TECHNIQUE STARTERS:

FIVE-FINGER PATTERNS

Major FFP:  whole step, whole step, half step, whole step

Minor FFP:  whole step, half step, whole step, whole step

*Hint:  To go from major to the parallel minor, just lower the third note by a half step.  If it is a black note, it becomes white; if it is a white note, it becomes black.

•Spell out the pattern for each of the keys before playing them.

C Major:                                   F# Major:

C minor:                                   F# minor:

Db Major:                                   G Major:
        
C# minor:                            G minor:

D Major:                                   Ab Major:

D minor:                                   G# minor:

Eb Major                                   A Major:

Eb minor:                                   A minor:

E Major                                   Bb Major

E minor:                                   Bb minor

F Major:                                   B Major

F minor:                                   B minor

SCALES

You must be able to execute your major and minor scales a minimum two octaves with the correct fingering.  Be sure to study the spelling of the scale, the geography (layout/pattern of black & white keys), fingering and landmarks before playing the scales at a slow tempo.

GROUP ONE

The following scales all have the same fingering:
C, D, E, G, A Major and minor = 10 scales

One octave
RH 12312345  54321321
LH  54321321  12312345

Two Octaves
RH  123123412312345  543213214321321
LH  543213214321321  123123412312345

LANDMARKS:  Third fingers play simultaneously in each hand; thumbs meet at the tonic after one octave; LH crosses to 4 after one octave ascending; RH crosses to 4 after one octave descending.

GROUP TWO
The following major scales are based on the concept of using 23 on a group of two black keys and 234 on a group of three black keys:  D-flat (C-sharp) and G-flat (F-sharp) Major = 2 scales

D-flat Major
RH  231234123123412  214321321432132
LH  321432132143212  212341231234123

LANDMARKS:  The aforementioned grouping of two and three black keys; the thumbs come together on the white notes F and C.

G-flat Major
RH  234123123412312  213214321321432
LH  432132143213212  212312341231234

LANDMARKS:  The aforementioned grouping of two and three black keys; the thumbs come together on the white notes F and C.

GROUP THREE

The following scales have one hand that uses the same fingering as C Major (Group One), while the other hand uses group of four (no pinkies!):  F Major and minor; B Major and minor = 4 scales

F Major and minor
RH  123412312341234  432143213214321
LH  543213214321321  123123412312345

LANDMARKS:  The thumbs play simultaneously on the fifth note of the scale (C) and after one octave on the tonic (F).   Also note the RH has finger number four on Bb.  Be careful not to always cross to 4 in this scale, you must sometime cross with 3 in both hands.

B Major and minor
RH  123123412312345  543213214321321
LH  432143213214321  123412312341234

LANDMARKS:  The thumbs play simultaneously on the fourth note of the scale (EC) and after one octave on the tonic (B).   Note that in both hands the group of two black keys is played by fingers 2 & 3, while the group of three black keys is played by fingers 2, 3, & 4.

GROUP FOUR
The following scales use the same fingering in the LH, while the RH is grouped together in threes and fours:  E-flat, A-flat and B-flat Major.

E-flat Major
RH  312341231234123  321432132143213
LH  321432132143213  312341231234123

LANDMARKS:  Note that the fingerings are mirrored, i.e., the RH fingering ascending is the LH fingering descending, etc.  Also note that around the group of three black keys, although you don’t play all three of them as black keys, you still use the fingering 2-3-4 in both hands, ditto for the group of two black keys!

A-flat Major
RH  341231234123123         321321432132143
LH  321432132143213  312341231234123

LANDMARKS:  Note that around the group of three black keys, although you don’t play all three of them as black keys, you still use the fingering 2-3-4 in both hands, ditto for the group of two black keys!

B-flat Major
RH  312312341231234  432132143213214
LH  321432132143213  312341231234123

LANDMARKS:  Note that around the group of three black keys, although you don’t play all three of them as black keys, you still use the fingering 2-3-4 in both hands, ditto for the group of two black keys!

SCALE SPELLINGS: 

Pattern for a major scale:  WWHWWWH 

Pattern for a natural minor scale (according to key signature):  WHWWHWW

Pattern for a harmonic minor scale (raised 7th):  WHWWH3H

C Major:                 

C minor:

Db Major:

C# minor:

D Major:

D minor:

Eb Major

Eb minor:

F Major:

F minor:

F#Major:

F# minor:

G Major:

G minor:

Ab Major:

G# minor:

A Major

A minor:

Bb Major:

Bb minor:

CADENCES

For the PPE, you will need to play the following progression using the same chords in each hand:

I, IV6/4, I, V6/5, I

By playing the cadence in this way, you move to the closest inversion of our primary chords.  To move to the parallel minor, lower the middle note (third) of the I chord, and lower the top note of the IV chord.  The progression now becomes:

i, iv6/4, i, V6/5, I

RH  135, 135, 135, 145, 135
LH 531, 521, 531, 521, 531

*Please fill in the spelling for the keys as directed by your instructor.

C Major:              CEG, CFA, CEG, BFG, CEG

C minor:

Db Major:

C# minor:

D Major:

D minor:

Eb Major

Eb minor:

F Major:

F minor:

F#Major:

F# minor:

G Major:

G minor:

Ab Major:

G# minor:

A Major

A minor:

Bb Major:

Bb minor: