A gold medal video. I've been playing for over two years and only started after 65 years of age. I'm making progress, but I decided to really learn how to practice...scales and arpeggios. Perfect timing.
BOTH! (otw it's too boring ... :-) At my students' FIRST lesson, after going over posture, hand position, and a few tonalization exercises (i.e. playing each finger on a note several times a la Suzuki's "Mississippi hot dog"), they learn to play: 1. the C major root position triad in a repeated broken pattern (C - E - G - E) and blocked pattern in each hand alone; more adept students also learn to play the blocked triad in one hand coinciding with the first note of the broken triad in the other hand, then switch hands. 2. the C major scale - 1 octave, ascending and descending in each hand alone, MOVING the hand (no thumb crossing) to each finger group position -- i.e. RH ascending : 1 - 2 - 3 (move hand) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 RH descending: 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 (move hand) 3 - 2 - 1 LH ascending: 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 (move hand) 3 - 2 - 1 LH descending : 1 - 2 - 3 (move hand) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 This gives them 1 week to establish that and sets them up for success at the second lesson: 1. If they can play a C major root position triad in each hand (and hands together -- learned at the second lesson if not at the first), they can also just as easily play the remaining 6 root position triads in the key of C (d min, e min, F maj, G maj, a min, b dim). 2. if they can play the scale of C major for 1 octave moving their hands for each finger group, they can learn to cross the thumb under and fingers over to move to the next finger group. So we have broken and blocked root position triads and 1-octave scales from zero to two weeks -- with reasonable fluency, and building a good foundation for what comes next. With triads we progress over the next few weeks to cadences (C major: I - IV - I - V - I ) starting in root position to introduce the 1st and 2nd inversions, then broken & blocked triads in each inversion, then transitioning through inversions -- all in C major. This gives the starting point for some theory and transitioning to other major keys; then of course triads in the minor keys ... and corresponding arpeggios. Similarly for scales, the next is to cross under/over at the octave and go for two octaves ... then three octaves ... 4 ... Seems to work out fairly well ... :-)
Four if you are a piano major. If you are majoring in another musical instrument then 2 Octaves is suffice. I was a pisno major until I failed the piano proficiency test come to find out too late I was dyslexic and could not sight read which is one of the requirements. 73
The proper term is arpreggi for plural arpeggio. Its best to learn the scale in all keys then start the broken chord as known as arpeggi. If you want to learn the reverse i see no problem but start with the basics. 73
@LivingPianosVideos yeah I know but I'm old school I hate English used instead of Italian for how fast or slow a piece is. I'm glad I have enough classical piano scores that still have the Italian words. My piano teacher mocked the word arpeggios she told me the correct is arpeggi so that's where I come from but I don't hold hard feelings if the English is used instead of Italian. Also my piano teacher was Italian and taught Italian in music which was a required course. I had to also take the German one as well. Thanks I enjoy all. Your videos. 73
First? Scales, to learn all notes in each. But in playing, really only useful for runs. Arpeggios though, that's what you use all the time while playing: chords, broken chords in rhythmic patterns, it's all arpeggios really. Plus arpeggios will really teach you how to walk up and down the entire keyboard with ease...
My problem is Chopin etude op 25 number 12 with broken chords. I tried just playing it as chords but when I try to break up the chords I get off in left field . 73
Do BOTH! -- why wait? Plus it's more interesting to be practicing both ... not just one or the other. Plus the scales and arpeggios help to re-enforce the tonality of the key both melodically and harmonically
A gold medal video.
I've been playing for over two years and only started after 65 years of age. I'm making progress, but I decided to really learn how to practice...scales and arpeggios. Perfect timing.
Very Helpful - Thank You Robert.
BOTH! (otw it's too boring ... :-)
At my students' FIRST lesson, after going over posture, hand position, and a few tonalization exercises (i.e. playing each finger on a note several times a la Suzuki's "Mississippi hot dog"), they learn to play:
1. the C major root position triad in a repeated broken pattern (C - E - G - E) and blocked pattern in each hand alone; more adept students also learn to play the blocked triad in one hand coinciding with the first note of the broken triad in the other hand, then switch hands.
2. the C major scale - 1 octave, ascending and descending in each hand alone, MOVING the hand (no thumb crossing) to each finger group position -- i.e.
RH ascending : 1 - 2 - 3 (move hand) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
RH descending: 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 (move hand) 3 - 2 - 1
LH ascending: 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 (move hand) 3 - 2 - 1
LH descending : 1 - 2 - 3 (move hand) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
This gives them 1 week to establish that and sets them up for success at the second lesson:
1. If they can play a C major root position triad in each hand (and hands together -- learned at the second lesson if not at the first), they can also just as easily play the remaining 6 root position triads in the key of C (d min, e min, F maj, G maj, a min, b dim).
2. if they can play the scale of C major for 1 octave moving their hands for each finger group, they can learn to cross the thumb under and fingers over to move to the next finger group.
So we have broken and blocked root position triads and 1-octave scales from zero to two weeks -- with reasonable fluency, and building a good foundation for what comes next.
With triads we progress over the next few weeks to cadences (C major: I - IV - I - V - I ) starting in root position to introduce the 1st and 2nd inversions, then broken & blocked triads in each inversion, then transitioning through inversions -- all in C major. This gives the starting point for some theory and transitioning to other major keys; then of course triads in the minor keys ... and corresponding arpeggios.
Similarly for scales, the next is to cross under/over at the octave and go for two octaves ... then three octaves ... 4 ...
Seems to work out fairly well ... :-)
My piano teacher made me first learn scales, hands together, 2 octaves up and 2 octaves down, played smoothly and cleanly, from memory.
Learning skills and four octaves is even more beneficial.
Four if you are a piano major. If you are majoring in another musical instrument then 2 Octaves is suffice. I was a pisno major until I failed the piano proficiency test come to find out too late I was dyslexic and could not sight read which is one of the requirements. 73
The British school of music gives you many scales for grade one, but only two very simple arpeggios, and they are at the end of the syllabus.
The proper term is arpreggi for plural arpeggio. Its best to learn the scale in all keys then start the broken chord as known as arpeggi. If you want to learn the reverse i see no problem but start with the basics. 73
Tempos is tempi, etc. Many of the Italian phrases have been made more English friendly. Both are accepted.
@LivingPianosVideos yeah I know but I'm old school I hate English used instead of Italian for how fast or slow a piece is. I'm glad I have enough classical piano scores that still have the Italian words. My piano teacher mocked the word arpeggios she told me the correct is arpeggi so that's where I come from but I don't hold hard feelings if the English is used instead of Italian. Also my piano teacher was Italian and taught Italian in music which was a required course. I had to also take the German one as well. Thanks I enjoy all. Your videos. 73
First? Scales, to learn all notes in each. But in playing, really only useful for runs. Arpeggios though, that's what you use all the time while playing: chords, broken chords in rhythmic patterns, it's all arpeggios really. Plus arpeggios will really teach you how to walk up and down the entire keyboard with ease...
Eh scales is equally as important for melodies and to help with walking up and down too plus with coordination. Both helpful pieces
If scales are hard try finding pieces with scalar runs and just practice that part sometimes if a piece you really like will help technique. 73
My problem is Chopin etude op 25 number 12 with broken chords. I tried just playing it as chords but when I try to break up the chords I get off in left field . 73
Do BOTH! -- why wait? Plus it's more interesting to be practicing both ... not just one or the other. Plus the scales and arpeggios help to re-enforce the tonality of the key both melodically and harmonically
Learning scales is useless