Schematics For Chromatic Scales
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1SCHEMATICS
FOR
CHROMATIC
SCALES
Arthur
Houle
Professor
of
Music,
Colorado
Mesa
University
arthurhoule@cableone.net
Notice that by starting on middle D, the hands are a perfect mirror image –
same fingerings, with white keys and black keys happening at the same time.
CHROMATIC
SCALE,
3
8VES,
HANDS
TOGETHER
CONTRARY
MOTION,
STARTING
ON
MIDDLE
D
THUMBS
•
Black
keys
are
in
bold.
•
IMPORTANT:
Block
the
scale
first,
saying
the
blocks
out
loud
("small,
3,
big,
3,"
etc.).
"small
three
big
three
small
three
big
three"
Say
out
loud:
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
Right
hand
up:
1
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
1
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
4
1
2
3,
etc.
–
3
8ves
D
Db
C
B
Bb
A
Ab
G
Gb
F
E
Eb
D
Db
C
B
Bb
A
Ab
G
Gb
F
E
Eb
Left
hand
down:
Come
back
in
(right
hand
descending,
left
hand
ascending)
using
the
same
fingering
pattern.
____________________________
CHROMATIC
MINOR
3RDS
SCALE*,
3
8VES,
HANDS
TOGETHER
CONTRARY
MOTION,
STARTING
ON
MIDDLE
D
THUMBS
•
Encircled
fingerings
are
black
keys.
•
Right
hand
starts
on
middle
D
(1)
and
F
(5).
•
Left
hand
starts
on
middle
D
(1)
and
B
(5).
Fingerings
going
out
(contrary
motion
‐
right
hand
goes
up
while
left
hand
goes
down):
5
4
4
4
5
4
4
1
2
1
1
1
2
1
….
repeat
3x
(3
octaves)
l__l
l__l
slide
on
2's
slide
on
2's
Fingerings
coming
back
in
(right
hand
goes
down
while
left
hand
goes
up):
5
4
5
5
4
4
5
1
2
1
1
1
2
1
….
repeat
3x
(3
octaves)
l__l
l__l
slide
on
2's
slide
on
2's
*Chopin penciled this scale into his "Nocturne in E-flat, Op. 9, No. 2," as a variant for measure 24.
Hear Houle's rendition of this nocturne with variants at
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