This website...
... explains the basics of scale, chord and harmony building, also information on notes, beat, time signature, meter, etc... and a suggestion for a practise plan has been included - all you need to know to start, or get better at, playing the piano or keyboard. The site has many sound examples included as midi files (file extension .mid). If your browser cannot play midi, you will need a plug-in to hear the examples. "Quicktime" is often used with Explorer and Firefox on Windows, you can download it here. If your operating system is Linux / Ubuntu, I suggest "Timidity", which is not a plug-in, but it plays midi files. (Depending on your browser and operating system, you may have to configure after installation). Test by clicking here to see if you are set up for playing midi files - you should hear a sound if you have loudspeakers on.
Alternatively, you can download the midi files to your computer and play and analyse them with VanBascos midi player. All links and information is here on the download page.
You will also find links to further information, piano lessons, free sheet music, improvisation videos, etc. on this site. You can also download the whole site, and all the notes in pdf format for easy printing or reference. Your comments, ideas and suggestions are welcome and highly appreciated.
- Have fun and learn... |
The figures on this page are from Roedy Black's complete keyboard poster, go there to get full information, and to see all chord inversions with root in any of the 12 keys of the octave: C - C#/Db - D - D#/Eb - E - F - F#/Gb - G - G#/Ab - A - A#/Bb - B.
Fig. 1. Keys in the scale of C Major
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This is the C Major scale (Ionian mode). You see the keys, and the corresponding notes in the treble ledger, starting from the "middle C". Underneath are shown the numbers: 1, 2, 3 etc. These numbers are referred to in chord construction in the examples below.
Any Major scale always has the following number of half tones between each played key: 2-2-1-2-2-2-1 (which of course always adds up to 12 because it covers an octave). Knowing this, you can play any of the 12 Major scales correctly.
Play the C Major scale, and see also how to finger a C scale arpeggio, and how to play the C minor and blues scales.
Below are shown all the C chords (root in the key of C), and on the next page you can look up any scale or chord with root in any of the 12 keys of the octave, see the Chord and scales finder.
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