by john geraghty - amazon s3 · pdf filescale, arpeggio and broken chord fingerings for levels...

By John Geraghty

ISBN 978-0-9933558-0-6

Copyright © 2015 Green Olive Publications LtdAll Rights Reserved

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Book Two — Technique and cd–2

Table of Contents

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 1Posture, Hand Position and Fingering ............................................................................................................. 2Summary ...........................................................................................................................................................11Why Should I Practise Scales, Broken Chords and Arpeggios? ................................................................ 12Increasing Your Scale and Technique Tempos ............................................................................................15

TeChnique ProGramme—a

Technique Programme—A ............................................................................................................................17Scale and Arpeggio Techniques—Exercises 1–36 ........................................................................................2512 Points to Remember When Playing Scales, Arpeggios and Broken Chords .......................................3712 Major and 12 Minor Scales, Broken Chords and Arpeggios ...............................................................38Weekly Scale Practise Tips ..............................................................................................................................66Weekly Arpeggio Practise Tips ......................................................................................................................68Broken Chords—Levels 2–3............................................................................................................................70Scale, Arpeggio and Broken Chord Fingerings for Levels 2–5 ..................................................................71

TeChnique ProGramme—B

Technique Programme—B .............................................................................................................................73Octaves ...............................................................................................................................................................75Silent Finger Change ........................................................................................................................................78Repeated Notes .................................................................................................................................................80Thirds .................................................................................................................................................................81Sixths ..................................................................................................................................................................84Chords and Spread Chords .............................................................................................................................85Alberti Bass .......................................................................................................................................................87Trills ...................................................................................................................................................................88Overlapping Hands ..........................................................................................................................................89Pedalling ............................................................................................................................................................90

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The Complete Classical Piano Course

Posture, hand Position and Fingering

PoSTure

1. Find Middle C on the piano and sit right in front of it. Position yourself in the middle of the stool,so that there is some space for you to lean back when your hands move up and down the keys.

2. Make sure that your knees are near the edge or just under the piano keys. You should have no morethan an arm’s length between you and the piano. Your elbows should be by your side. You shouldbe able to press the (right) pedal comfortably with your heel on the floor. If you feel cramped, thenmove back.

3. Sit up straight and don’t slouch. Using a long mirror to check your posture is always a goodidea. Don’t play with a back rest, otherwise your posture will not be correct. Though it is notrecommended, if you have to sit on a chair, make sure it doesn’t have arm rests, as there’s a tendencyto rest your arms on them, creating bad posture. A keyboard stool is a better option.

hanD PoSiTion

1. Photos below show the 5-fingered position. Each finger and thumb cover one note without missinga note in-between and the hand is straight. If you have any black notes in the 5-fingered position, itwill make your fingers seem closer together than normal, which is okay.

COrrECT COrrECT

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“One needs only to study a certain positioning of the hand in relation to the keys to obtain with ease the most beautiful sounds, to know how to play

long notes and short notes and to achieve certain unlimited dexterity. A well formed technique, it seems to me, can control and vary a beautiful sound quality”.

—Frederic Chopin

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Book Two • Technique

Technique Programme aBefore starting, make sure you have studied “Understanding Major and Minor Scales, Chords and Arpeggios” in Book 1—Manual and review “Posture, Hand Position and Fingering” in Book 2—Technique.

The chapters on “12 Major and 12 Minor Scales, Broken Chords and Arpeggios and “Scale and Arpeggio Techniques”, Exercises 1–36 will be used with this programme. Work methodically, concentrating on good technique. Once you understand the technique, continue looking at the keyboard to check finger and hand positions.

Practise one major and one minor key each week. Continue to practise each key on a regular basis, after you have learnt it, and throughout the weeks that follow. They will come up again at faster tempos. Play all scales, broken chords and arpeggios with legato and the other exercises shown within each box.

Use CD 2 to hear the scales and techniques. Most tracks have a metronome on the left speaker and the music played in the right speaker. Watch the videos to check your playing technique under “Scale, Broken Chords and Arpeggio Techniques”.

Note: Not all tracks listed below are in numerical order.

LEVEL 1

MOnTH 1: Read “Playing Mistakes” and “Thumb Technique” in “Scale and Arpeggio Techniques, Exercises 1–36”.

“Scale and Arpeggio Techniques—Exercises 1–36” “Thumb Technique”: Exercises 1 and 3

One Octave • Hands Separately • Quavers

C Major–A Harmonic Minor G Major–E Harmonic Minor D Major–B Harmonic Minor A Major–F# Harmonic Minor

Major and Harmonic Minor Scales (q = 70) C Major cD 2 – Track 47

A Minor cD 2 – Track 58

Major and Minor Broken Chords (q.= 60) C Major cD 2 – Track 48


Major and Minor Arpeggios (q.= 60) C Major cD 2 – Track 49


MOnTH 2: Practise with two coins on top of each hand.

“Scale and Arpeggio Techniques—Exercises 1–36” “Thumb Technique”: Exercises 1 and 3

jor and Harmonic Minor Scales (q = 70) C Major cD 2 – Track 47 A Minor cD 2 – Track 58

jor and Minor Broken Chords (q.= 60) C Major cD 2 – Track 48 A Minor cD 2 – Track 59

jor and Minor Arpeggios (q.= 60) C Major cD 2 – Track 49 A Minor cD 2 – Track 60

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G maJor

Practise with Two Coins on Top of Each Hand

G Major Scale—Two Octaves 5/1 = Use finger 5 when descending. Use finger 1 when ascending three or four octaves.

q =

G Major Broken ChordsWhen descending, start with the 1st inversion, root, then 2nd inversion.

q. =

G Major Arpeggio 5/1 Use finger 1 for two, three and four octaves.

q. =

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1 2 3 (T) 1

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3 4 (T) 5/1

2 3 (T) 1 2

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5 4 3 2

1 (T) 3 2 1 (T)

4 3 2 1 (T)

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Root Position

3 51

1st Inversion

2 51

2nd Inversion

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5 2 1

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1 2 4

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4 3 2 1 (T)

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Book Two • Technique

Technique Programme B

This programme will train you in the fundamental techniques required when playing piano. This doesn’t stop at Bach and Mozart. All the techniques can be applied to other musical styles.

note: When performing these techniques, your hand may start to ache as new muscles are being worked. This is good. It means that you’re practising properly. Just don’t overdo it. At any point, if you feel a strain in your arm, then stop. Check your seating position and review “Posture, Hand Position and Fingering”, if necessary. Press the sustain pedal with your right foot (keeping your heel on the floor) to check if you are sitting too close. If your ankle aches, then move back, remembering to move the stool back with you. Always sit up straight and do not slouch; make sure that your shoulders don’t lift up when performing these techniques.

How to work through the programmePractise daily. Work on each technique for no more than five minutes each day, but spend at least one month on each exercise. This means that every technique will be overlapped into the other three remaining weeks. By the end of the first month, you should be hitting about 15-20 minutes each day covering that month’s technique.

If you are still unsure as to how to perform each technique correctly, log in onlineand watch each exercise found under

“Technique Programme—B”.

IMPOrTAnT nOTE

1. Always practise slowly. Once your fingers start to learn each technique easily, i.e., you’re at the stagewhere you don’t have to think about how to perform the technique, then start increasing the tempo.Read “Increasing Your Scale and Technique Tempos” for further help. The exercises are easy enough tolearn by heart, so look down at your fingers to keep an eye on the proper technique.

2. Place two coins (same size) on top of each other on top of your hands when performing eachtechnique. This will ensure that you’re performing the technique 100% correctly.

3. Remember to play on your fingertips. Don’t lift any fingers up or “stroke” the keys after hitting thenotes.

“If we were all determined to play the first violin we should never have an ensemble. Therefore, respect every musician in his proper place”.

—Robert Schumann

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repeated notes

Repeated notes use a change of fingering. Changing the finger allows you to free up your hand to stretch to a higher note without moving the arm. You can, of course, use the same finger, but by doing so you will use a lot of wrist action, which can slow your playing down. Try tapping on a table three times on the same spot with your thumb as fast as you can. Then stretch an octave with finger 5. Now use fingers321 in that order, and stretch an octave. Can you see how much easier and quicker it feels using three different fingers rather than one?

Practise all three exercises in one practise session increasing the tempo from 80–100. Start with the right hand first. Try to keep an even tone.

exercise 1–3: Treble Clef

cD 3 – Track 6

exercise 1 q = 100

exercise 2 q.= 100

exercise 3 q = 100

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2 1 5 2 1 5 2 1 5

3 2 1 5 3 2 1 5 3 2 1 5

3 2 1 5 3 2 1 5 3 2 1 5

4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 5

4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1 5

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by john geraghty - amazon s3 · pdf filescale, arpeggio and broken chord fingerings for levels...

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