The course › Unit 9: Scales and technique
Lesson 50 of 72 · Eight notes, two crossings, two hands
A scale is a series of neighboring notes that climbs from one note up to its octave. The C major scale: C D E F G A B C, all white keys.
What makes it major is the order of its whole steps and half steps: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. The two half steps are E – F and B – C, where there’s no black key in between.
W – W – H – W – W – W – H
Did you know?: The word scale comes from the Latin scala, a ladder: the notes climb one rung at a time. And the word gamut (the whole range of something) comes from music too: in Guido d’Arezzo’s medieval system, the lowest note was called “gamma ut”, after the Greek letter gamma (Γ).
Think in two groups: 1-2-3, the thumb passes under, 1-2-3-4-5. Coming down: 5-4-3-2-1, finger 3 crosses over the thumb, 3-2-1.
Left hand: 5-4-3-2-1, finger 3 crosses over the thumb, 3-2-1. Coming down: 1-2-3, the thumb passes under, 1-2-3-4-5.
Now both hands together, as a mirror image: the right hand starts on middle C and goes up, the left hand starts on the C an octave lower and goes down. That’s contrary motion.
Look at the fingerings: at every moment, both hands use the same finger, and both thumbs pass under at the same time.
The same fingers in both hands
Why this way: Many teachers start two-hand scales in contrary motion: since the fingerings are identical, your brain has only one pattern to coordinate. Parallel motion (both hands going the same way) is harder: try it once this one flows.
Both hands at once, very slowly. Both thumbs pass under together on the 4th note.
Your first scale with both hands, in rhythm: quarter notes, then eighth notes. Your hands move apart, then come back together, with the same fingers at the same moment. The second time, in eighth notes!