At higher grades you must be able to discuss with the examiner musical features such as texture, form, style, and period of a piece of music. My own web pages to help with these parts of the test at Grade 5+ and at GCSE are available here!
Scale circle
Once you know two or three major and minor scales,
it's time to look at the scale circles.
This page also includes tips on practising scales in varied ways,
and a downloadable sheet on scale fingerings.
Major scales
For a worksheet on writing your own circle of fifths using the bass clef, click here.
For a worksheet using the treble clef, click here
Major # Keys
As well as using the circle of fifths, you may wish to think about the sharp and flat keys separately, as below.
The sharp keys go up in fifths: C, G, D, A, E, B, F#, C#
But don't take my word for it!
At the piano, play a C major scale. Split it into two halves of four notes each. The first half starts on C. What does the second half start on? _________
Yes, it starts on G.
Now, back at the piano, play a C major scale but start and finish on G. Which note sounds 'wrong'? To our ears, the seventh note should sound wrong, so sharpen it to get F#.
Add F# and congratulations - you have discovered the key of G major!
Now play a G major scale - with F#
Split it into two halves and play it again starting and finishing on D
Hopefully it is the seventh note, C natural, which again sounds wrong to you
So add this sharp, C#, and congratulations - you have discovered the key of D major!
Repeat this pattern for all the keys
So we notice that:
the second half of one scale is the first half of the next (i.e G, A, B, C are played to 'finish' C major and to 'start' G major)
the seventh note sounds wrong so we 'sharpen' it
since a sharp is added to seventh note of each new scale, the key signature gets that new sharp every time. So sharps are added in this order:
F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#, B#
Does this pattern have any similarity with the sharp scale circle above?
Major b Keys
The flat keys go up in fourths: C, F, B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat, G flat....
But again, don't take my word for it!
At the piano, play a C major scale. Split it into two halves of four notes each. The second half ends on C. What does the first half end on? _________
Yes, it ends on F.
Now, back at the piano, play a C major scale but start and finish on F. Which note sounds 'wrong' this time? To our ears, the fourth note should sound wrong, so flatten it to get B flat.
Add B♭ and congratulations - you have discovered the key of F major!
Now play an F major scale - with B♭
Split it into two halves and play it again starting and finishing on the last note of the first half (b flat)
Hopefully it is the fourth note, E natural, which again sounds wrong to you
So add this flat, Eb, and congratulations - you have discovered the key of B♭ major!
Repeat this pattern for all the keys
So we notice that:
the first half of one scale is the second half of the next
C, D E, F are played to 'start' C major and to 'finish' F major, F, G, A, Bb are used to finish Bflat major
the fourth note sounds wrong so we 'flatten' it
since a flat is added to fourth note of each new scale, the key signature gets that new flat every time.
The flats are added to the key signature in this order:
B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat.....
Notice what this pattern has in common with the flat scale circle.
Minor Scales
Now add the related minor keys to the inner (grey) circle. The related minor key has the same key signature as the major key on its outer circle.
Minor # Keys
Just as the sharp major keys go up in fifths: C, G, D, A, E, B, F#, C#
... so do the minor sharp keys: A, E, B, F#, C#.
In fact they travel in pairs, each major scale having a minor 'partner' called its relative minor.
But you can discover this pattern through your playing.
At the piano, play a C major scale. What is the sixth note of this scale? _________
Yes, it is A.
Now, back at the piano, play a C major scale but start and finish on A. Which note sounds 'wrong'? To our ears, the seventh note should sound wrong, so sharpen it to get G#.
Add G# and congratulations - you have discovered the key of A minor!
The G# will always be an accidental in pieces written in A minor - the key signature will be the same as its partner, C major
Now play a G major scale - remembering F#
Now play it again starting and finishing on the sixth note, E
Hopefully it is the seventh note, D natural, which again sounds wrong to you
So add this sharp, D#, and congratulations - you have discovered the key of E minor, and its close relationship to G major!
Repeat this pattern for all the keys
So we notice that:
the minor scale starts on the sixth note of its relative major
the seventh note sounds wrong so we 'sharpen' it
the minor scales produce their own circle of fifths
the key signature of the minor is the same as its relative major, with new sharps added as accidentals. These new sharps are added in this order:
G#, D#, A#, E#, B#
Does this pattern have any similarity with the sharp scale circle above?
Minor b Keys
Just as the flat major keys go up in fourths: C, F, B flat, E flat, A flat, D flat, G flat....
... so do the minor flat keys: Am, Dm, Gm, Cm, Fm, Bbm, Ebm
Let's see that working!
At the piano, play an F major scale. What is the sixth note of the scale? _________
Yes, it is D.
Now, back at the piano, play an F major scale but start and finish on D. Which note sounds 'wrong' this time? To our ears, the seventh note note should sound wrong, so sharpen it to get C# .
Add C# and congratulations - you have discovered the key of D minor!
Now play a Bb major scale
Now play it again starting and finishing on the sixth note of the scale (G)
Hopefully it is the seventh note, F natural, which again sounds wrong to you
So add this sharp, F#, and congratulations - you have discovered the key of G minor!
Repeat this pattern for all the keys
So we notice that:
the minor scale starts on the sixth note of its relative major
the seventh note sounds wrong so we 'sharpen' it
the minor scales produce their own circle of fifths
the key signature of the minor is the same as its relative major, with new sharps added as accidentals. These new sharps are added in this order:
G#, D#, A#, E#, B#
Does this pattern have any similarity with the sharp scale circle above?
Scale fingerings
It sometimes helps to practise scales in fingering groups. For example the standard C major fingering is
going up going down
RH 123 12345 54321 321
LH 54321 321 123 12345
You could help students identify for themselves the scales that have the same fingerings in each hand. Write these on separate cards. Encourage them to practice all the scales on the same cards together. They can pick a card from the stack, and put to the bottom of the stack when they have played those scales correctly.
To download a sheet with the scales organised in fingering groups, click here.
Practising scales and arpeggios
Tips to make learning effective and enjoyable:
- even if only playing an octave, pass the thumb under (RH) or the correct finger over (LH), for the last note - as if you were going to continue
- Use backing tracks to enliven practice in each key.
- Practise scales and arpeggios in different rhythms (e.g. the rhythm of one of your pieces)
- Play black key scales with C major fingering (you'd be surprised how natural this can be, and very useful for real pieces...)
- Start on the 'wrong' note - not always the top or the bottom
- Play scales and arpeggios staccato, or build in a crescendo and diminuendo
- Devise an effective legato fingering for scales in thirds or sixths (Hint: this will not be the fingering in your scales book!)
Resources
- Do It Improvisation Vols I and II, J. Froseth
