Group 1

Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity.  I'd like to add one more Tonebase lesson to the scales-related list you posted.  Daniela Bracchi has a marvelous lesson on Bach's Musette in D Major, which is built on D Major and A Major.  She does a great job of teaching the relationship between the tonic and dominant notes of each scale, and showing how they integrate with the music.  I have a special interest in learning practical applications of scales, and this is one that I'm so happy to have discovered.  Plus, she is an incredible teacher, patient and careful, and illustrating the hand movements for each segment of the score, etc.

This is the first time I've been involved in an interactive program through Tonebase, and I thought I'd introduce myself to the group.  I think it would be nice if we would each write a little bit about ourselves, so we'd feel more connected to each other, since we'll be working together for the next two weeks.  So -- here goes!

I took piano lessons in elementary school, and was good for my age.  My "war horse" was Fur Elise, which I could play well, by heart, and which I performed at a recital in school.  I stopped playing when I was about 13, and didn't touch a piano for the next *60* years.  Then, last summer, a few months after my husband of 32 years passed away, I got an overwhelming urge to play piano again, and started doing online research about digital pianos and online piano lessons.  Thanks to "chip-a-geddon," I couldn't get an appropriate piano (a white Roland RP501 -- love it!) until September 3rd, which is when I started all over again, as a new beginner.  I had to relearn everything:  the names of the keys, how to read music, etc.  It came back faster than I'd expected, but I'm definitely a beginner once again.

I've explored and joined several online programs and have purchased more piano books and sheet music than I'd care to admit. I've also gotten into Pianoteq, and love being able to play all these amazing pianos, harpsichords, etc.  I'm definitely pretty fragmented, but loving it.  Tonebase is my favorite, and I've gotten rid of a few programs so I'm feeling at least a little bit saner.  I also started a piano club in my condo community (here in Palm Beach County, Florida), called "Piano Dreams."  We meet every two weeks, and I've also created a private Facebook group for the club.

So -- that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!  Would love to learn more about each of you.

I really appreciate this learning opportunity.

However,  I wonder how to upload a video here. 

Can I record through my android phone and upload here?

I will appreciate any advice for it.

My experiences with scales are love and hate. I took lessons as a youth at a very good music school in Buffalo, however, theory, scales, technique… were not stressed. My technique was Hanon. (UGH!) I never really understood key signatures, tetrachords, relative minors, natural, harmonic and melodic minors… etc.  I knew basic one octave scales for I would say C, G, D, A, F… and that’s honestly all I really remember from the early 80s. I stopped playing at 18 when I joined the Navy, had 3 children. Returned to piano at 32, thanks to Jason, my now significant other who is a professional pianist. He was inspirational, and was my, “IF not now, when?” Especially while going through my divorce… he was so right.

When I went back to community college and took keyboard lessons as an elective then delved into theory, I started to understand the circle of fifths, etc.. and how they applied to scales, intervals etc… but I always panicked.  My return to school was to do music therapy, however, it morphed into Special Education (more lucrative day job during the Great Recession - not to mention, my oldest who is now almost 28 had an IEP).

Scales = panic
Panic = pain

Scales are painful.

Yes, I made it through music school with a Bachelors. I had matriculated in with an associates degree, and placed as a Junior in the music program. I recall my first jury - never had one in community college, BTW, two weeks before, my professor said, all scales, all keys, 4 octaves, and arpeggios are subject to be played from memory at 120 BPM. I lost it. Not once that semester did she tell me about it. I panicked. My first jury was a disaster. I always botched scales. I tense up. I can’t play them fast.

Fast forward to now. I teach all of my students from early on… scales. How to understand them, how to create them. How to play them. But I still have a fear of them.

My current teacher, who has a PhD from UCSD and attended Oberlin for earlier degrees, had me play B flat major scale and arpeggios over and over for months. I could get them up to speed. Apparently, this is Chopin’s preference for order of scales because of how the fingers lay.

I still have scalanxiety. BUT, through music theory, teaching, lessons, I know all of my scales and can play them slowly. SOME with decent velocity… others, crash and burn.

That’s my story. I am 51, and I will play scales and teach them the best I can until I die. 

Thanks for reading, and I am looking forward to the intensive.

BTW, I have taught most of my Early Intermediate kiddos Progress… yet I struggle to play it clean! LMAO

~Denise 

Hi! My scales experiences? I had two years of piano lessons when I was a kid, but didn't really learn to practice scales. Also when I started playing again more intensively four years ago (during Chemo therapy to keep my fingers moving which were getting more and more numb during treatment) I decided to play repertoire rather than exercises. In fact I played through all the Beethoven sonatas, one movement per week. Although the sonatas were obviously above my level, the 'Beethoven Project' gave me a reason to get up in the morning, brought a lot of joy and fulfillment and certainly helped to get back to vitality. I also got used to playing quite a few hours per day during that time and I'm still addicted to that practice. By the end of 2018 I started taking lessons again, only randomly a few hours per year, working on repertoire. I'm very glad for this opportunity here to work on technique. Thank you, Dominique, for that!