When learning scales..

[saritmiki]

I got the answers, message can be deleted, thanks

[keypeg]

Hi Saritmiki.  I just started learning the scales a month ago.  A couple of things help.  the first thing is something called the Circle of Fifths, and what it represents are the keys and the order in which sharps and flats come.  You see, each key in the circle of fifths keeps the old sharps and adds a new one.  So when you play in a new key, you just have to remember one more sharp.  It goes like this:

CM - no sharps .... C D E F G A B
GM - one sharp .... G A B C D E F# ... the sharp is F#
DM - two sharps ... D E F# G A B C# .. you have the same F#, now you've added a C#
AM - three sharps ... A B C# D E F# G# ... F# & C# stay, and you have added G#.

That's the pattern.  So if you play G major for a few days and get used to the F#, then when you add D major, you only have to remember one more sharp, the C#.

The order of keys in the circle of fifths is C G D A E B F# C# (major)

But you can also find that order visibly with your five fingers.  If you put your hand to cover the first five notes of C major, your fifth finger lands on G.  That is also your next key signature.

As far as adding the new sharp is concerned, it is a semitone below the tonic of your key, or you can think of it as the black key to the left.  So when you play G major, the semitone directly below G is F#, which is the new sharp, and it's just below the G.

That's the first thing to remember that will help you.

The second thing is that fingering depends on how many black keys are involved.  That is because using certain fingers on the black keys is awkward.

The following keys all have the same fingering: 1231234(5) for the right hand, and  12345123 for the left:

C, G, D, A, E.

Once you get to B major, which uses all five black keys, the fingering changes slightly.  That makes it a different "class" of scales in the sense of fingering.  I found it helpful to spend a lot of time learning the first "class" and getting them solid before moving on to different fingering.

You want to be practicing the thumb motion and bringing your hand to the new position, almost like a choreograph so that it will go smoothly.

For chords I don't understand your question.  In the beginning I only learned the I chord, and played it in root, first and 2nd inversion.  So for C major it was CEG, EGC, GCE going up and down again.  Later I noticed a scale book finished with I IV I V I and apparently that's a classical pattern (?)

hth

[saritmiki]

Hi Saritmiki.  I just started learning the scales a month ago.  A couple of things help.  the first thing is something called the Circle of Fifths, and what it represents are the keys and the order in which sharps and flats come.  You see, each key in the circle of fifths keeps the old sharps and adds a new one.  So when you play in a new key, you just have to remember one more sharp.  It goes like this:

CM - no sharps .... C D E F G A B
GM - one sharp .... G A B C D E F# ... the sharp is F#
DM - two sharps ... D E F# G A B C# .. you have the same F#, now you've added a C#
AM - three sharps ... A B C# D E F# G# ... F# & C# stay, and you have added G#.

That's the pattern.  So if you play G major for a few days and get used to the F#, then when you add D major, you only have to remember one more sharp, the C#.

The order of keys in the circle of fifths is C G D A E B F# C# (major)

But you can also find that order visibly with your five fingers.  If you put your hand to cover the first five notes of C major, your fifth finger lands on G.  That is also your next key signature.

As far as adding the new sharp is concerned, it is a semitone below the tonic of your key, or you can think of it as the black key to the left.  So when you play G major, the semitone directly below G is F#, which is the new sharp, and it's just below the G.

That's the first thing to remember that will help you.

The second thing is that fingering depends on how many black keys are involved.  That is because using certain fingers on the black keys is awkward.

The following keys all have the same fingering: 1231234(5) for the right hand, and  12345123 for the left:

C, G, D, A, E.

Once you get to B major, which uses all five black keys, the fingering changes slightly.  That makes it a different "class" of scales in the sense of fingering.  I found it helpful to spend a lot of time learning the first "class" and getting them solid before moving on to different fingering.

You want to be practicing the thumb motion and bringing your hand to the new position, almost like a choreograph so that it will go smoothly.

For chords I don't understand your question.  In the beginning I only learned the I chord, and played it in root, first and 2nd inversion.  So for C major it was CEG, EGC, GCE going up and down again.  Later I noticed a scale book finished with I IV I V I and apparently that's a classical pattern (?)

hth

Keypeg hey again how are u doing?

Thanks for your time

When I play in my left hand the A major scale I cant do it "fast" as I do it on my right hand, so I will have to work on it more or maybe my fingering is not right?

and I have to check again the number for I, and IV what it means because if no it can really confuses me hehe I meant that (At least I thought) and if its wrong tell me that on each scale like on A mayor the succession of how the scale is u can find chords?

Like say in C major scale, there u can have chord C or chord D etc.. just on this scale at least this is what I thought because I wanted to understand succession chords?

Have a nice day,
Sarit

[keypeg]

Hi Sarit,
As you know I answered privately.  For some of that I think you need a theory book.  The question and answers should stay up because other people may have similar questions in the future.  Forums act a bit like an un-indexed encyclopedia of facts that might be right or wrong.  (Whew, what a definition)

[saritmiki]

Hey Keypeg, yesterday I was thinking that I asked it wrong lol so I thought it should be deleted Before I saw any respond