• Store
  • Sign-up
  • Sign-in
Menu
Practising the Piano
  • Home
  • Resources
    • Multimedia eBook Series
    • Online Academy
    • Video Lessons
    • Annotated Study Editions
    • Repertoire Resources
    • Piano Technique Resources
    • Amateur Piano Groups & Clubs
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Online Events
    • London Piano Courses
    • Practice Clinics
    • Online Performance Workshops
  • Blog
      • Practising
      • Learning Pieces
      • Technique
      • Performing
      • Teaching
      • Archive
  • About Us
    • Help & Support
    • Contact us
HomePractisingEat Your Greens!

Eat Your Greens!

By Graham Fitch, 2012-12-14 Posted in: Practising

It seems to me that a thorough knowledge of scales and arpeggios is an absolute necessity for all serious students of the piano. Western music is built on the major/minor tonal system, and to attempt to study the instrument without scales (or basic theory) would be as nonsensical as learning language without the alphabet or bothering with basic grammar. Of course scale playing serves a technical end, but I don’t think we can consider scales as mere warm-ups when the pinky gets used only once per scale, or in some cases not at all.

I will often use scales as a vehicle for teaching something else. It might be to develop touches (one hand plays using one particular touch, and the other hand with another) or to abstract an issue from the complexities of the piece. Just yesterday, a student who brought along Debussy’s evergreen Clair de lune was struggling to feel the changes from the default triplet subdivisions of the main beat to the duplet ones. We used the scale of D flat major to help him feel the changes from “tri-po-let” to “du-plet”, with both hands playing in unison, and also with the LH playing in dotted crotchets:

triplet duplet scale

Practising scales two against three is also a great way to develop this necessary skill (when the LH plays in 3s, remember to start two octaves apart, to avoid the inevitable collision):

scale 2v3

If scales are the ABC of music, what about aural, sight reading and theory? All examination boards include tests in each of these areas for a very good reason – to aid and abet in the process of forming an all-round musician. The more theory you know, the more you appreciate how music is built. You will also be able to decode the information from the printed page more quickly and with deeper understanding, and as a result of this you will have the skills to read at sight, to learn pieces more quickly, efficiently and thoroughly and – not least – to memorise..

Unless you appreciate how secondary dominants function, or how diminished sevenths resolve, you will miss a vital dimension in your appreciation of music. And it is not really possible to play this passage from the first movement of Beethoven’s Sonata in F, op. 10 no. 2 with any humour or relish unless you understand he is fooling us by appearing to start the recapitulation in the wrong key. Instead of the obligatory tonic, he has somehow wound up in D:

Beethoven op. 10 no. 2

Theory, analysis and aural training are often presented in ways that seem irrelevant to the average learner, and having to spend time on these activities could feel annoying. A lot of theory methods seem to present the subject as a branch of mathematics, a dry-as-dust abstract approach where the ear is never involved and you’re only learning the material so you can get through the exam.

Recently, I was sent a publication for review from the USA, entitled Explorations In Music (UK readers might prefer to view it here) by Joanne Haroutounian. What I like about this series of seven books (each with a CD and optional teacher’s guide) is that it is for students of any age or instrument and approaches the subject holistically and creatively. The ear and the mind are always connected, and composition is encouraged. The series is described by the publisher as a comprehensive music theory curriculum that extends from primary to advanced levels and uses ear training, analysis, and composition to “creatively” teach concepts of music theory. Students explore and discover new concepts, and creative experimentation encourages students to compose. Listening examples are interwoven throughout the book and presented in the CD recording, and “explore” sections allow students to analyse the musical score with eye and ear and work creatively with musical ideas. I like the series very much, and can see its usefulness as a structured curriculum as part of instrumental study. Having the CDs means the student can do a lot by themselves, and the material is presented in such a way that is accessible to adults as well as children. It would also be a useful resource for adult restarters who need to beef up their theory and aural skills – perhaps by joining the series from book 4 or 5.

I have heard very good things about Anna Butterworth’s Harmony In Practice, but have not actually seen a copy. Does anyone have a favourite book? My feeling is that every piano lesson should be a music lesson, and looking at music from a composer’s eye view has to be the way to go.

Practising the Piano Online Academy

The Practising the Piano Online Academy is the ultimate online resource for mastering the piano. It features a constantly growing library of thousands of articles, videos and musical excerpts on topics including practising, piano technique and performing from leading experts. Please click here to find out more about the Online Academy or on one of the options below to subscribe:

  • Monthly subscription – Subscribe for £13.99 a month to get full, unlimited access to all Online Academy articles and updates (click here to sign-up for this option)
  • Annual subscription – Save almost 30% on the monthly subscription with an annual subscription for £119.99 per year and get free eBooks and editions worth over £70! (click here to sign-up for this option)
Tags: arpeggioscreativityDebussydebussy clair de luneexaminationsfurther readingJoanne Haroutounianjoanne haroutounian explorations in musiclisteningscalesscales generatortheorytouch

Related Posts

Clair de Lune, MacDowell & a Chopin Etude

Clair de Lune, MacDowell & a Chopin Etude

By Informance, 2023-05-25
Posted in: Learning Pieces, Practising

In this month’s practice clinic, Graham Fitch answers questions on pedalling, arpeggios, use of forearm rotation and more in Debussy’s Clair de Lune, MacDowell’s To a Wild Rose and works by Chopin and Handel.

Read More

Tags: arpeggiosChopinChopin Etudesclair deluneDebussyEdward MacDowellforearm rotationHandelpedallingpractice clinic
Clair de Lune, MacDowell & a Chopin Etude
The Analytic Memory

The Analytic Memory

By Graham Fitch, 2012-05-25
Posted in: Practising

I have had several requests for an article on memorisation. Since I already wrote one last year for Pianist Magazine, entitled Mind Over Memory, I thought I would include it here. This is Part One, dealing with the most neglected aspect of memory, using one's brain. Next week, I will…

Read More

Tags: childrenChopinevaluateGina BachauerGlenn Gouldlisteningmemorypianist magazinetheory
The Analytic Memory
Arpeggiation in Piano Playing

Arpeggiation in Piano Playing

By Graham Fitch, 2019-05-23
Posted in: Performing

I first published this post in July of 2016. Here it is again with one or two updates - including a link to the Online Academy's series on spread chords, and the recent video I made for Pianist Magazine. ***   ***   *** I once attended a piano recital where…

Read More

Tags: Carl Reineckecoronation concertoDebussyitalian concertojs bachMalcolm BilsonMozartRobert Schumannspread chordsträumerei
Arpeggiation in Piano Playing
Look, No Feet!

Look, No Feet!

By Graham Fitch, 2014-05-30
Posted in: Practising

People think in terms of pianists' fingers - not their feet - but a direct line of communication from our ear to our right foot is an absolute necessity and there's no doubt that fancy footwork is an integral part of our technique. I once witnessed a masterclass given by…

Read More

Tags: feetinterpretationpedalperformanceprofessionalSchumannshift pedal
Look, No Feet!
Launching the 2018-2020 Trinity Syllabus

Launching the 2018-2020 Trinity Syllabus

By Graham Fitch, 2018-10-25
Posted in: Learning Pieces, News, Practising, Trinity College London Syllabus

I am very happy to announce a brand new series featuring the current Trinity College London Piano Syllabus on the Online Academy. Having been commissioned by Trinity to write the teaching notes for the advanced grades, I was delighted to put together this series of articles and video demonstrations for…

Read More

Tags: MozartOnline AcademyTrinity College LondonTrinity College London Piano Syllabus
Launching the 2018-2020 Trinity Syllabus
On Passagework

On Passagework

By Graham Fitch, 2011-11-27
Posted in: Practising

There are innumerable examples in the piano repertoire of what is commonly known as "passagework", a string of fast notes that lasts either a few bars, a whole section, or an entire piece. The function of this passagework may be decoratively melodic (rather like the singer's coloratura), but is most…

Read More

Tags: accentadele marcusChopineffortfingersinjurymaria curciopassageworkpiano pedagogypracticing the pianopractising the pianorhythmteachingtempotension
On Passagework

Previous Post

Q&A: How Do I Get A 12-Year Old To Practise Slowly?

Next Post

Trimming Down For The Holidays

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

*

Sign-up To Our Mailing List!

Sign-up to our email newsletter for free resources, news updates and special offers!

TOPICS

  • Practising
  • Learning Pieces
  • Technique
  • Performing
  • Teaching

LINKS

  • Online Academy
  • Informance
  • Help & Support
  • Contact Us

© 2025 Practising the Piano All Rights Reserved

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Privacy Policy
  • T&Cs
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.OkMore Information