Music Theory Kz

INTRODUCTION: Learning Music Theory: Absolute Beginners

There are really two classes people when it comes to music: those looking to read musicand those looking to learn how music actually works. Regardless of which path youultimately are choosing remember this--music is a language.

You didn't learn to speak English right away either and you've already lost your quick-learnskills so don't get frustrated when some of this doesn't come as quickly as you might like.The best thing you can do is simply start memorizing. When you hear someone speakingEnglish (assuming you're a native English speaker of course), your brain doesn't need toprocess the individual words--it can just "do" it. Reading music is the same way. If you'renew to learning Spanish and someone says, "Como andas?" your brain has to parse out

Como->How Andas->You Working Decode the non-literal meaning and then arrive at "Howare you doing?". In music, your brain does not have time to say, "Gee, that's an Eb, I now

need to find where Eb is on my instrument and somehow produce that note for the duration itsays". With enough repetition you simply see an Eb and play it. Onward.

Two rules right off the bat--don't panic and don't feel insulted that the music notes are colorcoded.

There is no substitute for memorization and practice, so learn note names.

INTRODUCTION: Learning Music Theory: Absolute Beginners

A quick look at scales. For all intents and purposes there are four different types of scales:major, minor, harmonic minor and melodic minor. All of the scales have the same formatting

and it's as follows:

Major Scales2-2-1-(2)-2-2-1

Minor Scales (Natural Minor)2-1-2-(2)-1-2-2

Minor Scales (Harmonic Minor) 2-1-2-(2)-1-3-1

Minor Scales (Melodic Minor) 2-1-2-(2)-1-2-2

If you can memorize these patterns you will be able to build any scale. The numbers indicate the number of half-steps in between consecutive notes. The (2) in parenthesis is such because regardless of the scale the distancebetween the fourth and fifth scale degrees is always a whole step (two half-steps). NOTE: the DESCENDING of

a melodic minor scale changes and is exactly the same as a Natural Minor scale when descending.

1. How to play piano, piano fingeringand more..

This lesson on how to play piano will give you the basic things you need toknow to begin to learn how to play piano.

Topics covered are how to sit at the piano, hand position, basic fingering andgeneral practice guidelines.

How to sit at the piano

When learning to play piano it is important to have the correct posture at the keyboard.

Most piano benches or stools are designed for the average adult or are adjustable.

When you hands are over the piano keys your fore arms should be parallel to the floor.

Sitting too high or too low diminishes finger dexterity and add stress and strain to thewrists and fingers.

I think this little guy could use a New York Cityphone book or two!!

You are never too young or too old to start playingthe piano!

Your feet should rest comfortably on the floor withyour right foot resting lightly on the sustain pedal.(the pedal on the right)

Hand position.

Proper hand position allows the keys to be playedwith the tips of the fingers.

It is very similar to the hand position when typing.

The fingers should remain curved as if holding atennis ball as seen in the image below.

Finger numbers.

In order to communicate at the piano we will renameour fingers and give them numbers. Thumbs on eitherhand are finger # 1 and the pinky's are finger #5. Seethe illustration below.

Another reason we number our fingers is because whena particular fingering for a passage of notes may betroublesome, often the writer or artist will place a smallfinger number near the appropriate note in the passagethat is in question.

General fingering hints.

For the most part, the highest note in given passage of music will be played by the 5thfinger RH or the 1st finger LH.

That should make logical sense, Highest note, closest finger.

The low notes in a passage would be just the opposite. Finger #1 in RH and # 5 in LH.

There are not really any hard and fast rules on fingering or how to play piano.

Just enjoy yourself and if you have a fingering question find a way that works for you orcontact me using the form below.

Below is a starting position you can use when learning your first songs at the piano.Right hand thumb on Middle C and left hand 5th finger on C an octave below.

Practicing the piano.

If you are going to learn how to play piano you are going to need to practice.While many may offer you the ability to play piano overnight, playing it well may take atleast a second night.Practicing at least a half hour daily will ensure progress and you should expect positiveresults.If you have to skip a day, so be it but make a promise to yourself not to miss two daysin a row.Last but not least, make practice fun! Take some time to experiment and get creative aswell as practicing scales and other technical exercises. Play you favorite tunes, the onesyou play well to reinforce a positive experience.

1b. Piano Keyboard Layout for BothPianos and Electronic Keyboards

Both Pianos and Electronic Keyboards have the same basic piano keyboardlayout.

While the Piano keyboard layout normally as 88 keys, most electronic keyboards haveeither 49, 61, 76, or 88 keys with 61 being the most common and also the minimumrecommended for learning to play a keyboard instrument.

So the first thing we need to know is how to name the keys on the keyboard.

There are a total of 12 notes that repeat themselves from Left to right, or Bottom to top,of the keyboard.

Our approach to teaching the piano and keyboard is a very visual one so at the end ofthis article you should be able to find any of the 12 notes in any area of the pianokeyboard layout.

Notice the sets of two and sets of three black keys on the keyboard.

Look for the White key that is directly to the left of the set of two black Keys closest tothe center of the keyboard.

That note is called Middle C.

Now find, and play all the C's on the keyboard.

Notice how you eyes first found the set of two black keys and then touched the whitekey just to the left?

That set of two black keys acts like a little signpost saying C note to the left.

I will be pointing our many visual tricks to help you get to know the piano keyboardlayout.

Now that you have found the Middle C on your keyboard layout. Naming thewhite keys becomes easy.

Going up the keyboard, to the right from middle C the next white note would be D,followed by E,F,G, A, B and then C again.

Notice that when you play all the white notes from C to C you will here a familiar littlemelody called the major scale.

Did you recognize it?

Remember Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do from school.

Don't worry about piano fingering now. This is just to familiarize yourself with findingnotes on the piano keyboard layout

Now if I were to ask you to find the white note F you have two options at thispoint.

Find C and then count up C,D,E,F or, better yet, notice that the F key is right to the leftof the set of three black notes.

Now you can quickly find all the F notes by using the set of three black keys a a visualreference point.

Easy right?

Now find all the D notes on the keyboard.

The D note is located right to the right of C and also between the two black notes thatare grouped in sets of two.

Again another visual trick to locate D. Take some time now and find each note up anddown the keyboard. Good work, You now should be able to find any white note on thepiano keyboard layout.

Now for the black notes.

The black notes at first may seem a little confusing as each of the 5 black notes havetwo names.What we call these black keys depends on how they are approached for the sake of thislesson.It I play the play the black key to the right of middle C, the first in a set of two blackkeys, that key is named C sharp.If I approach if from the white key D, that same note is called D flat. They may be readas C#, ( # meaning sharp) and Db, ( b meaning flat.)Confusing?

I know it may be but worry not.

Right now I just want you to be able to find any note on the keyboard.

So we have 5 black notes each with two names ( C#,Db)...(D#, Eb)...( F#, Gb)... (G#,Ab)...(A#, Bb).

We will learn more about sharps and flats in our study on Piano Scales. If you feelcomfortable with this lesson click the link below to continue part one of understandingmusic scales...

2. Understanding musical intervals.This lesson on musical intervals will teach you to recognize and understand howintervals, the distance between two notes, are used in both melopiano.

The two types of musical intervals

A melodic interval is created whenever you play two notes in succession or one afteranother.

A harmonic interval happens when two notes are played at the same time orsimultaneously.

Why do we learn about intervals?

There are several different reasons.

One reason we learn to recognize musical intervals is so that when we hear a melody wewill be able to distinguish between its melodic intervals which greatly helps our ability tplay by ear.

With a little knowledge of intervals we can build the differentthat knowledge to understand the basics of harmony and the logic in a melodic

Using our knowledge of musical intervals we can stack two or three or more intervalsupon one another to build the differentear.

Finally we will learn about the relationship between the musical intervals since some aredissonant (creating tension) leading to more consonant ones.

Understanding musical intervals.This lesson on musical intervals will teach you to recognize and understand howintervals, the distance between two notes, are used in both melodies and chords on

The two types of musical intervals

is created whenever you play two notes in succession or one after

happens when two notes are played at the same time or

Why do we learn about intervals?

There are several different reasons.

One reason we learn to recognize musical intervals is so that when we hear a melody wewill be able to distinguish between its melodic intervals which greatly helps our ability t

With a little knowledge of intervals we can build the different music scalesthat knowledge to understand the basics of harmony and the logic in a melodic

Using our knowledge of musical intervals we can stack two or three or more intervalsupon one another to build the different piano chords we will use in learning to play by

Finally we will learn about the relationship between the musical intervals since some aredissonant (creating tension) leading to more consonant ones.

Understanding musical intervals.This lesson on musical intervals will teach you to recognize and understand how

dies and chords on

is created whenever you play two notes in succession or one after

happens when two notes are played at the same time or

One reason we learn to recognize musical intervals is so that when we hear a melody wewill be able to distinguish between its melodic intervals which greatly helps our ability to

music scales and then takethat knowledge to understand the basics of harmony and the logic in a melodic line.

Using our knowledge of musical intervals we can stack two or three or more intervalswe will use in learning to play by

Finally we will learn about the relationship between the musical intervals since some are

Q? What is a Half Step?Answer: The smallest distance or interval between two notes.

If you were to start with middle C, and play each adjacent note, either up (to the right)or down (to the left), without skipping any notes, you would be moving up or down thekeyboard in HALF STEPS, or HALF TONES.

The distance between each key and its closest upper or lower key is a half tone which isthe smallest interval used in Western music.

Now if you'll look at the piano you'll realize that the distance between a white key and ablack would be half a tone accepts from two places.

The distance between E and F and B and C is half a tone as well since there isn't a blackkey between them.

The basic musical intervalsThe intervals come in various sizes, Unisons, Seconds, Thirds, Fourths, Fifths, Sixths,Sevenths, and Eighths which are also know as Octaves. They are shown on the musicalstaff in the graphic below.

Intervals are measured from the bottom note, being called the root or One, to the topnote.

Some are described as major intervals (M) or minor ones (m).

Other are perfect (P)

When we raise an interval by half a tone or a (half step) it becomes Augmented (A).

When we lower it in a half a tone or half step we call it Diminished (D).

The Perfect, Major, and Minor intervals are shown in the graphics below.

Using this information.

Most students are primarily interested in learning to play the piano by ear.

Learning to play by ear will require "ear training".

Perhaps the best way, if not the only way to train your ear to recognize intervals andtherefore melodies is by singing.

If you are able to hear a melody and then sing it you are well on your way.

If you have never sung before I might suggest that you start now!

Even if you have to do it in the closet or the shower!

When I finally got serious about music and playing the piano and keyboard professionallyI attended Berklee College of Music. All students at Berklee when I was there wererequired to take a course in Solfege, or sight singing. Even the Drummers!!

Slofege or site singing starts with being able to recognize and sing the Major scale usingthe syllables DO, RE, MI, FA, SOL, LA, TI, and DO.

A great way to do this is by reviewing the old song from the "Sound of Music" whichstarts Do a dear, a female dear.

If you learn to sing out loud or in your head a major scale you can then learn torecognize all the basic intervals we have discussed.

3. Understanding Music Scales andthe 12 Major Scales

Part oneAn understanding of music scales and the major scale in particular is one of themost important single concepts to understand as we continue to study the basic musictheory required to get the most out of your experience playing piano or electronickeyboards.

This piano lesson will cover how to construct all of the 12 majorscales.

Don't get hung up on memorizing all twelve scales. That will come over time.

If you know how to use the whole steps and half step formula you will learn, and be ableto visually see a few of them, that is enough for now.

Before completing this lesson it is recommended that you can identify and locatevisually the notes on the Piano keyboard and that you can name all the white and blackkeys. Refer back to the lesson on piano keyboard layout.

As we move forward toward an understanding of music scales and major scales it isimportant for you to get familiar with the concept of whole steps sometimes called wholetones and half steps on the piano.

Q? What is a Half Step?

Answer: The smallest distance or musical interval between two notes.

If you were to start with middle C, and play each adjacent note, either up (to the right)or down (to the left), without skipping any notes, would would be moving up or downthe keyboard in HALF STEPS.

Going up C, C# , D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A , A# B.

Notice there are a total of 12 notes that make up the basis of all western musical scales.

Going down from middle C it would be C, B, Bb, A, Ab, G, Gb, F, E, Eb, D, Db

Notice I gave the black notes their sharp names going up and their flat names goingdown.

Also notice that between E and F and between B and C there are no black notes.

Thank God or we would never know visually how to find any note.

This diagram below visually represents all the half notes and introduces the concept ofan OCTAVE.

Simply put, the distance from any note, in this case C, to the same note either up ordown the keyboard is called an OCTAVE.

Remember octave is a distance, or musical interval.

Q? What is a whole step?

Answer: Why two half steps of course! That was easy.

Pretty easy answer huh?

A whole step is just two half steps in distance, like taking every other stair on a staircaseor every other wrung on a ladder.

Notice in the diagram below that a whole step can be from a white note to another whitenote, ie. C to D, D to E, F to G, G to A.

Black note to Black note: C# to D #, F# to G#, G# to A# , or white to black ie. E to F#or B to C#.

The diagram below illustrates this concept visually.

Knowing the concept of whole and half steps on the keyboard unlocks the next part ofour music scales lesson so make sure you have it

You should now know how to name all the keys on the piano and the concept ofwhole and half steps! Time to put this knowledge to use as we get further into

music scales and chords

4. Understanding music scales andthe 12 major scales

Part twoLearning the 12 major scales becomes easy once you understand whole steps

and half steps.

In this part of our lesson on music scales we will learn a simple formula that you can useto figure out a major scale starting with any note.

Remember that there are 12 different notes that repeat themselves on the keyboard sothere are 12 major scales associated with each of the 12 notes.

So let us begin with the formula and use it to form a few of the major music scales wewill be using in our early playing.

So what is a major scale?

A major scale is the most important of the music scales to understand. It consists of 8notes or tones with the first and last note of the scale being the same letter name.

A major scale will contain all the letter names, some may have flats or sharps but allmajor scales will contain every letter once and only once except for the first and lastnote which will always be the same.

The Formula?

Start with any note, and then move up the keyboard 2 whole steps, followed by a halfstep, then three whole steps followed by a half step. The diagram below applies thisformula to the C major scale on the keyboard.

Go ahead and play the scale on your piano or electronic keyboard. Don't worry aboutfingering right now.

Recognize the sound? Notice also that the C scale is the only major scale that containsno black keys.

Now let's apply the formula again and figure out the G major scale.

So starting with the note G we proceed whole step to A, another whole step to B thena half step to C a whole step to D another whole step to E another whole step toF# and finally a half step to G.

So the G scale reads G, A, B, C, D, E, F# and G and is pictured below on the keyboard.

So why the F#?From the note E to F is only an half step (no key in between) and we needed a wholestep, so we skip F and use F#. We can't call it Gb because we need to have every letterrepresented in the scale.

Your mission should you decide to accept it?Take a few minutes to figure out the D major scale and the A major scale. Remember totry and memorize the way the scales look on the keyboard and to proof them out by theway they sound.

Here is a list of all twelve major scales.C Major C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C

Db Major Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, Db

D Major D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D

Eb Major Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb

E Major E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D# E

F Major F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F

Gb Major Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F Gb

G Major G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G

Ab Major Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, G, Ab

A Major A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#, A

Bb Major Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb

B Major B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, B

What do I do with these scales?

Okay now! Take a breath. You have gotten a lot of information in a short time and maybe saying to yourself. I just want to play my favorite songs on the keyboard, not practicemusic scales!

My goal in presenting this material on the major scales is to give the necessaryinformation you will need to figure out any chord you may have to use in your playing!The chord formulas you will learn are all based on knowing the notes of a particularmajor scale and these formulas will allow you to find any chord on the keyboard withoutthe aid of a chord chart.

Playing the scales will however give you finger dexterity!

You can't get enough finger dexterity!

I remember that learning to play these music scales with both hands up and down thekeyboard was a major pain and it was only my passion for learning that got me throughit.

In the end it was a net gain. I can recommend a book called Hannon, the virtuosopianist part one. This book will give you progressive finger exercises and the fingeringsfor all the major scales as well as all the other music scales.

5. Transposing MusicThis piano lesson on transposing music will give you all you need to know to

take any song you are now playing and play it in another key.

This is an important skill to know especially if you are playing keyboards insome kind of band or if you are going to provide accompaniment for a vocalist

who may need to sing a song in a different key

In music transposition refers to the process, or operation, of moving a collection ofnotes up or down in pitch by a constant interval.

The main reason that you might have for dong this it to accompany yourself or otherswhen a particular song is in a difficult key to sing, either too high or too low.

For the most part if you are an aspiring ear player you will be looking to find what chordsyou should be playing in the new key.

The process of transposing music for this reason is not at all that difficult but as witheverything it will take a little knowledge and practice.

To learn this skill you are going to know a bit about the major scales and a little bitabout musical intervals which is a term to describe the distance between two notes.

So lets start simple.

Lets say you have a simple three chord song in the key of C such as "Silent Night" or"How Great Thou Art", using the chords C maj, F maj, and G maj.

Let say now that you or your vocalist wants you to transpose the song and play it in thekey of G.

Since C maj is the first chord of the song in the key of C then quite logically G maj willbe the first chord in the key of G.

The F maj chord in the key of C is built on the 4th note of the C major scale so to findthe corresponding chord in the key of G you would count 4 notes up the G major scaleand arrive at C.

So all the F chords in the key of C will be C chords in the key of G. Not so hard right?

Finally since the G maj chord is built on the 5th note of the C scale in the key of C thenin the key of G you will play the major chord built on the 5th note of the G major scalewhich would be C maj.

The Number System makes things easy.

While attending music school I learned perhaps the best and easiest way to transposechords and chord progressions and that was the number system.

In the example we just discussed we used two songs that use in the number system a I-IV-I-V-I progression or at least the I-IV and V chords from two different keys, the key ofC and the key of G. (yes we use roman numerals for the chords).

These three chords played in various different orders or progressions make up hundredsof songs already and yet to be written.

In the example below the diatonic chords in the key of C and G are given romannumerals to indicate what note of the major scale that they start on.

So instead of using the letter names of the chords I would say to you that the songSilent Night uses the I, IV and V chords in the key of C or G or Eb etc.

The order and the function (maj, min, dim) stay the same. Only the letter names aredifferent.

6. Learn the Minor Scales for PianoLearn formulas for minor scales used in playing the piano and where to use them in yourperformances. This lesson will cover Relative minor scales, Natural minor, Harmonicminor and Melodic minor scales.

Relative Minor Scales

If you know a little about the Major Scales and how to form them then learning theRelative Minor scales is fairly easy.

Each Major Key, or Major Scale has a Relative Minor scale associated with it that willshare the major scales Key signature.

To find the Relative Minor scale in the key of C you can count down from C three halfsteps to the note A, and then play all the white notes from A to A.

If you do that you will be playing an A natural minor scale.

Because the C major scale has no sharps or flats, the related A natural minor scale willhave no sharps or flats as well.

ex. C Major = C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C ex. A Minor = A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A

Notice as you play the two scales that the major scale will sound bright and cheerfulwhile the related minor scale will have a darker, more solemn or sad sound.

While it would be better for you to figure out the relative Natural Minor scales at thekeyboard using what you know so far, I will include all 12 Natural minor scales for you.

C = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C

D = D - E - F - G - A - Bb - C - D

E = E - F# - G - A - B - C - D - E

F = F - G - Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F

G = G - A - Bb - C - D - Eb - F - G

A = A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A

B = B - C# - D - E - F# - G - A - B

C# = C# - D# - E - F# - G# - A - B - C#

Eb = Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - Eb

F# = F# - G# - A - B - C# - D - E - F#

G# = G# - A# - B - C# - D# - E - F# - G#

Bb = Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - Gb - Ab - Bb

Natural Minor Formula

Another way to figure out any Natural minor scale is to use this simple formula.

whole step - half step - whole step - whole step - half step - whole step - whole step or:

w - h - w - w - h - w - w.

Harmonic Minor Scale

To play a harmonic minor scale, you simply raise the seventh note of the scale by a half-step as you go up and down the scale. For example:

Natural C Minor Scale = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C

Harmonic C Minor Scale = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - B - C

Melodic Minor Scale

When you raise the sixth and seventh notes of a scale by a half step as you go up thescale and then return to the natural minor as you go down the scale. For example:

Melodic C Minor Scale = C - D - Eb - F - G - A - B - C (as you go up the scale)

Natural C Minor Scale = C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C (as you go down the scale)

7. Learn the pentatonic scale andhow to use it

In this lesson you will learn a very simple scale (5 tones) that is widely used toadd flair and originality to your playing.

It is a very basic 5 note scale which can be used in any key for the purpose ofimprovisation.

This lesson will give you both the formula for the scale as well as suggestion on how touse it in your playing.

What is the pentatonic scale? The word pentatonic comes from the Greek, "penta",meaning 5 and "tonic" meaning tones. This versatile scale is based on the major scaleand uses the scale notes, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. In other words, this scale uses a root, amajor second, a major third, a perfect fifth, and a major sixth. So a C pentatonic scalewould be C, D ,E ,G, and A, as seen below.

It's really just that simple.

Just take any major scale and remove the 4th and 7th notes and you will have thepentatonic scale for that key.

So the F major 5 note scale would be F , G, A, C and D.

In the key of G it would be G, A, B, D and E and so on.

A note of interest.

If you start on the black note Gb/F# and play all the black notes you will hear thepentatonic scale for the key of Gb/F#. It may sound a bit "oriental" as it is the basis of alot of Eastern music.

If you are playing a song in the Key of C and are using mostly the diatonic chordsfrom that particular key than you will find that by using the notes in the C five note scaleyou can create melodies and improvisations that will sound harmonious. It's hard tomake a mistake.

The minor pentatonic scale

Just as the relative minor scale in a given key will share the notes of the major scalerelated to it, so the same will hold true for the minor 5 note piano scale as seen in thegraphic below.

Using the scale.

Making use of this scale requires the ability to experiment and let go of any fear ofmaking a mistake.

Actually mistakes can be very instructive if you recognize them and then do not repeatthem.

It takes a certain amount of mistakes to get good at anything so in some sense the moremistakes the better.

Again, just don't repeat them.

A good exercise would be to take a simple song that you are already familiar with ,withjust a few simple chords and while keeping your left hand playing the chords as younormally would, figure out the pentatonic scales for each of the chords and replace themelody with one of your own.

Start very simply with just a few of the notes of the scale.

If a particular phrase or series of notes sounds good than repeat it.

Repetitions of nice phrases of notes are pleasing to the listener and that repetition iswhat makes a melody "catchy".

Vary the notes and the rhythmic pattern to add variety. Too much repetition can beboring to the listener.

A suggested hand position to beginLets assume that the song is in the key of C or A minor.

I use two different hand positions when teaching this scale as well as when I am actuallyimprovising or soloing with the scale.

Position one, would be Right hand thumb on A which is the sixth note of the Cpentatonic scale.

The rest of your fingers would then fall naturally on B, C, D, and E.

You then have 4 of the 5 notes under your fingers with you 3rd finger being the Root ofthe scale.

Although the B note is not part of the 5 note scale you will find it will fit in places as apassing tone as well as being part of the G pentatonic scale which will be useful if youare in the Key of C.

Position two would be right hand thumb on the E note which is the third note of the 5note scale in the key of C.

Skip the F note and place second finger on G, third finger on A, and fifth finger on C.Now you have E, G, A, and C under your fingers.

Try each of the above hand positions individually for a while until you are comfortablewith each and then try moving from one position to another by shifting the position ofyour thumb from A, to E.

8. The Minor Pentatonic ScaleThis lesson will cover the minordirection on how you can use this useful scale in various styles of music.

If you studied the lesson on the pentatonic scale, you will recall that the pentatonic scaleuses five notes from the major scale. Scale tones 1,2,3,5 and 6

Here is the major pentatonic scale written on the staff in the Key of C.

Scale tones 1,2,3,5 and 6 translate to the notes C,D,E, G and A in the key of C. In thekey of F they would be F,G,A, C and D. Using the formula.

Because A minor is the relative minor scale of C major, both the A natural minor scaleand the A minor pentatonic scale will share the same notes as the C major and Cpentatonic scale.

Only the starting point of the scale will change. The diagrams below show the scale onthe staff and on the keyboard.

Knowing the notes of the scale is only the beginning. If you are going to use them inyour playing and song writing

You may want to start with somechords for that key.

While playing the left hand chords as you normally would, experiment with the scalesover the chord progression.

You will notice that the same pentatonic sthan it does over minor chords.

The Minor Pentatonic ScaleThis lesson will cover the minor pentatonic scale and give you some cleardirection on how you can use this useful scale in various styles of music.

on on the pentatonic scale, you will recall that the pentatonic scaleuses five notes from the major scale. Scale tones 1,2,3,5 and 6

is the major pentatonic scale written on the staff in the Key of C.

Scale tones 1,2,3,5 and 6 translate to the notes C,D,E, G and A in the key of C. In theuld be F,G,A, C and D. Using the formula.

Because A minor is the relative minor scale of C major, both the A natural minor scaleand the A minor pentatonic scale will share the same notes as the C major and C

e scale will change. The diagrams below show the scale onthe staff and on the keyboard.

Knowing the notes of the scale is only the beginning. If you are going to use them insong writing, it will require some experimentation.

with some simple songs in your favorite keys that use the

While playing the left hand chords as you normally would, experiment with the scales

You will notice that the same pentatonic scale will sound different over major chordsthan it does over minor chords.

The Minor Pentatonic Scaleand give you some clear

direction on how you can use this useful scale in various styles of music.

on on the pentatonic scale, you will recall that the pentatonic scale

Scale tones 1,2,3,5 and 6 translate to the notes C,D,E, G and A in the key of C. In the

Because A minor is the relative minor scale of C major, both the A natural minor scaleand the A minor pentatonic scale will share the same notes as the C major and C

e scale will change. The diagrams below show the scale on

Knowing the notes of the scale is only the beginning. If you are going to use them in

in your favorite keys that use the diatonic

While playing the left hand chords as you normally would, experiment with the scales

cale will sound different over major chords

Dont be afraid to make mistakes! It is the only way you will discover what sounds goodand what sounds not so good.

I often describe the process as being much like finger painting at the piano.

A suggested hand position to begin

Lets assume that the song is in the key of C or A minor.

I use two different hand positions when showing to students this scale as well as when Iam actually improvising or soloing with the scale.








9. Pentatonic Scale Patterns on PianoIf you want to be able to improvise and use pentatonic scale patterns on the

piano to create interesting and exciting solos then read on.

Knowing the notes of the pentatonic scale is one thing but turning thatknowledge into practical playing skill is another.

While playing piano and keyboards professionally over the years I was often asked totake a piano solo.

No matter what style of music I was asked to play I needed to be able to comfortablyimprovise an appropriate and interesting piano or keyboard solo over the chordprogression of a song.

Whether it was jazz, blues, rock, country or top 40 pop, the basic starting point for mewas the pentatonic scale.

I made a living for a long while with a few pentatonic scale patterns that werecomfortable to play and versatile enough to get me through just about any style ofmusic.

It is my intention in this lesson to share these simple pentatonic scale patterns with youin the hopes that you will be able to use them in your playing.

Learning pentatonic scale patterns

If you are not yet familiar with the pentatonic scale you may want to review the lessonson the pentatonic scale and the minor pentatonic scale.

Those lessons will give you the theory behind the scale and what notes to use in anygiven key while in this lesson we will discuss more about what makes an interestingkeyboard solo using this handy improvisation scale.

There are a few elements that go into creating interesting melodies and improvisationsusing pentatonic scale patterns.

First you must develop some sort of finger dexterity. There is no way around it, fingerdexterity takes some practice.

The absolute best way to develop fast and agile fingers are scale and finger exercises.

This can be tedious at times but a little extra effort, even 5 or ten minutes a day will payoff quickly and get you to the point where you dont have to think about what fingers touse , you will be free to use more inspiration in your playing.

If you are interested in getting a tried and true method to gain the speedand dexterity you will need I suggest the method that I and almost allserious players use and that is a book called "Hannon, The VirtuosoPianist."

A suggested hand position to begin.

Lets assume that the song is in the key of C or A minor.

I use two different hand positions when teaching this scale as well as when I am actuallyimprovising or soloing with the scale.








So now you know your pentatonic scale and are pretty comfortable with a few pentatonicscale patterns on the keyboard. Now what?

How do we create interesting melodies and solos that fit with the song style we areplaying? That is what this lesson is about.

Playing solos or improvising on the keyboard has to be the most fun thing for me. Ienjoy using creativity and spontaneity in my playing and so will you.

So lets jump in!

I say that because the first step is a little like jumping into strange lake. A little lessdangerous but still uncomfortable

Find some chord changes like the ones below and play a few random notes from thepentatonic scale. I recommend just a few notes to start.

Lets call these few notes a musical phrase

Pick a phrase, any phrase will do.

It will either sound good to you or not.

If it sounds good repeat it. If not don't repeat it, try another.

Repetition is good.

When you hear a familiar melody it is pleasing because you recognize it. In order torecognize it you must hear it more than once.

Too much repetition is sameness and becomes boring so you want to change thingsup a little as you repeat your initial phrase.

There are two elements to any phrase and you can achieve repetition as well as varietyby making subtle changes to either the melodic element or the rhythmic element.

Remember again, too much variety is sameness and also boring.

Much like a conversation the goal is to make a musical statement and then continue toembellish on that statement keeping the same basic theme.

The great thing is that you will develop your own style and personality as you learn toexpress your feelings musically.

As well as the basic pentatonic scale patterns you can add the blue notes to the scale theflatted 3rd 5th and 7th of the scale for more variety depending again on the style of themusic.

Another factor that goes into your improvisation is the mood or style of the song and ifyou are a keyboard player that has a multi-timberal instrument the type of sound orinstrument you are emulating.

Remember a trumpet can only play one note at a time and the player has to breathevery now and then.

There are several keys you can play the pentatonic scale patterns in and the patternswill look the same and finger the same on the keyboard. Those keys a C, F, and Gmajor, and their related minors A minor D minor and E minor.

People Get ready, Uses the C major and A minor pentatonic scale patterns in the firstvideo. I have added some interesting chords that are not diatonic to the key of C but youwill be able to play the pentatonic scales over them. the non-diatonic chords are the E7and D7 chords.

The chord changes for "People Get Ready" are as follows:

l C Em l F C l: 2x l C G/B l Am E7/G# l D7/F# F l Dm G C l

I decided to use a basic minor blues progression for my creation and chose to try andemulate an electric guitar sound to demonstrate pitch bending for those of you who mayhave an instrument with that feature. This is a basic 12 bar blues in A minor and will usethe a minor pentatonic scale with a few added "blue " notes.

I invented this chord progression in F maj. to demonstrate that the same pentatonicscale patterns we used in C major and A minor will feel the same to your fingers and canstill work in a Latin Grove.

The Chord progression is as follows:

l Gm C7 l F Dm l 2X l Bb A+ l Dm G7 l Gm C7 l Fmay7 l Eb l F l D+ l

10.Learn the Blues Scale for pianoblues...

This lesson on the basic blues scale for piano blues will cover how to find the rightblue notes that are added to the major scale and will give some suggestions on how touse this new scale to improvise on the 12 bar blues progression. The basic formula forthe blues scale can be used in any key but some keys will lend themselves easier to playon the piano.

So you've got a portable keyboard, learned a handful of useful chords, and packedup all your gear to go to your first jam session with your friend the drummer and someguys he knows who play guitar and bass.

Then comes the question, What do you want to play?.

Everyone looks at each other and finally someone says Blues in C, or G, or A, or E.Guitarists seem to love the keys of A and E.

The guitarist plays his favorite B.B.King licks for a couple of choruses of the 12 bar bluesprogression, somebody sings "Nobody loves me but my Mother and she could be jivin'too." and then everyone looks at you!

Time to pull out the Blues Scale you learned

And just what is that scale?

I like to look at it as a major scale with a few added "blue" notes, namely a flatted third,a flatted fifth and a flatted 7th.

My experience taught me that knowing that little piece of theory did little to help meactually play the blues.

The graphic below show the blues scale in the key of C which is one of my favorites keysboth for teaching and playing. More on the favorite key thing to come.

For a pianist, Blues happens between the cracks in the keys

Let me explain.

The blues was originally a vocal styling. It was about lost love and heartache. Hard workand pain.

The people who sang the blues sang from the depths of emotion and the voice, being amost versatile instrument is able to bend notes and actually sing between the cracks onthe piano.

While its true that we can't bend notes on a traditional piano (at least not withoutbreaking something) we can get a similar effect by combining the flatted third with themajor third in a chord or sliding a finger quickly from the flatted note to the natural note.

In the scale pictured above I would add the natural notes E and G as well,(except inminor blues where playing the natural third will get a quick icy stare from the leadguitarist.)

Getting Started...If you have never improvised before it's a little like musical finger painting in that youget to play what you want. This can feel uncomfortable at first if you are used to onlyreading written music.

In your right hand...I suggest just picking a few notes to start with. Keep it simple to start. Try RH thumb onG, 3rd finger on Bb, 4th finger on C.Or RH thumb on C, 3rd finger Eb, 4th finger, G.The notes I chose are taken from the C blues scale but will function even when played ontop of the F7 and G7 or (IV7 and V7} chords.IMPORTANT IMPROVISATION RULE!If something you play sounds good to you, REPEAT IT!

If something you play sounds bad to you DON'T REPEAT IT.

Make lots of mistakes!! Just don't repeat them.

In your Left hand....The music below is a simple suggested left hand basic "boogie" pattern you can use tobegin to get the feel of playing the blues.

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