Beginning Piano

I'd like to share with you some of my favorite materials for beginning piano students. Although rudimentary, these seem to be harder to find nowadays with the lack of sheet music retailers in Brooklyn. First is a primer on reading sheet music and second is a fingering chart for all 12 major scales and arpeggios.

Reading Music Notation - Download

• Mnemonic Devices for learning the names of the lines and spaces 
• a Rhythm Tree showing Whole, Half, Quarter, Eighth and Sixteenth Notes
• the most common Time Signatures and all twelve Key Signatures
• some Popular Triads so you will start to feel out reading two handed stacked harmony

Fingerings of the Twelve Major Scales and Arpeggios - Download

• Group One Scales (C, G, D, A, E) all have identical fingering patterns. Once you physically get the feel with both hands together for C major, it will be the same action in muscle memory for G, D, A, and E.
• Group Two Scales (B, Db, Gb) are similar in the number of sharps/flats, thus the fingering changes to acquire depressing five black keys in this group. For example, in B Major, the right hand is the same as the Group One scales, but the left is different to accommodate the pattern physically.
• Group Three Scales (Ab, Eb, Bb, F) are most similar in that they have 1-4 flats, and their finger patterns are nearly alike. At times, the right and left hands must switch thumbs at the same points, making them easier to memorize than the Group One Scales.

This is pretty much all you need as it covers fingerings for both the right and left hand for all twelve major scales, plus minor scales and arpeggios. The best thing is that it labels both hands for one and multiple octaves, which is essential for the progressing pianists' technique and for future school auditions!

Brittany Anjou teaches Piano, Vibraphone & Gyil at Brooklyn Music Lessons.