Group 3
Improve your Scales!
Scales are integral to your technique - all of music is built on them! They are singularly one of the most important things to master for piano playing!
Fellow Participants in Group 3:
Maya Martin
Rebecca Lam
Shaw-Jiun Wang
Kerstin
Tim
Gary Hamer
Angela
Amy
Claudio Carrani
Lin W.
Lorraine Nelson
Mia
Larry Johnson
Charlie Gesualdo
Michael Palmer
Some tonebase productions to get you started
"Creative Scale Practice" with Jarred Dunn
C Major Pattern Scales with Juliana Han
"Choreographing Scales" with Seymour Bernstein
"Scale Technique" with Penelope Roskell
How to get the most out of this course
- Start by watching the introduction video and practice the exercises given in the video.
- Write a post with your experiences with scales.
- Start Practicing Czerny Op.599 no.61, and 69!
- Share two videos per week and help your course partners through feedback on their submissions!
Zoom Check-In: Wednesday, June 29th at 11am PT!
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Hi Dominik and everyone! I am Kerstin, I am not a professional pianist, but I am so happy to be here. And I will start today. First I have played Burgmüller and Chopin, so this is the standing. Let’s see how much it can improve in two weeks.
Nice day for all of you!
LG Kerstin from
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Hi everyone! A brief introduction on me and scales...
I'm Claudio and I write from Italy.
I have been studying piano in conservatory until 2003, then I had to quit for many a reason. At a far distance of 18 years, I started playing again from the base, the technique.
About scales... I wasn't a huge fan of them, most of all when I had to play them in double thirds and double sixths. Three months ago I took Chopin's first ballade back in my hands, and that finale passage is one of the hardest to be played for me. So, why not take the chance to gather this group!
Tomorrow I'll load my videos. In the meantime, happy scales to everybody :-)
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Claudio Carrani
Hi Claudio! Nice to hear your story. So I am not alone. I study piano in 1989 and quit it after three years. And than I play one piece a year. But after the last Chopin Competition I fell in love again with the piano and Chopin. The Ballade is really hard. I played it 5 years ago and the coda is the most difficult part. Waiting for your upload.
Have a nice day.
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Hi, this is Rebecca. I am a beginner in scale and still working through all the scales. I am currently learning piano on my own but took lessons for a few years almost 30 years ago. I have never played any of those pieces. I will be working on Czerny first. I don't think I will be able to do chopin ballade. It looks like it is beyond my technical skill. I will work on whatever I can manage. Happy practicing!!
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rebecca LAM
Hi Rebecca! Sounds great. Czerny is good, because you have scales in both hands. Have fun !
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rebecca LAM Hi Rebecca, I can certainly agree that the Chopin is somewhat intimidating. If I may, I would encourage you in this two weeks, take only one aspect of the last page of the Chopin, either just doing the right hand in the chromatic scale with the fingering Dominic recommended. Or maybe just the one of the g minor scales. Don't worry about playing fast, more about slow relaxed, it is a process. And build your confidence. Whatever feel comfortable. Happy practicing. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you need to.
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Gary Hamer thanks for the encouragement and advice. I will attempt at least hand separate.
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Hi, I'm Larry from Arizona. I played and took lessons off and on when I was a school kid but then very little as an adult. I'm an octogenarian now and got the bug to play again and bought a piano about 4 years ago. Took lessons for awhile but came to grips with my goals and now practice a repertoire within my reach of music I really like. Chopin is high on my list. I feel I have hit a plateau and hope this intensive will help me improve. I'm finding that the old synapses and memory cells aren't what they used to be but I hope to get the most out of them that I can.
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I restarted on playing piano about 2 years ago when the pandemic hit (I am in US.) I started to work on each scale about one year ago but it did not last. I still have not finished all the major and minor scales. Do you all practice scale every time you practice? How often and how much do you practice scales? I find it hard to stay motivated. I will do it for a few days and then stop for a long stretch of time.
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rebecca LAM Same here. I even took on for a few months using Scales Bootcamp workbook to build up a consistent scales practice. Yet.
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Hi everybody!
yep, every single time I sit on my chair and play, I start with some “warming up”: Hanon, scales, Clementi’s Gradus Ad Parnassum studies. I usually play 4 scales, 2 major and their minor.
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Hi Everyone,
Great to gather with like minded people of all levels. I started playing piano at 16, fell in love with it and have been taking lessons on and off during my life. I learned all the scales a long time ago, I did not incorporated them into my regular practice.
Iv'e been working on Chopin's g minor Ballade, so this is a good inspiration to get the last page worked out.
As of late I have been doing more Hanon, and some Chopin Etudes, and Bach. I will post here shortly, and welcome any comments.
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Gary Hamer
Hi Gary! You‘re right. I am 6 weeks here on tonebase and nice people all over the place. Which Chopin Etudes you are working on? I am on op10 number 4 and 5. And yes, Bach is also one if my favorite composer. 2 month ago I played the e-minor Toccata. Bach is really a genius and Chopin too.
Have a nice day. -
Kerstin Hey Kerstin,
I have found many resources on the lessons and courses that have really helped in moving forward.
Of recent, the Chopin Etudes I have been working on are Opus 25 #10 (octave etude) ,#12 (wave), also the Trois Nouvelles #2 in A flat major ( the 2 against 3). As well as Opus 10 #12 (the Revolutionary Etude). I may not be able to play them up to tempo, but they have been a big asset to developing my technique. With Bach, currently working on the prelude and fugue in c minor -well tempered clavier book 1. With a bit a focus and consistency, it is amazing what one can accomplish, slow and steady. LOL
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Gary Hamer
Wow, that’s great. I did op10/12
2 month ago and op25/12 is still on my list of pieces I would like to play someday. Yes some pieces need a lot of time and consistency. Since last December I have worked on Chopin Scherzo Nr.1 and finally I got it in my memory, but to play it from the beginning to the end it’s really hard. Maybe I play something else and come back to it later this year.
Happy practising and a nice weekend.
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Here are my videos!
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Claudio Carrani
Burgmüller sounds good.
On Chopin I think the problem is, that the left hand isn‘t as fast as the right hand. I have the same problem and I see you have another fingering on the left one.
I would be interested in how you are practising scales.LG Kerstin
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Kerstin the moments of my pianist life my left hand was not giving me problems was when I used to play piano eight hours a day for the degree! So yes, that’s for sure.
I’m slowly trying to let her reprise her role studying Hanon and Clementi’s Gradus Ad Parnassum. As for scales in particular, Hanon includes some useful exercises for the fingers passage 3-1, 4-1 (I don’t have the book right here, tomorrow I can check and let you know). Dominic’s suggestions of notes grouping are also very handy too
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I am also working in a chromatic scale on the end of Chopin Scherzo Nr. 1. If somebody have a good fingering let me know.
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Hello
I plan to use these two weeks to re-polish my major scales and arpeggios. Although I have studied and practices for decades, I seem to be a perpetual scales drop-out. It is always a good thing to reinforce the "foundation" from time to time! My piano teacher also suggested Czerny Op. 599 to me among the suggested pieces by Dominic. I look forward to this "intensive."
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We’re waiting for your uploads! :-)
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Assignment on Burgmuller to begin the Week 1 along with C major scale. Will up the tempo tomorrow. Metronome work today showed minor inconsistent speed between L and R hands.
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Shaw-Jiun Wang
Great! Yes the tempo is faster than I thought in the first place.
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Here are my first two submissions. the Burgmuller Op. 100 no. 6, and the Czerny no. 61.
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Gary Hamer Here is the CzernyGary Hamer
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