Play Piano in All Keys Scales Fingering Charts - video introduction on youtube

My first youtube video introducing my Major and Minor charges book. This manual comes in very handy when learning scales for the very first time. This book also comes in very handy when preparing for an exam and my students use this book until their piano Highschool diploma.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.8

Now on Kindle: Major and Harmonic Minor Scales, The Way I Teach Them… using Fingering Charts

If you are looking for a great book, available on Kindle, that teaches about learning, practicing all Major Scales and the parallel harmonic Minor Scales, look no further. If you are looking for results, if you want to really get through the wall of scales, here is a manual for you.

The fingering Charts use large numbers for the finger numbers and large letters for the notes (no note symbols, only letters), so you can relax into paying attention to your technique, curving the fingers and working pulse with the metronome. The many chapters describe the structure of scales in detail in an easy to comprehend language. Technique and how to relax into the keys is also covered; how to play without error; how to train your mind to get from the very beginning to accomplished sounding scales. Scales are the foundation of playing piano. They train both sides of the brain and co-ordination. When you start reading notes, your fingers are already trained and the reading translation – playing process is greatly facilitated.

Over the last 10 years, my students accumulated over 500 gold medals (I stopped counting) – but we just recently had 26 in the Guild auditions and everyone had to perform scales. And this is how I could take my students through these exams. These practice instructions work with any students, any level and skill.

Please, enjoy this book:

Major and harmonic Minor Scales, The Way I Teach Them... Using Fingering Charts

National Piano Playing Auditions 2010 Results

Hello all:
I am happy to announce our Piano Guild auditions are finally complete. All students testing higher than Elementary B with a National (10 piece) or International (15 piece) program performed scales -  musicianship phases and most chords / cadences and arpeggios musicianship phases as well. I used the book "Play Piano in All Keys" fingering charts to prepare these musicianship phases. And all I can say, I could not have been able to get everyone through their preparations if I would not have had this manual at hand. The students worked their phases and just turned pages. Accurate, traditional fingering - for the first time, as a teacher, could I relax - accurate fingering in all scales is so hard to achieve. But my students did and they were happy and so was I - what a great feeling (for me) to provide such an essential piano playing fundamentals book. Even the late Intermediate and Preparatory (for College) students could benefit from using the scales charts. Never before could I get "clean" scales fingering in 4 octaves - all Major and parallel Minors. This year it was a breeze!

Congratulations to all my students who worked hard setting their goals and achieving them. 10 and 15 piece programs are not easy, regardless how you look at it and everyone who put their mind to it completed it with many commendations and solid performances, all from memory. All National (10 pieces) and International (15 pieces) programs are Gold Medal programs; the 5 piece program is a Bronze Medal. We had a total of 26 Gold Medal programs and 1 Bronze Medal program. The Specials category is for those gifted young pianists who are able to play repertoire in a higher category than expected for their age.

Congratulations to everyone working so hard, staying focused and dedicated:

Riverside, CA May 21, 2010: Judge Beatrice Mosburg:

	Name	Number of Years in Guild auditions	Number of Years National Winner	Classification	Program	Number of pieces performed
1	Jothy Yogarajah	5	5	Intermediate E	National	10
2	Thulasi Yogarajah	5	5	Intermediate A	National	10

Temecula, CA June 6, 2010: Judge Ana Stahl:

	Name	Number of Years in Guild auditions	Number of Years National Winner	Classification	Program	Number of pieces performed
3	Chloe Lovato	5	5	Intermediate B	National	10
4	Sai Sivapalan	8	8	Preparatory Special	International	15
5	Shalini Nair	9	9	Preparatory B	International	15
6	Cynthia Nguyen Phan	4	4	Intermediate Special	National	10
7	Kathleen Nguyen Phan	4	4	Intermediate A	National	10
8	Stacey Nguyen Phan	4	4	Elementary Special	National	10
9	Ranen Unger Hicks	5	5	Elementary Special	National	12
10	Sierra Rupnow	5	5	Intermediate C	National	10
11	Brittany Durgiah	6	3	Intermediate A	District	5

Escondido - Sand Diego, CA July 8 and 11,2010 judge: Ann Vanderschaaf, TX

		Number of Years in Guild auditions	Number of Years National Winner	Classification	Program	Number of pieces performed
12	Thien-Sa Luyen	1	1	Elementary A	National	10
13	Thien-Sam Luyen	1	1	Elementary B	National	10
14	Bret Paddock	7	7	Preparatory B	International	15
15	Cassiopea Bostan	2	2	Elementary Special	International	15
16	Robechelle Mina	1	1	Elementary A	National	10
17	Rossale Mina	1	1	Elementary A	National	10
18	Roxanne Mina	1	1	Elementary A	National	10
19	Anais Perkins	2	2	Intermediate A	National	10
20	Shanti Ryle	9	9	Preparatory D	International	15
21	Mitchell Johnson	5	5	Intermediate F	National	10
22	Patrick Xu	1	1	Intermediate Special	International	15
23	Kelly Rausch	4	4	Elementary E	National	10
24	Song Nguyen	3	3	Intermediate A	National	10
25	Andrew Vu	4	4	Preparatory A	National	10
26	Nessa Vu	4	4	Intermediate B	National	10
27	Victoria Vu	4	4	Intermediate B	National	10

Sincerely, Eva

MTAC Convention July 2 - 5, 2010

Hello all:
The past weeks have been incredibly hectic. Besides the Guild auditions, I had the opportunity to introduce my books "Play Piano In All Keys" Scales, Chords / Cadences, Arpeggios Fingering Charts and Workbooks in the Music Teachers Association of California Convention, at the LAX Marriott.
Four days of meeting with teachers whom I had not seen in many years, talking about my books almost non-stop,... it was exciting and fun. Several teachers looked at my work and told me, that's exactly how they were teaching and hand drawing scales - now they just didn't need to hand draw the scales, chords / cadences fingering charts any more; they just purchased the complete fingering charts book. I cannot wait to hear from teachers how they could integrate the book in their teaching curriculum and what results they could achieve. So far the feed back was very positive.

"Play Piano in All Keys": From the first piano lesson to playing fantastic1

Hello all:

Playing Piano in all Keys is EASY!

For me, as a teacher, I will always ask the question: "How do I get my students to a proficient level as quickly as possible?" - and I truly believe, the missing link is in the early start, the very beginning months of learning to play piano.

I used to, just like every other piano teacher, start with one or the other method book, attempting to teach the basics of LEARNING NOTES and PLAY A LITTLE. Or simplify playing pieces, just to start playing immediately. After 10 years of literally taking students through over 200 10-20 piece programs in the National Guild auditions, I have updated my strategy.

I feel the first weeks and months while a new student (any age and level) starts to learn to decipher baby pieces, learns the musical symbols (notes, Grand Staff, rhythms,...) these are the most important times. There is nothing wrong with this way of starting a piano student, everyone works that way, one way or another.

BUT - THERE IS A BETTER WAY!

Learning the musical symbols takes time. Many teachers opt to "teach" one little piece a week, the progress is marginal. students after 2 years of lessons play in the second level method books - and are still struggling with weak fingers.

THE MISSING LINK:

Simply put, you must train fingers, fingers must be taught to move, the motions of the arm need to be taught, how to relax the forearm and the shoulders must be taught. THE MOTIONS of PLAYING MUST BE TAUGHT! This has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SKILL OF READING NOTES. Frankly, reading notes will only be an initial hindrance to fully focus on the motions of PLAYING. How are the motions of PLAYING PIANO taught? You must learn the basics of scales, arpeggios and then chords / cadences.

I remember, when I started my piano lessons. The lesson book was either too easy or too difficult (The Beyer Preparatory School) - I had to learn notes to play, I had to immediately learn key signatures to play in other keys. I was extremely frustrated when I had to put hands together and read notes at the same time. And all I wanted was to play really well. 48 years later, today, I have resolved this issue. "Play Piano in All Keys" is the answer to this problem. EVERY STUDENTS ANY AGE CAN LEARN TO PLAY and play accurately.

How does it work?

Yes, at the same time we start playing the usual way with some method book or another - they all teach the same things from day 1 on - at the same time we take time to only focus on the motion of playing. I use fingering charts that teach which finger goes on which key! Yes, we start with the white keys, simple: RH finger 1 on C, finger 2 on D, finger 3 on E, finger 1 turns under on F, finger 2 on G, finger 3 on A, finger 4 on B, finger 5 on C. Now, we go down: finger 4 on B, finger 3 on A, finger 2 on G, finger 1 on F, finger 3 turn over the thumb on E, finger 2 on D, finger 1 on C.  The charts are set up, so you can see the finger number in HUGE LETTERS. The white keys are white, black keys are black. OK, C Major is on white keys.

Then you learn the left hand, the same way.

This way, you are ALLOWED TO FOCUS ON WHAT IS IMPORTANT! MOVING YOUR FINGERS! Concentrating on which finger goes on which key, the co-ordination of right hand - left hand once you play hands together! The added difficulty of READING IS REMOVED! Finally, a way to start playing, to start practicing the motions and know you are doing it right!. No, you do not need to have piano lessons for a year to play the C Major scale finally.

And by the way, the moment you can play 1 octave C Major, you are adding the second octave in C Major hands separately, then together. YOU ARE WORKING THE FINGERS! Fantastic! From day 1 on! While you are learning to "read" the musical symbols.

And in order to keep your mind from getting bored, as soon as you have mastered the C Major scale, you are moving on to playing the C Harmonic Minor scale! The E key becomes the E flat key and the A key becomes the A flat key! Same motion, same fingering. Within a few days, you can play two scales. Then you can add arpeggios, a little finger gymnastics - very easy, learn the motion of the thumb turn right away. EASY!

The charts also teach immediately the correct name for the next key to play. you will not accidentally mis-name the scale keys F, G, A, A sharp, C,... no, you learn immediately to see the note names correctly: F, G, A, B flat, C,....

"Play Piano in All Keys" includes ALL Major, Harmonic Melodic, Natural Minors SCALES AND ACCURATE FINGERING, ALL PRIMARY TRIADS, INVERSIONS, I-IV-I-V-I cadences in root and 1st and 2nd inversions and all Tonic Major and Tonic Minor Arpeggios in 3 positions. All enharmonic scales are included!

What are the results: Usually after 6 months my students can play all whites keys 4 octave scales in slow and medium speeds which in a conventional way is learned in the 6th or 7th year of playing. And typically, since they learn to move the fingers and practice right - left co-ordination, their reading skills come along quickly, because the physical motions are already rehearsed. After 1 year of lessons my 9 or 10 year old students test in Level 3 in the MTAC Certificate of Merit (TM), a 4th year exam, besides their National Guild 10 piece programs (that include scales, chords / cadences and arpeggios). And they practice 20 minutes - 1 hour a day.

I wish, I had had this book to learn piano when I started to play piano almost 50 years ago, it would have made all practicing, all Conservatory requirements so much easier. 

All the best and let's PLAY PIANO!  Eva