March 1, 2024

About the Author: Bahaa

Bahaa is our esteemed piano instructor at S&C Music, dedicated to guiding his students towards achieving their highest musical potential. Bahaa is also a composer with numerous of his own piano works.

Have you ever asked yourself why piano teachers focus on scales and fingering technique in their teaching? Yes, many books have been written that include these exercises, including the most famous book, HANON (The Virtuoso-Pianist). This book includes hundreds of exercises to develop finger technique for every pianist, whether a beginner or a professional.

So, let’s learn together about the benefits of practising musical scales and the most important piano exercises that increase a pianist’s skill.

There are several types of musical scales: including the minor natural scale, the minor melodic scale, and the minor harmonic scale. As for the major scale, it comes in two types, the regular major scale and the harmonic major scale.

First, the Minor Natural Scale: It is the natural scale that includes the conversion signs on the denominator as they are. For example, when we play the scale on the Fa natural minor scale, the signs for this scale are in the following order: Si flat, Mi flat, La flat, Re flat. So, when we play the scale on the Fa natural minor scale, it is as follows: Fa Sol, La flat, Si flat, Do Re flat and Mi flat. Then we come back to the Fa answer.

F minor notes

As for Fa minor Harmonic, we play the notes as they are for the Fa minor Natural, but by raising the seventh degree by a semitone, that is, the mi-flat becomes mi natural in the position of Fa Minor Harmonic.

Fa harmonic minor

As for the minor melodic scale, when playing the musical scale, we play it by raising the sixth and seventh degrees by half a tone each up, then we return the minor natural scale down. That is, if we are in Fa minor, we play the scale going up, Fa Sol, La flat, Se flat, Do Re Natural, Mi Natural, Fa, and then come back down, Fa, Mi flat, Re, flat, Do Si flat, La flat, Sol, Fa.

F melodic minor scale 1 octave (right hand)

For the major, we can take the simplest example: Major on C is a do re mi fa sol la Si do. it’s mean the natural white notes on the piano.

C major scale notes

As for the Harmonic Major on C, it is done by lowering the sixth degree by a semitone, meaning it becomes: Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Flat Si Do.

C harmonic major scale

Now, let’s come to the benefits of training on these stairs.

1. Increase the process of separation of the senses and concentration: The diversity between the numbers of the fingers of the right hand and the left hand in the musical scale leads to a collaborative process between them, that is: the first finger on the right hand with the fifth on the left hand, then the second with the fourth, then the third with the third, then the first with the second, and then vice versa, that is, the second with the first. Then the third is also with the third, then the fourth is with the second, then the first is with the first, and this arrangement is inevitably present when you practise the harmonic minor scale. So what about when you master practising all the musical scales?

2. Get used to playing with a steady and balanced rhythm: When you play the musical scale with a metronome, choosing a specific speed. This steady rhythm will develop your skill at balance, calmness, and regularity in playing.

3. Cover the piano almost completely: When you play the musical scale from the beginning of the piano and continue it to the end of the piano and then return to the beginning, this gives you pictorial intelligence because you have covered almost all the notes of the piano, up and down, and this increases your ability to memorise the keyboard for the piano in your imagination.

4. Chromatic scale practice enhances your technical, harmonic, and auditory skills because all piano notes (12 semi-tone) blend in this scale.

Chromatic scale

5. When you purchase the HANON (The Virtuoso-Pianist) book, you will learn about a new type of exercise: the arpeggio. You play arpeggios (across the piano) such as Do Mi Sol, Fa La Do, or Mi Flat Sol Si Flat. You play these sounds sequentially, up and down, and this is of great importance in increasing technique, separating the senses, and focusing.

Two octave major arpeggios

Conclusion

The most important secret in mastering the piano is not quantity or effort but rather getting to a successful start. This means starting with the correct sitting on the piano and the healthy position of the hands on the piano, regular and calm breathing, and starting to play with very simple exercises and a slow rhythm. Then, increase the speed gradually. Move to harder exercises gradually.

If you repeat this habit for several months, you will be surprised that your piano performance has become close to professionalism and prosperity.

Always remember these secrets, the most important of which are discipline, patience and love.

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