| A very important part of learning how to play piano is | | | | next four fingers after the thumb. Once we reach the |
| developing the skill of playing scales. There are major | | | | next C key with our little finger, we have completed an |
| and minor scales. Major scales in my opinion are a lot | | | | octave. This is the C major scale. Pretty simple really. |
| easier to learn. A lot of music today uses the major | | | | We can go back down the keys back to middle C. |
| scales as a basis. The most basic major scale to learn | | | | You would have noticed that you have played only |
| is the C major. | | | | white keys in the C major. |
| The C major scale goes like this. You start at the C | | | | Major scales like the C major are built up of a certain |
| key. Preferably you start in the middle C key. You can | | | | notes separated by a certain interval. Let's look the C |
| start a few octaves down so that you can play a few | | | | major more closely. We have played CDEFGABC |
| octaves of the C scale as you get better. For now | | | | which is what the C scale in major form looks like. You |
| let's just start at the middle C key. | | | | will notice that there are 5 black keys within one |
| First locate the middle C key and press that with your | | | | octave of the C scale. If we move from C to D we |
| thumb. We are going to start with our right hand first. In | | | | have played essentially skipped a key on the |
| the future you can play the scales with you left hand | | | | keyboard known as C sharp or D flat. This is the black |
| and then hopefully as you get better, you can play with | | | | key in between C and D. |
| both hands simultaneously. Now that we have played | | | | As we move up or down any two keys (includes |
| middle C key the next thing to do is play the next | | | | black and white) we have moved a whole tone up. |
| white key with your index finger. | | | | Moving up or down just one key is known as a half |
| Since we are a beginner player, we might have | | | | tone. By analysing the C major we can see that we |
| noticed that there are a lot of white keys and a lot of | | | | have moved two whole tones then one half tone then |
| black keys and they are repeated in a pattern along | | | | three whole tones and then one half tone. |
| the keyboard. Each set of white and black keys are | | | | If we denote a whole tone with a W and a half tone |
| known as an octave. As we play from the middle C | | | | by a H we can see the pattern as: WWHWWWH |
| key up to the next C key we are playing an octave. | | | | This pattern that we have just described the basis of |
| So where were we? We are using our index finger to | | | | all the major scales. No matter which note you are |
| play the next white key along the keyboard. This is | | | | starting from you just follow this pattern and you are |
| known as the D key. The keys progress from | | | | set. You can work out what D major is and other |
| CDEFGAB and repeat along the keyboard. The E key | | | | major scales. |
| is the next white key and we use our middle finger to | | | | In conclusion, major scales are the building blocks of |
| play this. This comes the tricky part. We use our | | | | some piano pieces. You can easily work out how to |
| thumb to press the F key by moving it behind our | | | | play a certain scales in major form by learning the |
| middle finger and pressing down on the next white | | | | pattern of half and whole tones that make up the |
| key. | | | | scale. |
| The next four keys of GABC are played with our | | | | |