Download my scale pattern teaching sheet:
Scale Pattern Teaching Sheet by Amy Nam is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
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Scale sheet intro
- When writing down all the note names, I ask beginner students to list both names (sharp and flat) for each black key. I do not get tangled up explaining that white keys can also have two names. I find that that information is better revealed as an answer when the student becomes curious enough to ask how to spell an F-sharp major scale, etc.
- After writing out all the note names, the student may need to review the concept of whole-steps and half-steps on the note name sheet even if the student understood it on the keyboard. If the mapping isn’t grasped, the next part is useless.
- Once the scale pattern is lined up with the note names, the student may ask which name (sharp or flat) to use when reading off the scale. Depending on the student’s age and aptitude, I may simply tell them the correct answer. But preferably, I explain, “We can only use each letter once,” and then let the student spend a minute puzzling it out. Active learning is stronger and lasts longer.
- Begin with conceptual understanding of scales, fully solidify that, then follow-up with route memorization of the key signatures and the concomitant mnemonic silliness.
- The student will inevitably struggle to play the remaining notes of the scale when they run out of fingers, and you can guide them to the “correct” fingering as a solution to this problem. Then they’ll actually be excited about the right fingering.
- It may help the student’s focus if you print and cut out a sheet for them too so they can copy everything you do at the same time.
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