# piano scales - (real fast ones)

Category: Jam Session

## Post 1 by b3n (I'm going for the prolific poster awards!) on Sunday, 12-Nov-2006 16:52:21

Hi.
Looks like i'm going to be playing the keyboard for some thing that the school are doing around january which involves different songs of different speeds etc etc.
My question is to all of you piano players out there, how the fuck do you do one of those really fast scales where the player just slides there fingers down the notes with out fucking up your fingers?
Hope you get what i mean, Thanks, BEN.

## Post 2 by frequency (the music man) on Sunday, 12-Nov-2006 17:17:19

well I can't really do this, but i think it involves crossing over fingers. Basically you place your fingers on the first 4 or 5 notes and play those. Then you cross over the third finger and continue, ETC. I'm sure I'll be corrected if there's a better/improved way of doing this.

## Post 3 by jmbauer (Technology's great until it stops working.) on Sunday, 12-Nov-2006 18:26:09

Speaking as a drummer who plays the part of a half-ass pianist when the step recorder is active:
The only way I can do what Blake described is to play the first three notes with the thumb and first two fingers. The cross-over happens on note four and is done with the thumb. Bear in mind that this technique only applies to the right hand. When trying this left-handed, start on your forth finger, play the first five notes, and cross over on note six with your second finger.

## Post 4 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Sunday, 12-Nov-2006 22:41:20

Like the last post said, it depends on where the scale starts. For the right hand, they begin with one, (thumb, and after the third note, cross your thumb under. The order is 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4. For the left hand it is 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1. In other words, after the fifth note, you cross your third finger over. If you want more info, send me an e-mail. The other trick is to start slowly, being mindful of finger placement. The other thing I do is to visualize myself doing it. This way, if I'm doing something mindless like riding a bus or something, my mind is alread going that dirrection. Good luck!
Lou

## Post 5 by guitargod1 (I'm going for the prolific poster awards!) on Sunday, 12-Nov-2006 23:43:31

yes, exactly. The crossover is different for each hand. Also, practice with a metranome so you get your timing right! Start with a slow bpm doing quarter notes and when you're getting all your notes correctly, kick up your bpm a bit, ten ticks perhaps. and practice your scales over four octaves. You should do some hannen exercises too to warm up. They do really help.

## Post 6 by jmbauer (Technology's great until it stops working.) on Sunday, 12-Nov-2006 23:56:08

lou,
is it conventional to count the thumb as a "finger" in cases of piano explanations?

## Post 7 by motifated (I've now got the silver prolific poster award! wahoo!) on Monday, 13-Nov-2006 12:00:12

Yes. As an example, let's take the b-flat scale in the right hand. the order is 2, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4. Now, start with the index finger (2) on the b-flat. The thumb (1) goes on the C. 2 is on the D, etc. Sorry about the nauseating details. I agree totally with Guitar God. The metronome is a great idea. I never used one as a child, and when I started working with drum machines, I found out how bad my internal sense of tempo really was. Metronomes, clicktracks, and drum machines aren't very forgiving. (lol)
Lou

## Post 8 by b3n (I'm going for the prolific poster awards!) on Monday, 13-Nov-2006 13:24:58

Thanks, i'll have to try that out.
I guess considering that i kno ruffly the fingering for scales,its just a matter of doing what cam said and just starting to speed up over time.
Thanks, BEN.

## Post 9 by Reyami (I've broken five thousand! any more awards going?) on Friday, 02-Mar-2007 13:32:10

Using metronomes is a great way to help with your sense of tempo. Keep practicing. Until you get the hang of playing different scales, go slowly. Are you working with a teacher? If so, he or she can give you some tips on how to play scales on the piano. Several people have rightfuly given the correct fingering for scales in both hands.

## Post 10 by bozmagic (The rottie's your best friend if you want him/her to be, lol.) on Saturday, 03-Mar-2007 15:10:26

It all depends of which scales you learn in order to play these songs. All of the sharp scales, D flat, E flat, F sharp, G sharp and B flat, all start with the second or third fingers of both right and left hands, but there is also one major scale and one minor scale which starts with thering fingers of both your right and left hands, so, you cross over the right hand first when you run out of fingers, then the left hand, but that is only if you're playing both hands at once, but best just stick to the easy keys like C, D, E, F, G and A natural if you're just a beginner. I didn't start to learn Minors, sharps and flats till I had passed my grade 1 piano exam, almost with merit, and moved on to grades 2 and 3. I'm noping to keep up the good work and move on to grade 4 when I go back to College in April.