5 Ways PianoInspires Can Transform Your Scale Practice

Ready to move beyond basic drills? The magazines, videos, and publications at pianoinspires.com are packed with fresh, effective ideas to elevate the technique of your piano students and your own practice.

1. Unlock Speed with the 3s and 4s Fingering Rule

Tired of tricky fingerings? The Summer 2024 Issue of Piano Inspires Kids provides a fresh look at scale mastery by focusing on simple, repeatable rules. The core idea? All major and minor scales use an alternating pattern of three- and four-finger groups. A diagram is included to help students coordinate thumb crossing while playing hands together. By mastering these groups and vocalizing the key signature, students can quickly build speed and confidence. Download fingering guides for 5-finger and two-octave runs here.

2. Turn Practice into an Olympic-Style Tournament

Just as athletes compete, your students can participate in a “Technique Tournament” complete with judges and celebratory medals. Organize the event with a colleague, let students hear each other perform their assignments, and celebrate with a closing ceremony. Downloadable scoring sheets from Piano Inspires Kids track notes, fingering, velocity, and tone, motivating players to perform with technical excellence and beautiful sound.

3. Apply Technique Musically in Real Repertoire

Performing these figures beautifully in real repertoire is the ultimate goal! Technique through Repertoire applies your practice by isolating passages with major, minor, and chromatic runs. Students will work on a rising and falling C major run as it bounces between the hands in Beyer’s Etude in C major and a cascading chromatic sweep in Streabogg’s The Whirlwind.

4. Discover Creative Drills from a Master Teacher

Marvin Blickenstaff’s Foundational Technique video series surveys a host of technical skills and drills. In “Scale Routines” he delves deep into mastery, offering fresh drills to prepare students for pieces. These include announcing keys to solidify theoretical knowledge, accompanying them with Alberti bass patterns to prepare for sonatinas, and playing in various rhythmic patterns to build a sense of pulse and develop endurance.

5. The Advanced Challenge: Double-Thirds Scales

Delve into Piano Magazine articles for more ideas. For the ambitious student, Dan Landsdown’s article on “Practicing Double-Thirds Scales” in the September 2017 Issue is essential reading. This disciplined work is critical for achieving finger independence, exceptional tone control, and a perfect legato between note pairs. This practice will secure and elevate a student’s musicianship. Read the full article here.

Regardless of where your students are on their path to scale success, resources from pianoinspires.com will help keep your studio fresh and motivated in improving their technique.