Introduction
This course aims to help students learn and play scales, chords, and arpeggios on the piano in all 12 Major & 12 Minor keys. It takes the student from the very first steps of finding and naming the individual keys on the piano through to playing the full range of major and minor scales & arpeggios across multiple octaves, as well major, minor, and 7th chords & arpeggios in root position and their various inversions.
My goal in organising this course was to make it as useful, concise, and interesting as possible. The culmination of this course in Level 6 - Mastery, is three studies, one each for scales, chords, and arpeggios. These studies are to be played in each of the major and minor keys. By doing so the student will gain an intimate knowledge of not just how to play the various scales, chords, and arpeggios, but also how they can function within a musical context. The work done in Levels 1 to 5 aim to prepare the student for playing the studies in Level 6.
The Course
Preparatory Stage
This stage prepares the student for Level 1. It is recommended for students at the very beginning of their studies. It introduces all the Natural, Flat, & Sharp notes on the keyboard and the staff, as well as all the Major and Minor triads and the first five notes of all Major and Minor scales.
Level 0 (Preparatory Stage) PDF
Levels 1 to 4
The exercises in these levels begin with the most basic Scale, Chord, & Arpeggio exercises, gradually expanding their range and difficulty. Each level is designed to prepare the student for the next level. The PDFs for Levels 1 to 4 available both with and without fingering. The fingering I have suggested here is what I would consider to be most appropriate in a musical context. However, some students (and certainly some teachers) may find my fingering choices a little too idiosyncratic and so I have made available PDFs of Levels 1 to 4 without fingering.
Level 1 PDF / Level 1 PDF (without fingering)
Level 2 PDF / Level 2 PDF (without fingering)
Level 3 PDF / Level 3 PDF (without fingering)
Level 4 PDF / Level 4 PDF (without fingering)
Levels 5 to 6 (Mastery)
These are the final "advanced" levels of this course. The exercises in Level 5 and the studies in Level 6 (Mastery) contain in as concise a form as I could manage all the essentials of scale, chord, and arpeggio playing. That is not to say that there isn't more that one could learn. Just that what is contained here is all that a piano student ought to learn. In Levels 5 & 6 no fingering is given. The ability to choose ones own fingering is essential for any pianist, therefore I leave this up to the student.
Level 5 PDF
Level 6 (Mastery) PDF