| The playing of piano scales is an important part of the | | | | scale. |
| training of any player of the piano. | | | | Scale Habits |
| The fingering will cause trouble in playing piano scales. | | | | Scales should be practiced through several octaves; |
| The human hand was not built to play the piano, or it | | | | the fingering repeats in each octave. Practice them as |
| would have had seven fingers. Since there are seven | | | | slowly as is necessary to get the correct fingering. |
| notes in the scale, all scales are fingered by some | | | | You are trying to form a habit in the sequence of your |
| combination of 1-2-3 and 1-2-3-4. The question is | | | | fingers; this is a very complicated habit, and each |
| where to put the thumb. | | | | wrong fingering damages the formation of the habit. |
| There are many systems of fingering the scales; but | | | | Your speed will gradually increase as your fingers |
| the simplest and the best for the ear player can be | | | | learn the sequence. When you feel fairly secure in |
| simply stated. Put the thumb on the key next above | | | | playing the piano scales with each hand separately, try |
| the black key played in the right hand and next below | | | | playing with the two together. |
| the black key played in the left hand. This not only | | | | Sometimes it is easier to begin at the middle of the |
| results in the best fingering of the formal piano scales | | | | piano and play the hands in opposite direction. The |
| but is a good principle to follow in all passage work | | | | most useful practice, however, is playing them in the |
| where it can be applied. | | | | same direction an octave apart. |
| The following table gives the fingering for all piano | | | | Practice them very slowly without any accent. Then |
| scales. Do not try to memorize the fingering. Learn the | | | | accent every third note and play them for three |
| principle of passing the thumb in under the hand when | | | | octaves. Then accent every fourth note and play |
| the fourth finger is on a black key and when the third | | | | them for four octaves. This brings the accent out even |
| finger is on a black key. By holding consistently to this | | | | at the top of the piano scales. Gradually get faster. |
| one principle, the hand eventually takes it over as a | | | | Technique |
| habit, and the greatest difficulty of fingering is | | | | To develop speed and a smooth technique, a few |
| overcome. | | | | suggestions will be helpful. In practicing the piano scales |
| Key of - right hand - left hand | | | | keep the fingers curved; this makes it easier for the |
| C - 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 - 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 | | | | thumb to pass in under the hand. Keep the thumb |
| C# or Db - 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 - 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 4 | | | | curved also and bend it far in under the hand when |
| D - 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 - 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 | | | | necessary. |
| Eb - 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 - 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 | | | | Do not raise the wrist up to help the thumb to pass |
| E - 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 - 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 | | | | under the hand; and do not twist the hand to right and |
| F - 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 - 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 | | | | left any more than is absolutely necessary. Make the |
| F# or Gb - 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 - 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 | | | | thumb do the work. Do not pull the hand to the front |
| A - 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 - 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 | | | | when playing white keys and then shove it in to play |
| Bb - 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 - 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 | | | | the black keys. In short, avoid all excess motion. |
| B or Cb - 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 - 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 | | | | Remember practice makes perfect. Playing piano |
| The 5 th finger is never used except at the end of the | | | | scales is no different. |