Teaching Piano Students the Major Scales Using Moveable Do Solfa
I hope you enjoy this series of five videos that demonstrate how I teach my piano students the major scales, scale fingerings, the Circle of Fifths, key signatures, and how to sight sing in each key. My helper is my daughter Juliet who plays the violin as her main instrument. She knows many of these concepts but we didn’t rehearse these videos to try and keep them as authentic as possible. I hope this gives a clear example of how it goes when I’m working with a student. (scroll to the bottom of this post to skip straight to the videos. The following text explains the timeline and method).
I use the PianoForte Major Scale book. This is a supplement to the PianoForte method book series and suits students who are part-way through Level 3 when they are familiar with these things:
The Solfa Syllables
The Solfa Hand Signs
The Grand Stave
Basic Technique
When are students ready to start learning scales?
This depend on the age of each student of course, but on average the 6-year-old beginner PianoForte student is ready to start learning scales between 6-8 months of their first lesson. I don’t modify the lessons in any way but I do allow as much time as they need to get used to the coordination of playing a one octave scale, hand together in parallel motion. This is usually a bit tricky and can take a few weeks sometimes. I also want them to understand the basics of scale theory as we go along, so I take time for that as well.
On average, students will take about one school year to go through the entire Major Scale Book . When they complete it they are confident with the following:
Playing all Major scales one octave scale, hand together in parallel motion
Understanding all key signatures, including the enharmonic key signatures
The pattern of wholes tones and semi tones (whole steps & half steps) in a major scale
The tonic chord (indicated by a Roman Numeral) in every key
Knowing how to sight sing in solfa basic musical excerpts in any key
The functionality of the Circle of Fifths, the relationship of Tonic and Dominant and the concept of the “Leading Tone” in every key
At this point I take students back through the book and begin to elaborate on the concepts and technical skills. I usually give them a fresh book and we re-fill it in as we go adding the following:
Hands together two octaves
Primary chords
Relative Minor Scales
Harmonising the musical excerpts with chords
Chord inversions
Dominant 7 chords
Improvising
Composing
Reading Lead Sheets
Transposing
etc…
Each student goes through the book a few times. Each time adding new theories and technical skills. We take a few minutes at the start of each lesson to add something new to their knowledge and over time they develop a rich understanding of Harmonic Theory and Grammar.
If a student begins this process when they are 6-years-old, by the time they are between the ages of 10 -12 they understand the harmonic theory that is taught in the first term of a university music degree. These are normal students with average practice routines.
I am not a competitive teacher. . .
I don’t believe in rushing students through skills so that they can demonstrate prodigy elements. I believe in meeting students where they are and giving the highest possible music education I can. When children are able to learn such vast amounts of musical theory at such seemingly young ages I realise that this knowledge should be available to all music students. They are all capable of learning to this high level and enjoying the depth of musical understanding that this brings. We treat language this way, with students expected to read, communicate and write in their first language at young ages. Musical knowledge is not any more challenging than that.
Please enjoy these simple videos and if you have any questions get in touch!
Major Scales Video One - C Major Scale
Major Scales Video Two - The Key of C Major
Major Scales Video Three - G Major Scale
Major Scales Video Four - The Key of G Major
Major Scales Video Five - The Scale Grid and Circle of Fifths
Order copies of the Major Scale Book for your students here: Major Scale Book
