What is effective way to teach scales, memorize the key signatures ?

[dora96]

Hi all,

I have some students taking AMEB Grade 4 Exam. Syllabus of scales are quite demanding. There are lots to learn. Is there any effective way to teach to memorize the key signatures? Major scales I have run through each lesson that different major scales and key signatures, but students are confused when I ask that what major scale consists 4 sharps. Students are quite hesitated the sharps or flats. Besides, I haven't run through the minor, melodic scales yet, arpeggio in different keys, contrary motion in minor or major scales.

The scales are required to play in 4 octaves. It is really killer, once students play upward is fine, but downward, their fingers tangle up in a knot. Does anyone have better idea and system to teacher students practice securely and confidently when I test them in random scales       

[iroveashe]

Logic works for me. I learned the scales when I played guitar, so I first learned the notes and intervals and only later applied them to a keyboard. First I learned the order of the sharps and flats (maybe they were easier to memorize in Spanish because, to me, Fa-Do-Sol-Re-La-Mi-Si sounds more musical than F-C-G-D-A-E-B), then when i saw for example 4 sharps, F#-C#-G#-D#, I knew that from the last sharp you have to go one semitone up and that's the tonic, or one tone down and it's the relative minor. And with flats it's the previous flat from the last one in the key signature, if you have Bb-Eb-Ab-Db-Gb, you're in D-flat. After that it's just a matter of knowing the geography of the piano. Isn't this the way everyone learns though?

[mcdiddy1]

The most effective way to teach scales is to have they play in different keys. You have to figure out what the purpose of learning scales and memorizing key signatures. The fact is to be able to play in different keys so give them pieces in all the different. When they have learned the piece they can associate the number of sharps and flats in a key by associating with the corresponding key signature.

Another way for remebering key signatures. is using the trick of going up a half step from the last sharp to find the Major key and using the second to last flat for keys with flats.

For scales you have to teach them how to construct them using the whole step - half -step patterns and then show them the one note difference between harmonic, natural, and minor scales. Arpeggios are simple once you understand chords so teach them to play the I, IV, V7 of every major key. You can do that in one hand position by raising the top notes of a I chord for four and lowering the root and raising the third of the I for V7

Above all eles make them understand theory through listening skills. Theory is just a way to explain what we hear in the ear. In order to understand that they should have a tonal reference. If they never played a piece in E major how can you expect them to understand that key or the chords that are involved with them. You have to prepare them to do by making them play in the key and then giving it a label afterwards

[kitty on the keys]

Logic---works great---BUT--they have to have some fun with it too. Take those kids in your Grade4 class and have a  group glass just for them. Use games,  contests, cards, flash cards, writing contests---choose 2 key centers and build on it. They will love the contests--and you will get what you wanted learned---and they will feel prepared-----and you can reinforce at the lesson as well. Do you use a computer program for theory? More fun than theory sheets. Good luck!




Kitty on the keys

[braintist]

B E A D G C F

From left to right is the Flat scales
right to left is sharp scales
Try letting your students remember this I learnt my scales this way

You can try creating some sort of a statement like, bear eats all dirty garbage crusty food

[ramseytheii]

All students should be made aware of the circle of fifths, or the tonal clock, because it gives an easy to remember order to the key signatures.  They can see that G is at one o'clock, and has one sharp; B is at 5 o'clock and has 5 sharps, etc.  The flats they will just have to memorize, but having a picture always makes it easier.

One thing you can do, which students seem to find fun, to practice certain scales in contrary motion.  These are the scales that have the same fingering in both hands, when done contrarywise: C, G, D, A, E, E-flat.

Here is an interesting anecdote from Richter, which made me think of this.  He is describing painting lessons he had with Robert Falk:

"From time to time I used to go and practise painting at his studio, and it was on one of these occasions that he made the following comment, which I immediately applied to the piano: 'Do you know what's the most difficult thing in painting?  It's to draw a perfect circle.  But it's less difficult if you use both hands and draw two circles simultaneously.'  It's exactly the same with the piano.  Symmetry!  Everything has to be symmetrical."

Walter Ramsey

[dora96]

I think it is quite difficult for young kids to understand musical theories. Like one of my students, she is 10 years old. She gets mental block very easily, getting so frustrated. I have run through the scales each week, I said to her think about it first the major scale in her head before playing it. And think about the minor scale in her head, how do they sound. However, she is so scared to get it wrong. The more she tries the less she remember. Does any one have any more strategies to make it more fun and interesting to learn scales, any pictures, or attractive diagram ?

[learner of liszt]

I sort of just memorized the scales, triads, and key signatures by a lot of repetition. If that doesn't work, I suggest having them memorize the phrase "Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Birds". It's my school's music teacher uses to teach the sharps. Then, once they know the sharps by heart, they also know the order of the flats (which are the sharps backwards). Then build on that: learning to identify what key the piece is in by memory, and then figuring out scales, chords, etc. It might take a little time, but it's worth it. If your students have trouble remembering what keys go with what signature, this is useful: In sharps, the last sharp to the right on the written page is exactly one half-step below the key (One sharp (F#)=G, two (C#)=D, etc.). Then, on flats, the last sharp to the right is the fourth scale degree (a.k.a. Fa). Go down for notes, and you have your key.

[jgallag]

As learner of liszt said, mnemonics are the best way to go for remembering the orders of flats and sharps. I apologize, I'm not really creative tonight, but you might want to have them memorize a different odd statement for the flats as it's more challenging to ask them to remember the sharp order backwards for flats. Also remember that the last sharp is "ti", and the second to last flat is "do", except in the case of F major. As far as technique goes, you've got a much harder problem. I'm assuming if the kids have to do four octaves (sorry, I don't really know AMEB, I did NYSSMA) that they're going to have to perform them at a decent clip. For that I refer you to https://www.pianofundamentals.com/book/en/1.III.5.1 for a reading on scale technique (there are links at the bottom of the page to move on to the next section), and https://www.pianopractice.org/ for the TO/TU videos mentioned in the reading. Using the techniques described here, with a reasonable amount of practice your students should be able to achieve speeds of 120 and faster (I'm hoping for grade four you won't need more than 120, but hey). I've personally tried these methods, they work, you may even be teaching them already and I just don't know. Unfortunately, this is also time consuming, but it is worth it, I promise. If it won't be ready in time for the exam, well, my personal opinion is that the exam should be sacrificed in the interest of learning, but it's your call.

Other things to do: Have them sing scales on "la" or solfege so that they can hear in their minds what a scale will sound like on any given pitch. Practice hands separately! This is probably why they can't go down; their left hand simply isn't proficient in moving down the keyboard. It's much more complex than it is when the left hand comes up, and therefore needs more attention. Match the scales to the repertoire they're learning, and show them how the melodies/bass in the piece are made up of pieces of the scale and of arpeggios in that scale. Group the notes into chords ex. C,D,E and F,G,A,B in C major so that they can visually see these different fingering groupings and hand positions in the scale. Do NOT neglect the function of the arms in scale playing and even the torso in positioning the body as the scale moves up and down the four octaves. Play rhythmic, articulation, dynamic variations, have them compose melodies using parts of the scale, anything you can come up with. Make scale playing fun and productive. Students want two things: to have fun, and to see progress. You must do your best to make sure they are always going somewhere. Think about it: would you practice if you didn't think you were getting anything out of it?

BTW: If you think this is too complex, then break it down and be creative. However, please don't just accept the standard methods of endless repetition without attention to movement. If you're going to teach them scales, you might as well teach them the right way to play them the first time. I have a friend who's been in a sling for a week and a half because she developed forearm pains from trying to speed up the thumb under method for playing scales. Now she's freaking out and has a recital in two months. Just don't put your students there. You need thumb under, yes, but it needs to become the exception rather than the rule. The thumb can be played just like all the other fingers, using the muscles in the forearm, and it should be played that way. The muscles in the hand are slow and clumsy, and only for use when the tempo allows for complete security and relaxation.

[bats_about_belfreys]

"The flats you will just have to remember" or somesuch said a previous suggestion. Have you noticed that every single "next" key in the flats starts on the note that needed to be flattened? So F takes a Bb and Bb, the next scale "down" takes an Eb, which is the following scale down... A perfect pattern.

The other idea, about the clock of fifths I liked and will use.

Have you ever tried to teach a scale as an entity? Go for the outer ones - Bmaj has a definite profile, crossing two "hills", F-sharp-maj staying on its plateau and dipping into the gullies that are too wide... So that you are teaching generalised geographical shapes rather than telephone numbers. Most importantly: add the proviso that the penultimate note is always one single semitone before arrival at the starting point, as this one note causes over half of the bishes (in all keys).

Of course, the best idea is simply to teach pieces in whatever key they are, and leave the notational etc. theory aside. Recognition does come, really, and not only of the standard keys but of the changes in chords that add harmonic interest (avoid Ravel and similar shape-shifters! Too ingenious). All the horrors of scales is then left as an optional item for those who wish further study of musical mechanisms, perhaps because they want to write/improvise or do something more with their music. But alas, your task is to cram kids for exams. It's a cruel world.

[nanabush]

I just kinda learned the scales because my teacher would make me play every scale/chord/arpeggio at the start of each lesson.  Eventually I'd just go and start playing them, until I knew the whole book of them off by heart.

When I started theory (Grd 5 RCM in Canada), I already knew pretty much all of the key signatures until 4 sharps and 4 flats, which was all that was required for beginner theory.

What confuses my students is not finding the key signature of G major, but having a question like "Find the relative minor of the major scale containing 4 flats".  It's just a matter of working backwards, but they have the hardest time understanding this.  And it is beyond me how one of my students can memorize an 8 page piece of music, but can't memorize the damn "Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle".  We joke about that every lesson 

I make my students tell me the key signature before every scale they play.  It's tedious at first, but it gets them really quick with that stuff.

I say: "Play your Bb major scale; tell me how many flats there are, and which ones".  Eventually I just say "E major" and they'll say "FCGD sharp" and then they will play the scale.  Of course I only do this for kids who either have theory tests coming up or should at this point in their playing be aware of the key signatures.  Little 5 and 6 year olds still struggle with saying the alphabet backwards, so skipping letters and remembering acronyms is definitely not stuff I give to them haha.

Repetition is key.  If you give them homework and they are not strong with key signatures, chances are they'll just look it up in a book or online.  Quiz them throughout the lesson; some of my kids have a favorite "tough" scale such as G# minor, and they know that it has 5 sharps just because that fact sparks each time I ask them to play it.

The problem with patterns is that some kids have trouble understanding them - no matter how simple they seem.  Going up perfect fifths in sharp major scales, and down perfect fifths in flat major scales starting from C major is a nightmare for some kids, but is just as easy as quick math for some other kids.

Ask your kid how they study for school tests.  If they just stare at it and memorize it, then give them the circle of fifths   .  If they like a crazy acronym then throw the Father Charles one at them.  Or if they are good with patterns and visualizing problems, show them that a leap of a fifth up from C is 'G', and that scale has one sharp; another jump of a fifth is 'D', and has two sharps, etc.