Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman, and in this lesson we're going to be learning a
completely new kind of scale that is built totally with half steps giving it a very unique sound.
It's called the chromatic scale.
Let's come to the piano to check it out.
Let's listen to a chromatic scale.
That's going up an octave.
What do you notice?
You probably noticed I was playing every single key.
And when we go from one key to the very nearest key, we call that moving by half step.
It gives it a very unique sound. Most of the scales we've learned
have a combination of whole steps and half steps.
The chromatic scale is all half steps.
In fact, when I was a kid, six years old, the first composition I made up was this:
I called it "The Spider Song". I just thought that chromatic scale going up and down those five notes sounded so cool.
I didn't know what a chromatic scale was, I just thought it made a cool, creepy
sound like spider legs.
So that's my first song that I composed.
Beethoven uses the chromatic scale towards the end of "Fur Elise".
Here at this place. We start with these A minor arpeggios.
and then he uses the chromatic scale to go back to the main theme.
It's also used in themes that create a feeling of suspense, like the "Mission Impossible Theme".
See right there how those notes move up by a half step?
That gives it kind of this
intense, suspenseful sound.
So the chromatic scale is a great choice when you want a sense of mystery or suspense.
The word chromatic comes from the greek word chroma, which means color.
So when you hear the words chromatic scale, you can think colorful scale.
The chromatic scale is a way to add color and interest.
Imagine like before they invented all these black keys, maybe it's like watching an old black and white movie.
But you add in all these half steps, and now suddenly you're watching in full color.
So let's look at the fingering for the chromatic scale.
It's a very interesting fingering. You're only going to use three fingers: 1, 2, and 3,
and the rule is black keys are always finger 3.
White keys it depends.
When you get to a group of two white keys in a row, you're going to use finger 1 and 2.
So let's practice that. Can you take your finger 1 and 2 and just play them as a group.
Any time you see two white keys in a row with no black key in between.
Those are called the natural half steps. Can you try this on your piano?
Let's just go up and down two octaves. Play E and F with fingers 1 and 2, B and C, E and F, B and C, and then back down.
Now all the other white keys you're just going to use finger 1.
So starting on C, the fingering would be 1 3 1 3. Will you try it that far?
So just play C, C-sharp, D, D-sharp with finger 1 3 1 3. Now your turn.
Now, when you get to two white keys, you're going to use fingers 1 2,
and then finger 3 on the F-sharp.
So go 1 3 1 3 1 2 3.
Now will you try it that far?
Good, so we had 1 3 1 3 1 2 3, and then it continues 1 3 1 3 1 2 3.
Okay, so now let's go that far. 1 3 1 3 1 2 3,
1 3 1 3 1 2 3
Can you try it that far?
By yourself.
And then that pattern just continues.
Basically you're thinking fingers 1 and 3, 1 and 3,
on all white and black keys. 1 always takes the white key, 3 always takes the black key.
The only time it changes is when you get to two white keys in a row, you do 1 2 3 1 3 1 3 1
2 can play the top note if we're just going two octaves.
Then we can come back down. 2 1 3 1 3 1 3, and then remember,
coming down it's 2 1. Don't go 1 2. There's no need to cross over there, just do 2 1,
and then 3 1 3 2 1 3 1 3 1 3 2 1 3 1 3 1.
Okay, so it's the same fingering going up as coming down.
Pause the video and work on the chromatic scale two octaves right hand alone, then press play to go on.
Now, with the left hand it's the same idea.
First let's take these natural half steps, and also with the left hand that's going to be fingers 2 and 1. So play 2 and 1 on E and F.
2 and 1 on B and C.
2 and 1, I just want you to get used to this feel. 2 and 1 on those two white keys.
Okay, so now with the left hand also finger 1 will play the white keys. Finger 3
Only finger 3 touches the black keys. There's no other finger that touches the black key. So it's 1 3 1
3, and then 2 1.
A common mistake is I see students want to play a 1 first and then the 2,
but then you have to cross over the 2, then you have to also cross over the 3, so it's kind of a double crossover.
So it's better to go 2 1. Does that make sense? And then cross over the 3.
So it's 1 3 1 3 2 1.
Try going just that far. Your turn.
Okay, so we had 1 3 1 3
2 1 3 1 3 1 3 2 1.
Now try going that far on your own. Go.
Okay, let's look at the full two octave scale. Now we have 1 3 1 3 2 1
3 1 3 1 3 2 1 3 1 3 2 1 3 1 3 1 3 2 1, and then the same fingering going down.
2 3 1 3 1 3 1 2
1 2
So always finger 3 on the black keys. Always 1 and 2
on the two natural half steps. 2 1 when you're going up, or 1 2 when you're going down.
Pause the video and work on the two octave chromatic scale with left hand.
Be very careful with the fingering so you're training the right fingering from the start, then press play to go on.
Now you probably guessed that I was going to pull out my metronome.
Once you feel pretty confident, you can turn on the metronome.
Start with one note per click, but as you get confident with that you can bump it up to two notes per click.
TI-TI TI-TI TI-TI TI-TI
Since we've learned about triplets recently, you could even try three notes per click which would be a triplet.
TRI-PL-ET TRI-PL-ET TRI-PL-ET TRI-PL-ET
Here I'm playing three notes per click. Pineapple, pineapple, pineapple, pineapple, pineapple, pineapple, pineapple, pineapple,
pineapple, pineapple, pineapple, pineapple.
So that's three notes per click.
You can start slow, gradually increase speed until you're confident.
My last challenge for you this week is to try to compose or improvise a short song or piece that uses a chromatic scale.
So you probably want to choose a bass key like let's say C minor, okay.
And figure out how can you use a chromatic scale.
See how I added that chromatic scale there? It doesn't have to be the whole song.
See, it can just be a little part of the melody.
You can have part of the melody use just your regular C minor scale, but then every once in a while
you can use that chromatic scale to add extra interest.
You can even have chords in the right hand
and use the chromatic scale in the left hand.
So, experiment with the chromatic scale this week as you improvise.
Doesn't have to be C minor, it could be any key can use the chromatic scale.
Great job today learning how to play the chromatic scale.
Happy practicing, and see you next time!
One thing my son Isaac used to love doing with me as a kid was chromatic scale races on the piano.
I'd give him a head start, and he'd start playing a chromatic scale.
Up the piano, and then I would start below him and see if I could catch up before he got to the highest note on the piano.
But now wouldn't you say I'd have to give you the head start?
That's bold language coming from you son.
Do you wanna race?
I don't know, I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of all your students.
There's no embarrassment in defeat against a worthy opponent.
How much of a head start would I get?
1/5
Okay, you're on! Let's race.
Hey everyone! Mr. Hoffman and Isaac are gonna race!
Ooo, who do you think will win?
Isaac is pretty fast...
Of course Mr. Hoffman will win.
race, race, race...
Okay, you ready?
yup
set, go!
Gotcha!
Good race Isaac.
Congratulations! Great race Isaac!
Hey thanks Scuba, and guys,
thanks for watching and remember only practice on days you wake up.
Is that Santa Claus?