Is this the proper way to finger this scale?

[Chad]

I am looking at the first scale in Mozart's Sonata in C and I was wondering if this is the correct way to finger the scale.

The scale goes like this...
a b c d e f g a g f e d c b a

this is how I am learning to finger it...
a  b  c  d  e   f  g  a  g  f  e  d  c  b  a
1  2  3  1  2  3  4  5  4  3  2  1  3  2  1

and of course 1=thumb, 2=index finger, etc...


Second, is that the A major scale?  Forgive my stupidty but I dont know anything about music theory.  

[ThEmUsIcMaNBJ]

I didn't look at the score cause I'm lazy    but I learned it a while ago and pretty sure I know which part your talking about.  You mean it goes down after you play 5 on the A right?  Yeah thats the best way to finger it...  And it's an A Natural Minor scale...  The way I always think about it is this...  Take your A major scale which has 3 sharps,  then add 3 flats or take away 3 sharps.  Then you get you're natural minor scale....  So 3 sharps - 3 is 0 right?  So there you go A natural minor...  I think it's also called something else... is it Pure minor or something?  I don't remember I just always call it natural minor...  Theres a trillion different ways to get to the minor key but once you have them all memorized it really doesn't matter  

[eddie92099]

Yes the fingering is fine. The scale is A minor, although it is different to an A minor scale which you would find in a scale book - normally they would have A harmonic minor (with a G sharp instead of a G) and A melodic minor.
Ed

[Chad]

Great!  Thanks for the help.  

[jlh]

Yes, you're right, it is called something else: Aeolian Mode.  

Music Theory aside, the fingering for this passage is slightly different than the normal A natural minor scale because it leads down one more note to G.

Here's the best way to finger it:

a  b  c  d  e   f  g  a  g  f  e  d  c  b  a   g
1  2  3  1  2  3  4  5  4  3 2  1  4 3  2   1

[eddie92099]

It is in fact not the Aeolian mode, it is the Aelion mode on A (modes can start on any note, it just simplest on one since all the white notes are played e.g. Dorian, D and Aeolian, A),
Ed

[Rach3]

Is it still called an A minor scale when the tonality is F major?

[jlh]

It is in fact not the Aeolian mode, it is the Aelion mode on A (modes can start on any note, it just simplest on one since all the white notes are played e.g. Dorian, D and Aeolian, A),
Ed

Yes, you're right, of course.  That's what I meant, sorry for the confusion.

As for the tonality... the tonality may be in F Major, but that particular scale will always be called the A natural minor scale.  You could also say, if you wanted to get technical, that it is the Lydian mode on F -- AS WELL AS the Aeolian mode on A.  Confused yet?