The 12 Major Scales Tutorial
Scales provide the foundation for understanding harmony and learning the 12 major scales is a fundamental step in learning jazz piano.
When we play a piece of music using the notes of a particular scale, we say that we are playing in that key. For example, if we are playing a piece of music using just the notes from the C major scale, we are playing in the key of C.
Downloadable Lesson Supplement
Download this free PDF containing the major scales in all 12 keys.
Further Scale Study
All of the major scales contain 7 notes. However, you will also come across scales that contain 5, 6 and even 8 notes — more on these in other lessons.
The most effective way to learn the 12 major scales is through using the circle of fifths. The circle of fifths is a handy diagram that shows which keys are most closely related to each other on the piano.
If you are just starting out with jazz piano scale study, the first step is to learn the 12 major scales. Many interesting sounding modes can be derived from the major scale and so spending adequate time to memorise them will give you strong foundations for further scale study.
Lesson Downloads
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12 Major Scales Worksheet File Type: pdf -
The Circle Of Fifths File Type: pdf
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Major Scale Fingerings PDF File Type: pdf
Related Lessons
We introduce the major modes, explaining what they are and where they come from. These 7 modes play a fundamental role in improvisation.
We explore the voicing options for major chords under each note of the Lydian Mode which is a common scale to play over major chords.
We explore how you can use So What voicings not only for minor chords, but also major chords by creating a quartal maj13 voicing.
Practice Tips
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If you don’t have these 12 major scales completely memorized then you should be working on them every day until you do. This is important so don’t skip this.
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It’s very important to learn the major scales numerically. Learn the notes of each scale as 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 and back to 1.
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One of our students created a major scale quiz tool - it tests you on your numeric understanding of scales and you can do this away from the piano. Very useful for beginner jazz students.
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Learning the scales numerically is essential for your study of more advanced harmony.
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Test yourself whilst away from the piano. Ask yourself: "what's the 4th of Ab Major" or "what's the 6th of D Major"... if it take you longer than a second or 2 to get the answer, then you don't know your scales numerically!
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When you're next at the piano, revisit that scale and learn the numbers.
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In jazz, it's far more effective to think in terms of numbers than actual note names. The numbers give you the formula to apply the chord, scale, voicing, lick or line to any key. It's basically a shortcut.
Hello
I am a beginner. For practicing the scales, can you put the fingerings in the resource (pdf file) ? Must I practice the scales with the two hands ?
Sincerely yours.
Hi Marc, sure thing leave it with me. Start by learning them in 1 hand.
Each major and minor scale has 7 notes and you should try to learn these numerically.
So for example, C Major:
C(1) D(2) E(3) F(4) G(5) A(6) B(7)
This is important and will help you when you come to build chords. Also understand that…
the 2 is the 9
the 4 is the 11
and the 6 is the 13.
So in C major, D is the 2nd note of the scale, but it is also the 9. Does this make sense?
Check out this lesson for more information: http://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/chord-extensions-9ths-11ths-13ths/
If you wanted to find the 9 of C major, it’s much easier to count up to the 2nd degree of the scale than it is to count up to the 9th degree – the same applies to the 11(4) and the 13(6).
You can also practice it away from the piano by asking yourself, “what’s the 5th of Ab Major” or “what’s the 13th of C Major” etc.
I would recommend quizzing yourself on this as much as you can so that you become familiar with the scale degrees and extensions in all 12 major and minor keys.
All the best,
Hayden
Hi hayden
Thank you for your answer. I play scales only with right hand.
I learn classical music during three years. And I learn little chords and triads.
That I want is to learn technics and a sheet from the real book.
I am french, I understand little english . Is it possible to slow down your videos.
Sincerely yours
Hi Marc, with 3 years of classical piano experience, you should have a good understanding of basic scales and chords. My recommendation would be to try to learn some of the beginner jazz standard arrangements. Start with these 3 tutorials…
How To Read Lead Sheets: http://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/how-to-read-lead-sheets/
Tenderly Jazz Piano Tutorial: http://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/tenderly-jazz-standard/
Misty Jazz Piano Tutorial: http://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/misty-tutorial-lesson/
These tutorials are aimed at beginners and so you should be able to understand the theory no problem.
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi hayden
When I work the scales, I put the metronome on speed = 60 bpm. And I start with quarter notes ,eight notes, triplets and sixteenth notes.Is it correct to practice like that ?
I would like to add chords with the left hands to work independance of the hands.
what can I do ?
Sicerely yours.
Marc
Hi Marc,
That can be a good exercise to familiarise yourself with the scales and the notes they contain. However, simply playing up and down scales is a very ‘classical’ approach.
You could also harmonise the scales using different intervals. For example, play the scale in 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, 7ths. You could also play the diatonic triads of the scale and next the diatonic 7th chords. http://www.pianogroove.com/resources/jazz-piano-chords/major-scale-diatonic-7th-chords-pdf/
Remember to play musically… simply running up and down the scale is not very musical…. Make sure you are listening to your favourite jazz musicians every day. Take any rhythm that they play and apply it to the notes in your scale.
If you would like to add chords in your left hand, you can play left hand voicings under each scale. Also try to play the chord scales in a 251 with the voicings underneath.
Check out these lessons:
– Rootless 251 Progression: http://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/rootless-251-progression/
– Major Scale Modes: http://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/modes-major-scale-tutorial/
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi hayden
Thank you for your answer.
When you say : play the scale with 3rds : you say that I must play C and E at the same time then D and F at the same time or separetely C then E then D then F….?
Can you show me with the scale of C major with the right hand , how to play the II V I with the left hand ?
I am a beginner in jazz and I search the best method for a BEGINNER to practise ear training ( reproduce what I listen at the piano) . It is very difficult for me. Do you know a CD of jazz music with little examples very easy to reproduce at the piano ?
Cheers.
Marc
Hi Marc, yes that is correct, you can play them at the same time, or you could also play broken thirds where you play them separately.
Check out this lesson on creating a practice schedule, I talk about how to practice 251s with a lick in the right hand: http://www.pianogroove.com/exclusive-practice-tips/
Ear training is very difficult to begin with, but it gets much easier. Watch my lesson on Transcription for more information on how to transcribe lines. You should pick something that you personally like the sound of by your favourite jazz players: http://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/transcription-introduction/ – Try listening to some Bill Evans or Chet Baker and reproduce what you like 🙂
Hope this helps,
Hayden
Hi Marc,
Just signed up as Jazz pro member. Not a complete beginner to music as have been playing clarinet for years (but not jazz as never put in the effort to learn the theory) I now want to learn jazz piano:. I did first lesson on major scales. Before i progress on to the 2nd lesson minor scales and beyond……. how literally should i take your advice to know everything off by heart at this stage? ie, should I know absolutely all of the scales and circle of 5ths plus numbers of notes off by heart with fingers and mind before i move to lesson 2? Or can I still carry on and just make sure i work on this daily as well as the new lessons. Please be honest, Im willing to do what it takes. thanks
Hey Sarah, yes welcome to PianoGroove Pro!
By all means carry on with other lessons but if you don’t know the major scales you should be practicing them every day until you have them memorised. Just allocate 1/4 of your practice time to major scales.
Make sure you don’t start with C Major every time. Mix up the key you start on so that you are practicing the different keys equally. For example start on F# Major and then move around the circle from there.
I will send you an email now with more information on the ‘essential theory’.
Also spend time studying the jazz standard lesson – I’d say allocate half of your practice time to jazz standards. The theory may be over your head to begin with, but this is the best way to learn… it will make sense with time.
Start with the following jazz standards:
How to Read Lead Sheets: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/how-to-read-lead-sheets/
Tenderly Tutorial: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/tenderly-jazz-standard/
Misty Tutorial: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/misty-tutorial-lesson/
and then move onto others. I do always try to reference the theory lessons when i apply certain topics so listen out for these cues and then you can look up the relevant theory where applicable.
Above anything else choose the jazz standards you like the sound of and that you want to play… This should be enjoyable after all!
Look out for my email Sarah 🙂
Cheers,
Hayden
Hello,
This is a good intro to scales but it’s a bit lacking in exercises. I am a beginner and would like to improve my ability to play up and down the piano. It would be nice to see the scales played over 2 octaves, with fingerings. Also, exercises like contrary motion, separated by a third/six, and double thirds would be helpful.
Hi Ronny, thanks for getting in touch.
Much of what you outline, such as contrary motion and playing scales in different intervals, is more of a classical piano exercise aimed at improving finger dexterity. If you would like to work on those areas, here are some other resources you can find on Google: http://bit.ly/2yzxcVD
The main purpose of this lesson is to understand the relationship between scales and key signatures and furthermore, the importance of learning and memorising scales numerically to get a better understanding of major scale harmony.
Once you have internalised this information, you will then have the foundations in place to explore extended harmony, altered harmony and modal harmony. You will find lessons on these topics on the website.
In the future we may add lessons on the areas you highlight, but if that’s the kind of stuff you want to work on, I would recommend finding a classical piano teacher.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi,
In your Dashboard there is a checkbox in front of every lesson. It says I watched it. Also there is a checkbox that says, “I’ve nailed it”.
This second check box must refer to nailing the ‘understanding and comprehension” of the lesson and not the physical finger dexterity to play the actual lesson(s). Is that a correct assumption on my part ? Seeing that improvement and dexterity of fingers is a continuing process how can one ever fully arrive ?
Hi Angelo,
Good question! 😄
Yes you are correct that box refers to nailing the understanding and comprehension of the theoretical aspect of the lesson.
As you quite rightly point out, one can always improve in terms of timing, accuracy, feel, and other nuances of the performance.
Any other questions just let me know.
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi Hayden, I recently joined PianoGroove Pro, and I am loving it so far. Just one quick question- is it necessary to learn the all of the scales in the left hand as well as the right hand? Thanks for the help
Hi Harper,
Apologies for the late reply… I missed the notification for this comment.
At this stage I would recommend that you just focus on your right hand.
It’s very important that you learn the 12 major scales numerically. This will give you a numeric understanding of harmony which is more functional as you can then apply patterns, or chord structures to all 12 keys.
You can test yourself on this whilst away from the piano, for example , ask yourself “what is the 6th of Ab Major” or “What is the 4th of G Major” … you need to get to the point where you can identify the note immediately immediately.
Hope this helps and any other questions, just let me know 🙂
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi Bart,
Thanks for sharing… that’s a great tool to use whilst away from the piano.
I will add it to the “Practice Tips” section of the page, and also share in the forum/community area.
Cheers!
Hayden
Hi Bart, I think this is an amazing tool. Thanks for creating it.
Before being able to Quiz myself on the numbers & scales, I have to learn them though and I found this course on memrise which I find quite good for memorizing: https://www.memrise.com/course/102232/major-scales-2/ also this one could be good for later https://www.memrise.com/course/522295/music-notes-1-intervalsscale-notes/. I used Memrise to learn vocabulary and the set-up of each exercise is super repetitive, which makes it easy to remember things. I hope it works for music as well.
After that, I am looking forward to playing with your quiz!
Hi Hayden i have a nice Idea for the page. 2 years ago i played a videogame about weapons..Its called world of guns , só it basically teaches you with a lot of deep about how guns operates, how to dismount them their history etc.It was a hardcore game with a lot of info and knowledge so the creator of the game offered a minigame called “world of guns quick quiz”.This quiz keeps you fresh with your knowledge …it gives you a total of 10 quick questions at random with a time frame for you to answer with 4 óptions each one of them.After that you get a score saved on your profile. This types of exercises are very engaging and keeps you fresh with the info.And can be a little bit adictive .
Hey Ivan 👋
This is a great idea.
We have plans to add a suite of tools to the PianoGroove learning platform, I will update you with progress on this.
Cheers!
Hayden
Hi there,
I practiced all major scales but I find it really hard to memorize ALL numbers from ALL major scales, as a first “homework”.
If my calculation are correct, that is 12 scales x 6 notes (second, third, forth, fifth, sixth, seventh) so 68 combinations to memorize at first.
I wonder if working hard only on this memorization process is not too deceiving, not mentioning that one’s could easily forget them.
So my question is : should I really stop there and not go on unless I know by heart all 68 combinations? Or that can come with practice with upcoming exercises?
Thanks,
Hi Yohan,
I answered your question in the forum area. Here’s the link incase you missed it:
https://www.pianogroove.com/community/t/difficulty-memorizing-all-numbers-in-all-scales/3517/4
If you have any further questions we can discuss in the forum area.
Cheers,
Hayden .
Hi there
Have just started and this site looks fantastic. I’m actually looking forward to working steadily on the major scales (Jazz Piano Foundations) but I’m worried that I just won’t be able to remember what notes have what number re: learning the major scales numerically. I’m sure you’ve answered this query many times before…is it literally a case of playing a note (let’s say the E in the C major scale)and repeating over and over in my head that it is number 3? I’m daunted by the fact that there are 12 major scales to do this with!!! Help!
Thank you
Hi Henrietta,
Welcome to PianoGroove and glad to hear you are enjoying the lessons.
We actually have a forum thread on that exact topic, you can see it here:
https://www.pianogroove.com/community/t/difficulty-memorizing-all-numbers-in-all-scales/3517
Take a read over the questions and answers in that thread and that should help to answer your questions and concerns.
If you have any further questions you can post them in that thread to add to the discussion.
Cheers,
Hayden
Learning the scales as numbers is the key hole i was missing in six years learning piano. From three different on-line and two live teachers, that important piece was not discussed. .
Hi Tom,
Yes learning the scales numerically is an important step. Knowing our scales numerically sets strong foundations to explore jazz chord progressions, scales/modes, and also allows us to quickly find and transpose voicings into different keys.
Time spent here will help you out later down the line.
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi Hayden,
Great Lessons !
My question is ( :
What fingers is better to use on flat major scales on the jazz playing style (on cycle of 4th) ? I tried to use the sames as the sharps scales (cycle of fifth) but it seems to be different and not really friendly use. Do you have finger suggests ?
Thanks for the answer.
p.s. my real language is french and spanish so im sorry if my english is not correct, just tell me if my question is not clear)
Hi Mauricio,
One of our students shared this useful scale fingerings resource: https://www.pianogroove.com/community/t/major-pentatonic-fingering/2277 – Take a look at the website referenced: https://www.pianoscales.org/
For each scale they provide a visual of the keyboard and also the fingerings for both right and left hand.
They cover fingerings for the following scales:
– major scales
– minor scales (natural, melodic, and harmonic)
– blues scales major and minor pentatonic scales
– bebop scales
– the 7 modes of the major scale the altered mode which is a mode of the melodic minor scale/jazz minor scale
– and finally quite an impressive selection of “exotic scales”
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Hayden
When would I call the scale g flat vs. f sharp major? Does it make a difference? Let’s say I’m playing with a band…
Hi Myles,
Good question!
The Gb and F# scales contain the same note and sound the same, the difference is that they are spelled differently in music notation depending on what key you are playing in.
If we are playing in the key of Gb, it would be the Gb Major Scale, if we are playing in the key of F#, it would be the F# major scale. This is more for classical and contemporary music where sometimes the overall music can be easier to read if notated in Gb or F#.
From a jazz standpoint, Gb/F# is not a common jazz key, and you will find very few jazz tunes written in these keys. The most common jazz keys are F, Bb, Eb, G, & C
It would perhaps also be useful to explain when you would call the note and the chord either Gb or F#:
If a song or chord progression is in the key of D Major. then the iii-7 chord would be F#-7, and not Gb-7, because the 3rd note of the D Major scale is F#.
If a song or chord progression is in Db Major, then the IVmaj7 chord would be Gbmaj7, and not F#maj7, because the 4th note in the Db Major scale is Gb, and not F#.
Does that make sense?
If this doesn’t make perfect sense right now, don’t worry about it. When you study more into jazz harmony, particularly common progressions such as 251s and 36251s, this will become much clearer.
I hope this help and enjoy the lessons.
Cheers,
Hayden
Makes perfect sense. Thanks for the thorough explanation. I find these more obscure key signatures really interesting and challenging. Cheers, Myles
Hi,
I just joined the program, I’m pretty new to piano and don’t know how to read sheet music yet. Is this a requirement to start the course? I noticed the downloadable pdf for this lesson has all the major scales written out in musical notation but it’s currently unreadable for me. Thanks!
P.S. Sorry if this was already answered, I browsed the comments and didn’t find the same question but I could have missed it.
Hi Spencer,
Having a basic understand of music notation, particularly the treble clef, is important for reading lead sheets. Whilst it’s not essential for playing jazz music, if you cannot read music then you can only benefit from the light up keyboard, and not the lesson notation.
You can find a visual representation of the major scales here which may be useful for you: https://pianoscales.org/major.html
We don’t currently teach how to read music, but it may be something that we offer in the future.
We do offer a 14 day money back guarantee, so if the music notation is a problem we can refund your order.
Stay safe and enjoy the lessons!
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi Hayden, you say we’re supposed to memorize the scale degrees in different keys but there’s no mention on how to approach that. What are some exercises to memorize the degrees?
Hi Anna 👋🏻
Good question.
The first step is to learn the 12 major scales so that you can play them without notation.
In the downloads section of the page, you will find 2 downloads containing the major scales, the first is just 1 octave and the second is 2 octaves with fingering.
Once you can play each scale without the notation, it’s then time to learn them numerically.
Each scale has 7 individual notes, so for each scale, we must learn the notes as 1-2-3-4-5-6-7.
For each scale, say the note name aloud, and then the number.
Start with perhaps 3 keys, (C, F, & Bb) and learn them numerically. Try quizzing yourself by asking:
“What is the 5th of C”
“What is the 3rd of Bb”
“What is the 6th of F”
You can also use this major scale quiz tool: https://major-scales.bartkozal.com/
After this, start with 3 new keys, perhaps Eb, Ab, and Db, then continue around the circle of fifths. It’s good to break down the keys/scales into groups of 3 or 4 to make the task more manageable.
Here’s some other forum threads to help you:
– https://www.pianogroove.com/community/t/difficulty-memorizing-all-numbers-in-all-scales/3517
– https://www.pianogroove.com/community/t/where-to-go-from-here-for-a-beginner/3838
Hope this helps Anna. It does take time so be patient with it.
Stay safe and enjoy the lessons!
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi Hayden!
I’ve watched the practice routine video and have a question. When practicing scales, what is the fingering for playing 3rd-7th intervals in the left hand? You show your right hand in the video using 1 and 3 mostly. Would the left hand also use 1 and 3 or something different? Or can you just use the fingers that feel best?
Thanks!
Hi Kirk,
Great question.
The fingering we choose can depend on a few things:
1) For righthand fingering it often depends on what is in the melody. When playing solo jazz piano we play the melody note on top and then we fill in with the 3rd and 7th of the chord underneath with our fingers that are free. The melody note and where this is in relation to the 3rd and 7th often dictates the most appropriate fingering that we should use.
In the left hand it can depend what chord we came from, and what chord we are going to, sometimes a specific fingering will work better in certain situations to connect the harmony smoothly. This is best learnt from playing standards… more on this below.
Yes that’s a good point… we should find a fingering that is comfortable for us. We all have different sized hands and so there is no ‘one size fits all’.
Ultimately, it’s very important to play these 251 progressions in context of lots of jazz standards. That is the end goal – to be able to apply this theory in context of our favourite tunes. Once we have built a repertoire of say 20 or so tunes, the choice of fingering becomes intuitive and so that is my main recommendation.
I hope that helps Kirk and let me know if you have any further questions.
Cheers,
Hayden
How long should I stay on this lesson before moving on? Is there a standard, e.g. I should be able to play any key, with both hands simultaneously before getting into the minor scales?
Hi Michael,
The most important step with major scales is to learn them numerically, this will become clear in the course on extended chord voicings. The main goal of the foundation course is that you understand the theoretical underpinnings of the concepts. The you can progress onto the next courses. Mastering all of the theory here in all 12 keys can take years of practice, and so don’t let that stop you from progressing onto the next courses.
I recommend studying the following 3 courses in together:
– https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/jazz-piano-foundations/
– https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/beginner-jazz-piano-arrangements/
– https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/extended-chords-voicings/
Much of the theory is interrelated and it will give you more of a sense of progression when you see how the foundational material is applied and developed in the course on extended chords.
You can mix the practice planners for example, 2 days on the foundations planner, then 1 day on the chord extensions planner, and tweak the time allocation as you progress through the subsequent courses.
Also understand that we can always improve at these exercises. I’ve been playing jazz for 15 years and I can still improve at the basic drills like triad inversions, 7th chord inversions, etc…. So it’s very much a gradual process that we continue to improve at throughout our lives.
You might also like to check out this Beginner Jazz Q&A Session: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/live-qa-jazz-for-beginners/ – It’s 90 minutes long but I share lots of advice for new students.
Above anything else Michael, we must be enjoying studying jazz to stay motivated, and so I highly recommend to dedicate half of your practice time to playing and learning the jazz standards.
Start the “Beginner Jazz Arrangements” Course immediately: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/beginner-jazz-piano-arrangements/
Also watch the following 2 lessons in the Extended Harmony Course. We start with the most basic chord voicings possible, and then gradually layer in some interesting chord extensions.
– Misty: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/misty-tutorial-lesson/
– Tenderly: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/tenderly-jazz-standard/
Whilst it’s good to play tunes with just R-3-7 when starting out, it’s also nice to ‘get your toes wet’ with some more interesting voicings. My view is that students should alway be ‘getting their toes wet’ in more advanced theory. That is how we progress. Initially we don’t understand, but at least we are exposing ourselves to the theory. The full understanding will come with time.
Spend a few weeks on the above materials and get back to me if you have further questions.
Cheers,
Hayden
Awesome, thanks.
Hello! Could you suggest fingerings for major scale exercises (1, 3, 2, 4, 3, 5, 4, 6, 5, 7 for 2 octaves)?
Hi Oleg,
Yes please see the PDF download “Major Scale Fingerings” which is in the “Downloads” section of this page. This download contains the fingerings for both the right and left hand, over 2 octaves.
I have also created a dedicated lesson on major scale fingerings which will be published next week.
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi, I’m new here I’m a drummer now learning jazz and blues piano. I am a beginner on piano apart from knowing a few cords and inversions. I have been on a few sites trying to learn but after doing my first lesson here I can say no other site that I personally have experienced explains the circle of fifths as in your lesson.
I actually understood it and it’s use, now learn to use it more and more awesome lesson now excited for my journey here.
Hi Dino,
Thanks for the comment and I’m glad you have found this lesson useful.
The circle of fifths is a great tool to help structure our practice. We can take scales, chords, progressions etc.. around the circle to make sure that we are covering the theory in all 12 keys.
You might also like to watch this course on Whole Step 251 Drills: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/whole-step-251-exercises/
I also covered this in a seminar here: https://www.pianogroove.com/live-seminars/whole-step-251-drills-exercises/
The Whole Step Drills will help you to visualise chords and progressions on the keyboard which I think will be great for you as we don’t need to rely on musical notation to do these drills.
Take a look at the lessons and seminar above and let me know if I can help further.
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi Hayden,
As a brand new member of the PianoGroove community, I am discovering your web site and I find the work you’ve done very impressive !
The site is user friendly and the couple of lessons I already took were very clear and instructive ! I had a couple of questions but I found answers in the Comment section ! All that is absolutely great ! So, Congrats and Thank you !
I have a question regarding the major scales though (a question that has been tickling me for a loooooong time !). After a few years of (classical) piano, I find all fingerings comfortable except for the Major F and G scales.
For example, in the F descending scale, the sequence B A G F played with 4 1 2 3 implies a difficult movement of the index that has to reach a black key at the end of a long move “around the thumb”… I am trying another fingering that seems easier to me but, before
I adopt it, I would appreciate to know what you think of it :
– for the F scale on one octave : F(3) G(2) A(1) Bb(3) C(2) D(1) E(4) F(3) G(1) F(2) E(3) Bb(4) A(1) G(2) F(3)
– for the G scale on one octave : G(2) A(1) B(3) C(2) D(1) E(4) F#(3) G(2) F#(3) E(4) D(1) C(2) B(3) A(1) G(2)
That way, the middle finger (that is the longest !) can easily land on the black keys F# and Bb…
Do you see any con’s to use that fingering ? Is it worth using it ?
Thank you and again, congratulations for your great work !
All the best.
Pascal
Thank you for this tutorial, Hayden. I began taking piano lessons as a child, and I was not introduced to the Circle of Fifths. As I am a beginner to jazz piano and new to the site, this first lesson is very valuable.
Best,
Jase
Hi Jase,
My pleasure, I’m glad that the lesson was useful. The circle of fifths is a handy tool to help structure our practice time and understand the relationships between keys.
I also recommend that you start with the whole step 251 drills, you can find them here:
https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/whole-step-251-exercises/
Also start studying the following 2 jazz standard courses immediately:
“Cocktail Piano Improvisation” course which focuses on the tune “Misty” – https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/cocktail-improvisation-for-beginners/ – this course contains 18 lessons and it will help you to understand the many ways that we can interpret a tune for solo piano and give you a template to follow for improvising over jazz ballads.
Next the “Georgia On My Mind – Bluesy Stride” course which will allow to see the many steps to learning a new jazz tune: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/bluesy-jazz-piano-beginners/
Study all of these courses simultaneously. The theory in the foundations course can take many years to fully master, and so don’t let this gold you back from progressing onto more advanced jazz topics.
Let me know if I can help further and enjoy the lessons!
Cheers,
Hayden
I am so happy to be here. It is super helpful to see that I don’t have a problem learning. Seeing that it takes time makes me feel so much better. The last time I took any form of piano lessons was as a child in middle school. I’ve been playing by ear ever since and have been super frustrated with just not knowing the “why” behind what I’m doing. Now at 48, I’m diving back in because I realize that Jazz is where my focus should’ve been as a child. Long post, but I just wanted to say I’m glad to be here.
Hi Karen 👋
Thanks for your message and I’m really glad to hear that you are enjoying the lessons.
I recommend to check out our “essentials practice guide” which covers all of the foundational drills in a single workout: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/essentials-practice-guide-simplified/
This guide can be completed everyday, or once every 2 or 3 days so that you are gradually working on building the strongest possible foundations whilst also progressing onto the next courses.
The goal is to be able to get through all of the drills in the essentials practice guide, in all 12 keys, in around 5 or 10 minutes. We have to build up to this so it does take time.
You should also find my guidance in this seminar useful: https://www.pianogroove.com/live-seminars/jazz-voicings-for-beginners/ – this explains the main milestones ahead of you for beginner/early intermediate jazz studies.
Check out those 2 links and let me know if I can be of further assistance.
Talk soon,
Hayden
well here i am as a begginer hope i dont drown and can at least float with all this knowledge and skills to learn, from drums to piano what a leap ha ha.
Hi Dino,
Yes jazz theory is quite vast and so just chip away at it each day.
Make sure that you are spending 50% of your time on the jazz standard arrangements which is the more enjoyable side of learning jazz piano.
If you are new to jazz piano, I recommend to study the jazz standard lessons in the following courses:
https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/lead-sheets-for-beginners/
https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/reading-lead-sheets-bb-major/
https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/reading-lead-sheets-eb-major/
Pick the songs that interest you most, and work on these in tandem with the theory drills from the foundations course.
Please let me know if I can help further and enjoy the lessons.
Best,
Hayden