Scale is a building block of piano playing.
A fundamental scale is a collection of eight notes, moving in a stepwise sequence like a staircase.
Here you will learn:
Semitone and Tone - Building Block of Scale
How to build B Flat Major
B Flat Major fingering
How to practice B Flat Major
5 Tips of scale practicing
Semitone and Tone - Building Block of Scale
To build a scale, we need to understand the tones and semitone.
Semitone (Half step): This is the shortest step on the piano.
Tone (Step): Is a combination of 2 semitones, you will always skip a black or white key.
Semitone + Semitone = Tone
How to build B Flat Major
The general rule to build a major scale is
Tone (T) -Tone (T) - Semitone (ST) - Tone (T) - Tone (T) -Tone (T) - Semitone (ST)
Using this rule,
Bb major are Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – A – Bb
It has 2 black keys: Bb and Eb
It makes an unique fingering for both left hand and right hand.
B Flat Major fingering
The fingerings are designed to help you to play scales as smoothly as possible especially in transition point, where you must pass the thumb under second, third or fourth finger.
Right Hand fingering: 2 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4
Left Hand fingering: 3 – 2 – 1 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3
Here are the visual pictures of the Bb major scale on piano. The fingering for ascending and descending is the same.
How to practice B Major
Practice hands separately in grouping.
Familiar with the right fingering and notes until you don’t have to think about.
Right Hand grouping: 2 – ( 1 – 2 – 3 ) – ( 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 )
Left Hand grouping: ( 3 – 2 – 1 ) – ( 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 ) – 3
After repeating hands separately for few times, now is the time for hands together.
5 Tips of scales practicing
Scales are literally the basic of piano learning.
There are 5 tips for scales practicing.
Add one note at a time and repeat it for few times.
Focusing on the fingering especially thumb under or thumb over.
Practice with metronome. This is an effective method of getting even scales. Start off with 80 crotchet per minute and play the notes in a slow and controlled way.
Begin with one octave.
Add some creativity in your scales. For example, one hand staccato the other legato
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