Epianostudio

Why Should I Practice Scales? (And Other Life-Altering Questions)

sharlene — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:57:58 +0000

There are certain questions I can ask myself over and over and never be satisfied with the answer, like: Why can’t I eat donuts for supper? or: Why do I have to go to work? But the most troubling of all questions is this: Why should I practice scales?

Well, I can think of a few reasons, and Google can think of a few more, so if my post doesn’t quell your curiosity, feel free to type www.google.com into your browser’s address bar. (If you need more help on using Google, you can email me, I have been called an expert. Actually, I haven’t – but I’m working on it.)

Reason Number 1: Helps to practice in a key signature

This is probably the greatest benefit to practicing scales. By practicing scales, you are essentially practicing a particular key signature. This will help greatly when playing a tune in said key signature. Your fingers have memory, and when you practice scales you are developing this memory. This will come in really handy when you want to improve your improvisation skills. I have a new post planned called “Improve Your Improv”… It’s in the planning stage – well, it has been in that stage for two years. (By “planning stage”, I mean that the post has a title.) Anyhow, you will see this theme recurring in that post. Expect great things from that post. When it comes, it will be mind-blowing.

Reason Number 2: Warming Up

Scales are a great way to warm up and get the blood flowing to the tips of your fingers. I’m sure there are ways that are more fun, but this is a PG-rated blog post.

Reason Number 3: Scales are the building blocks of music

When I practice the C major scale, I’m also practicing half of Mozart’s Sonata in C major. You know this sonata .. think back to the days you were obsessed with Bugs Bunny… or was I the only one that went through that phase? (By the way: Thank you Musopen for providing access to this recording).

All piano music is made of chord, scales, and other interval combinations. There is no way around it.. unless you consider banging your head on the piano, “music”. So when you practice chords, scales, and other intervals, you are practicing parts of songs, although it may not feel like it – and it definitely doesn’t sound like it.

So, like it or not, these are my three reasons why one should practice scales on the piano. And if you don’t like it, you can always go to Google.

photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

Lesson 32: Intervals of the Major Scale

sharlene — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:40:22 +0000

Now it’s time to learn the intervals of the major scale. Just to mix it up, lets use the G major scale. Do you remember how to write a major scale? If you don’t, look here.

Here is the G major scale. As you can see, the G major scale has one sharp: F sharp. I put a lot of effort into this graphic, I might make it my facebook profile picture.

I’ll spend a few minutes explaing myself. In a major scale, there are 8 intervals based on the tonic note. The intervals are: perfect unison, major second, major third, perfect fourth, perfect fifth, major sixth, major seventh, and perfect octave. (The above graphic does not show perfect unison.) If you remember, during the introduction to intervals lesson, I mention that each interval has a quality. The quality of basic intervals can be major, minor, or perfect. More advanced intervals can be described as augmented or diminished. We are focusing on the major intervals in this lesson.

You might be asking yourself: Why are some of the intervals described as “major”, while others are described as “perfect”? Well, there are several reasons that are floating around. One reason is that the “perfect” intervals have high levels of consonance. The other reason is that if you invert a perfect interval you’ll end up with another (different) perfect interval. But I would like to think that a perfect interval is called perfect because it cannot be described as either major or minor. Perfect intervals exist in BOTH major and minor scales. But I’m not going to discuss minor scales right now – gotta keep you coming back now, don’t I?

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Practice Method: Start at the End

sharlene — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:01:50 +0000

If you have been practicing an instrument for any significant period of time, you may be able to relate to my experience. When I sit down to practice a new song, I usually start at the beginning, and practice a single phrase. If the phrase is difficult, I may repeat it many times before I am happy and move on. Once I get to the end of a section, I will practice the section in full, repeating any phrases that cause difficulty. By the time I get past a new section, I can hear cheese calling my name from the fridge, and the call of cheese is the call I cannot ignore.

There is one critical flaw in this method, can you guess what it is? (Hint: It is not cheese-related bowel gridlock, although that is a worrisome problem.) Rather, when I practice from beginning to end, I often find that my finishes are lacking fluency and pizzazz. Quite simply, my endings aren’t practiced nearly as many times as my beginnings!

To combat the erratic-ending syndrome, one could employ the following technique: Start elsewhere. As complex as it may seem, it is actually quite simple. When you intend to do laborious phrase-by-phrase practicing, don’t always start at the beginning. Start at the end; start in the middle; just start ELSEWHERE. Work your way from the end to the beginning of the last section, or from the middle to the end of the next section.

Of course, don’t always start at the end, or you might catch the erratic-beginning syndrome, which is just as bad – probably worse than the erratic-ending syndrome. The key is to mix it up. Speaking of mixing it up, I hear some gouda calling my name…

photo credit: PetitPlat – Stephanie Kilgast (in dolly mood)

Quick Tidbit: Inverting Intervals

sharlene — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:30:13 +0000

Here is something interesting that you might want to know, since we are learning about intervals. If you are learning to play the piano, it will be important that you are able to invert intervals and chords. Right now, we will focus on intervals.

What does inverting an interval mean? It means taking the bottom note of the interval and putting it on top – essentially turning it upside down. This can be done one of two ways:

by moving the bottom note up and octave
by moving the top note down an octave

Look at the graphic below and try to recognize which method was used to invert the interval. After you have done that, you might want to try inverting your own intervals (heehee) on paper, and on the piano.

OK, so I have a confession to make: inverting intervals isn’t that interesting… I only told you it was interesting so that you wouldn’t leave the page. I’m pretty sure it didn’t work, and I’m most likely the only one left here. Time to get craaaazay.

Why does an octave have 12 notes?

Lesson 31: Major Scales and Key Signatures

sharlene — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 12:45:47 +0000

Before we embark upon this journey, you may want to review the concept of key signatures in Lesson 20: Key Signatures. You don’t have to, it’s just a suggestion. I will briefly review the basic concept of a key signature before I go on.

A key signature is a group of sharps or a group of flats that appear at the beginning of a piece of music. The key signatures tells the musician which sharps and flats are to be played throughout the piece of music. A key signature can be used instead of using accidentals. To illustrate my point, I will use the scale of D major.

As you can see, the key signature is just a grouping of the accidentals that would have appeared in the scale. It makes music simpler to read, and allows the musician to identify the “key” of the music more easily. After writing out the D major scale, we know the key of D major contains an F sharp and a C sharp. Now whenever we see a key signature consisting of 2 sharps (F sharp and C sharp) we know that the piece might be in the key of D major. (It may also be in the relative minor key of B, but we will learn about minor key signatures in a future lesson.)

That brings me to my next point. The sharps and flats in key signatures ALWAYS appear in the same order. The order of sharps is F-C-G-D-A-E-B. See Lesson 20 for tricks to remember the order of the sharps and flats. The order of flats is B-E-A-D-G-C-F, backwards from the order of sharps.

So here is the fun part: Each major key has a different key signature – a different number of sharps and flats. To find out this key signature, one may do one of two things:

First thing – Create the major scale using the magic formula discussed in Lesson 29. Find all of accidentals that you put in the major scale, and group them in the correct order. That is your key signature for that key.

Second thing – Memorize the table below or memorize the Circle of Fifths (discussed here). From the table below you can see that C major has no flats or sharps. F major has one flat, and G major has one sharp.. on and on it goes until you get into the scary keys like F sharp. Try to avoid the F sharp major key, it is nothing but trouble…

To learn the key signatures, I would recommend a combination of both things. The first thing will give you a better understanding of key signatures. The second thing is faster, and sometimes faster is better. Not always, but definitley sometimes.

Lesson 29: Scales and Why We Need Them.

Lesson 30: Chromatic Scales

sharlene — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:41:05 +0000

Now that you have learned about major scales, lets take a small step back and digest. Ahhh.. feels good, doesn’t it? Now for something light.. for the entrée, we have a lovely little tidbit called the chromatic scale. It is a Greek dish, originating from the Greek word “chroma”, meaning “color”.

A chromatic scale is quite simple, as it consists entirely of semitones. No magic formula to follow here. It is a 12 note scale, and contains each and every note between the starting note and its octave. There are several ways to write a chromatic scale, I will show you a few of these in this lesson.

You can write a chromatic scale using accidentals. Just remember that no letter name should occur more than twice in a row. For example, do not use A flat, A natural, and A sharp. Instead, you could use A flat, A natural, and B flat. You see? Same notes, different notation. Another thing to remember is that the chromatic scale must begin and end on the same letter name.

When using accidentals to write a chromatic scale, if the starting note is a natural or a sharp, use sharps ascending and flats descending. The only caveat to this rule is that the first note and the final note must be the same, so if the first note is a sharp, the last note must be a sharp as well. See the images below for an example of a chromatic scale starting on a natural note and on a sharp note.

If the starting note is a flat, you must use flats and naturals until you can switch without breaking the “two-letter-name” rule. See the scale below.

OK, so I thought I was going to show you the other way to write a chromatic scale, and I will write about it briefly, but to be honest, I don’t like it. The other way to write a chromatic scale is to use the key signature of the major scale, and add in notes with accidentals, keeping in mind that the interval between the mediant (3) and subdominant (4) of the major scale is already a semitone, as well as the interval between the leading note (7) and the tonic (8). If anyone REALLY wants a demonstration of this technique, please leave a comment, otherwise I will leave this topic well enough alone. It’s for the best, trust me. And honestly, who really needs to know 2 different ways to write chromatic scales? It’s kindof like math, you’ll never use it in real life.

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Lesson 29: Scales and Why We Need Them.

sharlene — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 03:02:28 +0000

Well, it has officially been over a year since I posted my last lesson. I’m sure you have been waiting patiently, checking the website daily; brimming with hope that I would post the next lesson. And every day for the past year, you would have been sorely disappointed, your hopes dashed as the new lesson did not appear. And for that, I apologize. Let me make it up to you by teaching you about scales.

The first question you must be asking is: What is a scale? Well, I will answer that question for you. A scale is a series of ascending and descending notes, that often repeat from octave to octave. Scales are important tools that can be used for composition. Ever heard of a blues (hexatonic) scale? Many blues musicians use this scale to help with melodic improvisation while playing the blues.

We won’t be learning about the blues scale today, but I will teach you about a different basic scale – the C major scale. In the C major scale the “C” is the key. The C note can also be called the “root” or the “tonic” note. “Major” is how we describe the quality or the type of the scale. Other scale types could be minor, chromatic, pentatonic, etc.. The list goes on and on.

So, how do we construct a major scale? The major scale has a basic formula, no matter what note you are starting on. The basic formula is this: Tone-Tone-Semitone-Tone-Tone-Tone-Semitone. Uh, got it? If you don’t remember about tones and semitones, you can review them in Lesson 23: Tones, Semitones, Chromatic Semitones, Diatonic Semitones.

OK, so let’s apply this magic to the C major scale so you can see what you are dealing with. A major scale has seven notes: tonic (1), supertonic (2), mediant (3), subdominant (4), dominant (5), submediant (6), and leading note (7). These are just names, most are not really that important except the tonic (1), and dominant (5) which will come up again in later lessons.

So, whats your tonic note in a C major scale? … C! Nice work, detective.

From there it gets a bit more complicated. Remember the magic formula Tone-Tone-Semitone-Tone-Tone-Tone-Semitone. This means the interval between the first note (C) and the second note is a whole tone. That would make the second note.. a D. D is a whole tone above C. So D is our supertonic note. Lets go onto the next note, which we know is a whole tone from D. That would be an E. Our mediant or third note is an E. Now, following the formula, our next note is a SEMITONE away from E… E#? Oh wait, that’s F! So our subdominant (4th note) is an F… and on and on it goes until all 7 notes of the scale are discovered. Can you figure them out?

You may discover that the C major scale is quite.. simple. No sharps, no flats, no jack-in-the-boxes, no kicks-in-the-a$$. This is not true for all of the major scales. If you are up for the challenge, try to write out the notes of the F major scale. I’m not going to give you the answer here, but if you post the answer, I will tell you if you are right.

For now, I will leave you with a handy-dandy graphic of the C major scale with our lovely major scale formula superimposed between the notes. This might give you a better idea of how to create a major scale.

Oh, so I forgot to mention that major scales end on the tonic note. You can see this in the scale above.

I think thats it. See you next year.

Lesson 31: Major Scales and Key Signatures

From Classical to Jazz: Making the Transition

sharlene — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:41:30 +0000

I expect that making the transition from classical piano to jazz piano is going to come with it’s fair share of challenges. Classical piano and jazz piano differ in areas, but they are also very similar. I thought it would be helpful to outline the differences and the similarities between classical and jazz performance.

Similarities:

Compositional form and structure: Every piece of music has a “form”; a term used to describe the shape and structure of the piece.
Expression: Both jazz and classical compositions encourage the use of expression to shape the piece. The use of dynamics is very important in both genres.
Major and minor keys: Classical music is composed of a number chords. Major, minor, and dominant seventh are very popular in classical compositions. Jazz shares these chords, while also using a variety of other chord types that make the genre very interesting and complex.
Solo/Accompaniment: Both genres have this fundamental similarity. The piano can be used for accompaniment, or as a solo instrument.

Differences:

Rhythm translation: Jazz can be much more liberal with the translation of rhythms, while classical music usually follows strict meter. Jazz tends to have a “swing” in the rhythm.
Improvisation: This is very a very important part of jazz music, and is rarely used in classical music. Mastering improvisation is probably one of the more difficult challenges in the classical-to-jazz transition. Along with this comes freedom to alter melodies.
Four-note chords: As described above, classical music uses a lot of 3-note chords (major, and minor), while jazz tends to use different, more complex chords. Four note chords are very common in jazz music.

Now that we are aware of some of the similarities and differences, what is the next step?… Well, how do we overcome the differences and utilize the similarities to master the jazz technique? Besides technical exercises to become familiar with jazz chords, what are some techniques that we can use to improve our improvisational skills? It’s all coming up.. and more! Stay tuned..

photo credit: [phil h]

Finding the Time

sharlene — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 18:05:27 +0000

Oh my – how time gets away from me. The older I get, the more things I want to do, but the less time I have. On my list-du-jour: Go to the gym more often, write in my blog more often, renovate the kitchen, learn french, go to the pottery studio more often, develop an iphone application, learn jazz piano, and the list goes on. (I know you were wondering where the piano fit into the picture – there it is! )

I find myself saying these words a lot: “Once things settle down with x, I can focus more on y. ” Then another x comes along and ousts y from its position of importance, and y ends up being delayed indefinitely.

So does y ever happen? Sometimes. My kitchen is currently being renovated and I have holes in the wall to prove it. On the other hand, I haven’t been to the pottery studio or the gym in months, even while paying a membership fee in both places. (That should motivate me to go, right?…)

So, how do I MAKE y happen? How do I find the time to go to the pottery studio, or to learn how to play jazz piano? I’m no expert (obviously), but this is my plan.

1. Decide what is important to me. I have a long list of things I would like to do, and goals I would like to achieve. Realistically, I can’t focus on all of these goals at once. So I have to decide what is important to me and why.

2. Identify the steps to make my goals reality. OK. I know I want to learn to play jazz piano (as well as a few other things). I’ve decided that it’s important to me to keep growing musically. Now what? Well.. where do I start? I have a plethora of resources at my fingertips already. I’ve ordered The Jazz Piano Book by Mark Levine which seems to be THE book to start learning jazz chords and theory. I’ve also ordered several other jazz chord and technical books. I’ll include reviews once I’ve received them and become familiar with them.

3. SCHEDULE TIME. I need to make this goal a priority and decide WHEN I’m going to work on it. I’m not going to wait until after my kitchen renovations are finished. I’m not going to wait until the conditions are perfect. I’m not even going to wait until my books come in the mail (although I’m really looking forward to them arriving.)

Planning and scheduling time is probably one of the most important steps in the process of achieving a goal. Well, that and following through with the plan…

** Disclaimer: I’ve been reading motivation and self-improvement books lately, and I’m afraid it has leaked into this blog. This is not a self-improvement blog…. or is it? *cue creepy music*.. As an aside, publishing your goals (by telling people about them), helps keep you accountable thereby increasing your chances of success. By writing this blog post, I’m publishing my goals to my readers.. all one of them (Hi Glenn!)… hopefully this will keep me accountable and help me succeed!

Creative Commons License photo credit: Βethan

Could this be goodbye?

sharlene — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 04:41:19 +0000

It’s not often that I write something personal in this blog. After all, who wants to hear the life story of an average someone-or-other that they will never meet and will most likely never impact their life in any way that is meaningful or significant? But…damn it, this is my blog. And I am going to exercise my blogger rights by writing about my life. Before I do, I would like to remind you that you, as a reader, have the right NOT to read it. So it all works out in the end. If you choose to exercise that right, you should stop reading…… NOW.

For those of you that are still reading… Hi! My name is Sharlene, and I’m the owner of a piano. An old piano. I don’t know what year it was made, I don’t know the model, I don’t even know the manufacturer. What I do know is this – I’m going to miss it.

To make a short story shorter: I’m moving. I’m moving and my piano is not coming with me. It’s the piano that I grew up with; the piano I’ve been playing for 25 years. It has seen my tears, my frustrations, and more renditions of chopsticks than anyone cares to remember. I can’t even imagine how many hours I have spent in front of that piano in my life time. How many sonatas have I played? How many wrong notes? How many perfect melodies?

And as much as I have dreamed about owning a gorgeous baby grand, thinking about saying goodbye to my piano brings a tear to my eye. Who would have thought that this contraption made of wood and metal would have the power to invoke such emotion? But I suppose it always has…

Goodbye piano..

(I probably should have named it… Missed that boat I guess..)

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Epianostudio

Why Should I Practice Scales? (And Other Life-Altering Questions)

Reason Number 1: Helps to practice in a key signature

Reason Number 2: Warming Up

Reason Number 3: Scales are the building blocks of music

Related Posts

Lesson 32: Intervals of the Major Scale

Related Posts

Practice Method: Start at the End

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Quick Tidbit: Inverting Intervals

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Lesson 31: Major Scales and Key Signatures

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Lesson 30: Chromatic Scales

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Lesson 29: Scales and Why We Need Them.

Related Posts

From Classical to Jazz: Making the Transition

Similarities:

Differences:

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Finding the Time

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Could this be goodbye?

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