Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman.
Today we have two new black key pentascales to learn.
Today it's E-flat major and minor let's come to the piano to get started.
Now do you remember that secret hand sign I taught you for remembering the major pentascale?
Let's make it. Here's the hand sign.
Remember it's DO RE MI FA SO
This shows you there's a half step here, but there's a whole step between DO and RE,
whole step between RE and MI, half step, whole step.
I can use this to figure out any major pentascale starting on any key including the black keys.
So let's try it today. Today we're going to learn E-flat major. So, first we need to find an E-flat.
Can you point to an E-flat somewhere in this area.
If you're pointing here you're correct. We take E, we lower it a half step for E-flat.
Now, we can use the hand sign to figure out the other keys.
Today DO is on E-flat so where does that put RE?
Well from our hand sign we know that RE is a whole step
above DO, so we have to skip exactly one key, white or black.
So point to a whole step above E-flat.
If you're pointing here you're correct.
We skipped over this key so this DO RE that makes a whole step.
Now RE to MI is also a whole step, so we have to skip exactly one key, white or black.
Point to a whole step above RE.
If you're pointing here you're correct.
So this makes DO RE MI
Now we're up to MI.
Here we get our half step so point to a half step
step above this G.
If you're pointing here you're correct.
And we'll call this A-flat.
Why wouldn't we call it G-sharp?
Well we already have a G, and we don't want to be G, G-sharp. That's a little awkward so we call it G
A-flat, try to use each letter once.
So now we have E-flat F G A-flat
Back to our hand sign we get one more whole step to finish out the pentascale.
Where's a whole step above A-flat?
Point to it.
If you're pointing here you're correct,
and that is B-flat.
So let's name all of these keys that build our E-flat major pentascale.
E-flat F G A-flat B-flat
Now can you name them stepping down by yourself? Go, name them.
The correct answer is B-flat A-flat G F E-flat
Let's try to play.
Remember to play any black key pentascale, you've got to move your hand deeper into the keys.
So your finger 1 can comfortably reach.
DO RE MI FA SO
Now your turn.
Let's try stepping down SO FA MI RE DO Your turn.
Good now let's try the left hand. With your left hand can you find the E-flat major pentascale?
Finger 5 starts on E-flat, then two white keys, then two black keys.
This time let's name the letter names: E-flat F G A-flat B flat. Your turn.
Now let's step down:
B-flat A-flat G F E-flat Your turn.
Now I'd like you to pause the video and find four different places on your piano that you can play
the E-flat major pentascale stepping up, stepping down.
Be sure to use your right hand and your left hand four different places, then press play to go on.
Now I like to think of the E-flat major pentascale as a double stuff Oreo cookie.
Remember we talked about the D-flat major pentascale being an Oreo cookie position?
Black cookie on the bottom, but this time we have double stuff
icing or cream in the middle. The white cream, and then extra black cookie on the top.
So a double stuff Oreo for the E-flat major.
That's just a fun way to remember this position.
Now what if we wanted to make this E-flat minor?
Can you point to which key we would need to change?
If you're pointing here you're correct. It's always MI that has to go down a half step to ME.
So G becomes G-flat.
So now can you name these notes?
Say it with me: E-flat F G-flat A-flat B-flat
Don't fall off.
Now let's try to play it.
With your right hand can you cover the E-flat minor pentascale? Remember now there's just one
white key in the middle and then three black keys on top.
E-flat black key all by itself on the bottom. So it's black, white, black, black, black.
DO RE ME FA SO Now your turn.
Now let's try it with the left hand.
Find the E-flat minor pentascale: black, white, black, black, black.
DO RE ME FA SO Your turn.
Now let's see what these pentascales look like on the staff.
So let's figure out how we would draw the E-flat major pentascale on the staff.
Here's what the pentascale looks like on the piano keys.
Can you point to which of these notes would need a flat on the staff?
Let's start at the left.
We need one right here
for this e which has become E-flat.
Remember even though we say E-flat, we put the flat in front of the E. That warns you as you're playing
that it's going to be a black key.
In most cases that is. We know about a few flats where it becomes a white key.
But in this case we've got E-flat, and point to the next note that we'll need a flat.
If you're pointing here you're correct this a needs A-flat.
So we put that flat in front of it.
Remember from our website you can get a worksheet where you can practice drawing this pentascale.
And where's the last one that needs a flat?
We'd also need one for B-flat right up here at the top of the pentascale.
Can you name these notes with me? Let's say their names. E-flat F G A-flat B-flat.
Now what if we wanted to make this evite minor?
Can you point to which of these notes we should change on the keyboard?
If you're pointing here you're correct. It's always the third note DO RE MI, and MI becomes ME. So now we get:
DO RE ME FA SO
So where would we need to add a flat up here? point to it.
If you're pointing to this G you're correct. Remember we had a G, now it became G-flat
so we put a flat right in front of it, and remember that if the notes on the line, this
bumpy part of the flat also has to have the line going right through it.
Now we have E-flat F G-flat A-flat B-flat to make E-flat minor.
So now you know two new black key pentascales. E-flat major and E-flat minor.
To get really comfortable with these pentascales,
every day this week I'd like you to do some 'Stepping and Skipping'
that great finger power exercise.
Let's use the metronome. I'm going to set mine to a hundred beats per minute.
And we can do 'Stepping and Skipping' in E flat major.
And when we get to the end we'll do our new chord progression I IV I V7 I
and then we can try contrary motion maybe staccato.
You can do the chords staccato as well.
So you can do E-flat major, E-flat minor, similar motion, contrary motion.
Legato or staccato. Lots of ways you can try this.
Now let's review those chords.
Here's our I chord for E-flat major.
Can you figure out how you would play the V7 chord?
Let's take your right hand play the I chord.
Now what would the V7 chord be?
The correct answer is these three notes.
We have DO steps down to TI, MI steps up to FA, and SO stays where it is.
That's the V7 chord.
So let's try I chord, V7, I chord.
Now your turn.
Now what about the IV chord? Here's our I chord.
For the IV chord MI steps up to FA, and SO steps up to LA.
Remember SO to LA is a whole step.
You have to skip over this key and come all the way up here.
That would give us our IV chord.
E-flat A-flat C on top.
So practice going from the I chord to the IV chord and back.
For smaller hands you can leave off the bottom note
and just play these two keys, but if you can reach all three that makes a nice sound.
Let's try that in the left hand.
Play a I chord.
Now for the IV chord your finger 1's going to slide up to C,
but your finger 2 stays here for the A-flat,
so the fingering for the left hand IV chord is 1 2 5
and then the I chord.
So note that it has a different fingering for the left hand. Finger 2 plays that middle key
for the IV chord and then the V7 it's like this.
Okay? Pause the video and practice that chord progression on your own.
It's I, then IV, then I, V7 I.
For extra help with these chords remember we have a worksheet that you can download from our website,
and that can give you some extra practice and a nice reference for those three chords.
So pause the video to practice that a little bit, and then press play to go on.
So in addition to doing your stepping and skipping, your chord progression,
also try transposing some of your old songs to the key of E-flat major or E-flat minor.
Like you can do "Lavender's Blue"
You could do like "Spinning Song" in E-flat minor.
Just have some fun taking any old songs like
"Debka Hora"
In E-flat minor.
You know it's kind of fun to try some of your old songs in these new positions.
Great job today learning the e-flat major and minor pentascales.
Happy practicing, and see you next time!
You know how I imagine this position?
Um, black licorice candy with double white frosting inside?
Nope, a double mayonnaise sandwich made with burnt toast!
Yuck!
Did somebody say double mayonnaise sandwich on burnt toast? My favorite!
Whoa!
At least somebody appreciates my culinary prowess.