Major Scales - The flat Keys & C Major (PART I)

Here are the seven flat-key Major Scales plus the C Major, written out for one and two octaves for pianists, along with piano fingerings. Mastery of these scales benefits all musicians. Instrumentalists gain a higher working knowledge of their instrument and of the music they play. Know your scales!!

For pianists, start with just one octave and master the fingering and the notes for each scale, hand separately, and then hands together. Practice slowly, using a metronome to help establish a steady tempo. Only go faster as the fingerings and notes become easy and flow naturally.

Once you have mastered the major scales in single octave scales, try extending each scale to two octaves. This will be easier if you put a stop in after the first octave, giving your brain a chance to start the pattern over for the second octave.

The mastering of all major and minor scales will benefit your piano skills in countless ways. Your knowledge of keyboard geography and confidence in the feel and shape of each scale will help in reading and memorizing music, as well as understanding the structure of the music you play. Chords and chordal structures will make much more sense to you and you will see relationships and patterns which would not occur to you without proper knowledge of the scales. Also, your technique will grow and your ability to solve and master fingering issues will expand greatly. The pianist who has all the major and minor scales firmly in his head and in his hands will be much more confident and comfortable with all areas of piano playing then one who does not. So master the scales... all of them. Learn the fingerings for all, develop speed and dexterity using the metronome, rhythms and links. Play the scales in octaves, play the scales in thirds, in sixths, in tenths. Play them hands-separately, hands-together. Play them parallel and in contrary motion. Play them loud, play them soft, play them with musical shaping and touch. Play them in your pajamas, play them in your work clothes, play them in your football uniform... Play them, play them, play them. Oh yeah... don't forget to enjoy them! Scales can be lots of fun. You should never be bored when the scales are on your mind and in your fingers.