: B, E, A, D, G)

Scale Notes Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db
RH 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2
LH 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 2

Ab Major (4 flats: B, E, A, D)

Scale Notes Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab
RH 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
LH 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 2

Eb Major (3 flats: B, E, A)

Scale Notes Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb
RH 2 1 2 3 4 1 2 3
LH 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 2

Bb Major (2 flats: B, E)

Scale Notes Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
RH 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4
LH 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 2

F Major (1 flat: B)

Scale Notes F G A Bb C D E F
RH 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
LH 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

Click Here And Learn Basic Piano Fingerings Fast!

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Find Free Piano Music Scales Here

January 2, 2012

Free piano music scales are combinations of ascending and descending musical notes which are grouped together depending on their pitch class and measure of musical distance. It is a bit much to understand right? There are actually forty seven different piano music scales to be learned. Some are more complex than the others but don’t [...]

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Basic Piano Scales – Essential, But Easy!

December 26, 2011

The relationship between full-size compositions and basic piano scales is incredibly strong, for without the scale, we wouldn’t have the wonderful symphonies that we enjoy today. Knowing what this relationship is, there can be little question about how basic piano scales contribute to such masterpieces from the likes of Bach or Vivaldi. And being aware [...]

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Major Scales For Piano – Essential Keys To Beautiful Music

December 20, 2011

Of all the music scales, the major scales for piano are the most popular. Most of the music that we hear is a derivative of the major scale and if you listen closely, you can readily identify the eight-note scale in any one of its 15 variations, including its minor scale deviations. Scales are what [...]

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Musical Key Signature – The Major And Minor Keys

December 18, 2011

We have had lessons about musical key signature and by now you already know the differences between each key signature. You have also learned the different techniques on how to easily memorize the different names and different characteristics of these music key signatures. This time we will teach you how to determine the different major [...]

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Understanding The Major Pentatonic Scale

December 6, 2011

For Just Five Notes, This Scale Has Huge Potential! As you maneuver around the keyboard and learn more about its music, you may discover what seems like a never-ending world of scales. We can’t deny that piano lessons largely focus on scales, but unless you learn them, you really restrict your potential to play a [...]

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Piano Scales – Get Acquainted with Music’s Foundation

November 29, 2011

Piano scales are essential building blocks in music. You will devote a good deal of your time and effort to learning and playing them. On following pages I will show you a useful overview, give you an overview of major scales as well as some important beginner exercises. Students of all levels endlessly complain about [...]

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Piano Chords – More Than Just a Group of Notes

November 25, 2011

At their most basic, piano chords are formed by playing three or more notes simultaneously. The combinations that result set the mood of a musical piece – happy, sad, powerful, soulful, etc. Historically, major chords have always evoked positive emotions while minor piano chords evoke the opposite. That’s a fairly simplistic observation, but it gives [...]

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Piano Music Notes – Hear Them Speak To You

November 10, 2011

Unless you plan to play music by ear, you’ll need to learn how to read sheet music for piano. Sheet music displays the notes of a song and musicians interpret it as if they were reading the words of a speech. It isn’t difficult to read piano music notes once you understand the basic structure [...]

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