Working in different keys... Periodicity ?

[drooxy]

Hi everyone,

I have set a couple of exercises that I would like to work on by applying them to the 12 major keys and I wonder if I should go through all keys the same day or work on one key per day, per week... if you tell me "one per year", I'll get real depressed !    

Briefly, my aim, in these exercices is:

. teach my right hand -and myself ! - to identify and
 locate the notes belonging to each different keys (and
 only these !!!) playing them in different orders/rythms,

. accompany with my left hand playing kinds of
 patterns on basic rythms (2/4, 3/4 and 4/4)
 built on arpeggios, triads and inversions (based on
 tonic, sub-dominant and dominant of the chosen key)
 or kind of  C-G-E-G/C-A-F-A/B-G-F-G  see ? like
 Mozart...   !

I am afraid that playing the twelve keys each day brings confusion (especially to my right hand) and I would not like the whole process to take me 12 years !   :-/

Thank you for any advice !

Drooxy  

[Daniel_piano]

Hi everyone,

I have set a couple of exercises that I would like to work on by applying them to the 12 major keys and I wonder if I should go through all keys the same day or work on one key per day, per week... if you tell me "one per year", I'll get real depressed !    

Briefly, my aim, in these exercices is:

. teach my right hand -and myself ! - to identify and
 locate the notes belonging to each different keys

Well, that's what scales are for
If I have piece in Eb for example I Eb I practice the Eb scale many times before attempting the piece
I know a lot of students who have troubles remembering each note who is alterated
But if you practice first the scale in that key you won't need to remember any alteration in the key it will become natural to know which patter to follow and which notes are dissonant or preparation for a modulation in another key
So how do you practice scales
Work in the first one with a sharp and the first one with a flat until you know them well (first hands separate alternating slow and fast movements but always following the sheet music) when you know these scales well work on the next two but keep practicing and repassing the first two
And so on until you have done all of them
Well, since this is the main reason why scales ar required to be practiced ... let's use them instead of exercises ...

Daniel

[drooxy]

Thank you for your answer Daniel.

In fact I can play all major scales (and some minor ones too) quite easily (TU so not very fast though) but because I certainly learnt them the wrong way (repassing them in a mechanical manner) it does not seem to be very helpful neither when it comes to sight-reading nor when it comes to improvising (or try to !!!    ).

So I am now reviewing them paying more attention to how they are constituted, naming each note as it is written on the music sheet (e.g. reading and saying "E" but playing Eb or E# because I am in a key where E only exists with a # or a b - a "mind view" that seems to work pretty well with me), naming its quality (tonic, dominant,...), etc.

=> I believe that should improve my sight-reading.


In parallel, I try to play notes belonging to a given scale in many different orders (like  [123454322345654334567... and reverse] or [12131415161716151413121... and reverse] etc. where 1=Tonic, 2=super-tonic ,etc.) again keeping my mind aware of the quality of each note in the scale.

=> I believe that should help me "respect" the scale's key signature when improvising.


Finally, I try to play different rythm patterns/harmonisation/chors inversions with the left hand over the scale (or variation of it !).

=> I believe that should improve my knowledge of scales harmonisation (M,m,m,M,M,m,d,M), my hands independancy and also my capacity of improvising a right hand melody over a left hand rythm...


Impatient to hear comments on that approach !

Thank you,
Drooxy

[bernhard]

Yes, I like this approach much better than the “exercise” approach simply because it will achieve the same aims but it is also much more fun.

This is something I do:

Think C major. This is easy because you need only to play the white notes. On the LH play the following fifths: CG – FC – GD in a steady, slow regular beat. You can play each fifth together as a chord or as a broken chord, one note after the other. Keep your left hand going through this progression no matter what. Then improvise a melody freely on the RH. Play anything you want as long as it is white notes (C major, remember?). Once you get the hang of it, you can try playing chords on the RH as well.

Now change keys, say Eb major. Now you really need to know your Eb major scale to do this. And if you don’t doing it will teach you!.

Then go through all major scales doing this improvisation (you can do a different scale everyday – just set a time limit, say ten minutes, and freely improvise in this fashion for the allotted time).

There are many advantages to this. First it is fun. Second it will teach you about the scale. Third it will teach you to recognise a perfect fifth interval no matter what scale you are in. It will also train you to spot chords I – IV – V in all keys (since this is basically what the left hand is doing). Fourthly it will give you facility in improvising.

As you get the hang of it, you can try to express specific emotion swith your RH melodic patterns (joy, sadness, fear, anxiety and so on). Think movie soundtrack and concentrate on evoking one single emotion/ inner state per improvisation period.

Now change the LH interval to a perfect forth (CF – FBb – GC – Notice the Bb that does not belong to C, but it is necessary to create the interval).

Go through all intervals like that, and you will also master all intervals in all scales.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[ted]

I wholly agree with Bernhard's method here. Vague, imprecise repetition (some elements varying, some remaining constant) is much more artistically interesting than exact replication of something at different pitches. My view, purely personal, is that human brains do not learn serially but latch onto little bits all over the place and make connections. (Goes completely against the entire education system I know, but there we are !)

Work from a position of freedom toward one of order, not the other way around or else you will never get started. Developed consistently, if you want to go the creative way, this path can lead to a lifelong aesthetic direction.

[drooxy]

Bernhard, Ted,

Thanks for your input.

I include I-IV-V on left hand in my working session indeed and I start to be pretty confident with this progression in all keys.

The thing I miss is some interesting LH rythmic patterns.

For instance, in key of C, I don't do very different from things like CGEGCGEG-BGFGBGFG etc. or C-[CEG]-F-[FAC] etc. or else C-[CEG]-[CEG]-F-[FAC]-[FAC] (using also 1st and 2nd inversions, and mixing them like C-[EGC]-[GCE]...).

I think that including some arpeggios would also be interesting but I cannot do all at once !!!  

In fact I am amazed by the number and variety of "exercises" you can find by yourself and that contribute to improve "keyboard geography" knowledge...

Cheers,
Drooxy

[ted]

Drooxy:

You're on the right track and you'll get there sooner or later if you persist. It mightn't be in three weeks, three months or three years but you will get there.

How can I put this so it doesn't sound trite ? You don't have to think about the form of physical or rhythmic figuration - you just feel it and play it - no relation to notation at all. I am guessing that you are fitting whatever you do into a sort of mental jelly-mould of notation. This is counter-productive to flow.

[bernhard]

I include I-IV-V on left hand in my working session indeed and I start to be pretty confident with this progression in all keys.

This progression is the most basic one. Once you feel confortable with it in all keys, you can try different chord progressions. One thing I do is to use the chord progressions of the pieces I am learning. For instance, the chord progression of the Chopin Nocturne you are working on is simple enough (or you can par it down and simplify it) to be approachable in this way.

The thing I miss is some interesting LH rythmic patterns.

You can do as above: use the rhythmic patterns of the pieces you are working on, so one thing informs the other. If you want some interesting latin rhythm patterns, have a look here:

https://www.formedia.ca/rhythms/index.html

but I cannot do all at once !!!

Exactly! Hence the usefulness of some sort of limitation until you get used to the basic patterns. Then your unconscious will take over!

I completely agree with Ted in the posts above.


Best wishes
Bernhard.

[drooxy]

Ted,

 I get your point, I think... There must be a time for
 working on written music in full respect of the author's
 intention ("Nocture N°2 opus 9" from Chopin)
 and a time for creativity, playing more freely with no
 written reference ("Piece of sh... N°0 Opus 0" from
 Drooxy)... Right ?  

Bernhard, Ted,

 Thanks again for your inputs and your
 encouragements to which I am very sensitive !  

Sincerely,
Drooxy

[will]

How do you approach this kind of improvisation scale practice for minor scales?
I find the functions of the natural, harmonic and melodic variation of minor scales confusing.
Do you use i iv and V in the LH and the melodic minor scale in the RH?

[ted]

Will, as it happens I have a few mp3s I recorded for somebody wherein I demonstrate more or less what you are asking about. If you send me an email I shall reply with them attached.

[will]

That'd be great Ted.
No one else improvises in minor keys?