ScaleandArpeggioFingeringSheet

superscript

Atthebeginningandendofeachscale,fingernumbersindicatedin
orsubscriptshouldbeusedinsteadoffingernumbersimmediatelyfollowing
orprecedingthem.Forexample,theCscalebeginswitha5insteadofa1inthelefthand,anditendswitha5insteadofa1intherighthand.
Underlinednumbersindicatefingernumbersthatlandonthetonicnote.Colorsindicatescaleswiththesamefingering.Darkershadingindicates
patternsthatarehelpfultofocusonwhenplayinghandstogether(forexample,intheCscale,the3salwaysplayatthesametime).Insomescales
b
b
suchasB andE ,onecanalsoconcentrateonthefingernumbersthatarenotshadeddarksincetheyformasecondpattern.
b

Thefivemajorflatkeys:alwaysstartwiththerighthand2/3onD /E whenstartingtheD orE scales.Likewise,alwaysstartwiththerighthand

b
b b
b
b
b
b
2/3/4onG /A /B whenstartingtheG ,A andB scales.Lefthandalwaysstartswith3onthefivemajorflatkeys,exceptforG .
b

B,D andG scalesallhavethesamefingernumbersonthesameblackkeysforbothhands.

Practicetip:Onthefirstfewdaysoflearningascale,practicetwohandedclustersaccordingtothedarkshadingpatterns.Forexample,practice
b
bothhandsoftheFscalebyplayingF,thenGAB allatthesametimeineachhandasacluster,thenC,thenDEasacluster,andsoon.Forkeys
b
rd
thatdonthaveclusters(suchasCorA ),simplystop(oraccent)eachtimethe3 fingersmeet.

Tolearnyourfirstfouroctavescale,narratethefollowingoutloudasyouplay:

Scales:Major
C r.h. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3
l.h. (5) 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3
G r.h. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3
l.h. (5) 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3
D r.h. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3
l.h. (5) 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3
A r.h. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3
l.h. (5) 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3
E r.h. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3
l.h. (5) 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3
B r.h. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3
l.h. (4) 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3
F r.h. 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2
l.h. (5) 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3
Bb r.h. 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2
l.h. 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2
Eb r.h. 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1
l.h. 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2
Ab r.h. 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1
l.h. 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2
Db r.h. 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4
l.h. 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2
Gb r.h. 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3
l.h. 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2

r.h.1onF
l.h.3onA
r.h.1onC
l.h.4onD

l.h.1onG
r.h.3onE
l.h.1onC
r.h.4onB

Scales:minor(harmonic)
4
2
4
2
4
2
4
2
4
2
4
2
3
2
3
1
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
1

1 (5)
1
1 (5)
1
1 (5)
1
1 (5)
1
1 (5)
1
1 (5)
1
1 (4)
1
4
3
3
3
3
3
2
3
2
4

bb

eb

g#

c#

f#

(sameasCmajor)
(sameasGmajor)
(sameasDmajor)
(sameasAmajor)
(sameasEmajor)
(sameasBmajor)
(sameasFmajor)
r.h.
l.h.
r.h.
l.h.
r.h.
l.h.
r.h.
l.h.
r.h.
l.h.

4
2
3
2

1
1
1
1

2
3
2
4

3
2
3
3

1
1
4
2

2 3 4
4 3 2
1 2 3
1 3 2

1
1
1
1

2 3 1
3 2 1
2 3 4
4 3 2

2
4
1
1

3
3
2
3

4
2
3
2

1
2
1
2

2
1
2
1

3
3
3
4

(sameasAbmajor)
3
3
3
4

4
2
4
3

1
1
1
2

2
4
2
1

3
3
3
3

1 2
2 1
1 2
2 1

3 4
3 2
3 4
4 3

1 2
1 4
1 2
2 1

3
3
3
3

Naturalminor:Allscalefingeringsarethesameasharmonic
minorexcept:

Melodicminor:Allscalefingeringsarethesameasharmonic
minorexcept:

g# r.h. 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3
l.h. 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3

c#

#
f

Beginningtheblackkeynaturalminorscalesonthethirdnoteof
eachscaleandfollowingthefingeringasnotatedresultsintheir
relativemajorscales.

ScaleandArpeggioFingeringSheet

r.h.
l.h.
r.h.
l.h.

(sameasDbmajor)
2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 (3)
4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4
#

Therighthanddescendswithsamefingeringasthef andc
harmonicminorscales.

2011ChadTwedt

blog.twedt.com

Arpeggios:Major

Arpeggios:minor

C r.h. 1 2 3 1(5)
l.h. (5) 1 4 2 1
G r.h. 1 2 3 1(5)
l.h. (5) 1 4 2 1
D r.h. 1 2 3 1(5)
l.h. (5) 1 3 2 1
A r.h. 1 2 3 1(5)
l.h. (5) 1 3 2 1
E r.h. 1 2 3 1(5)
l.h. (5) 1 3 2 1
B r.h. 1 2 3 1(5)
l.h. (5) 1 3 2 1

F r.h. 1 2
l.h. (5) 1 4
Bb r.h. 4 1
l.h. 3 2
Eb r.h. 4 1
l.h. 2 1
Abr.h. 4 1
l.h. 2 1
Dbr.h. 4 1
l.h. 2 1
Gbr.h. 1 2
l.h. (5) 1 3

3
2
2
1
2
4
2
4
2
4
3
2

1 (5)
1
4
3
4
2
4
2
4
2
1 (5)
1

r.h.
l.h.
r.h.
l.h.
r.h.
l.h.
r.h.
l.h.
r.h.
l.h.
r.h.
l.h.

1
(5) 1
1
(5) 1
1
(5) 1
1
(5) 1
1
(5) 1
1
(5) 1

2
4
2
4
2
4
2
4
2
4
2
4

3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2

1 (5)
1
1 (5)
1
1 (5)
1
1 (5)
1
1 (5)
1
1 (5)
1

f r.h. 1 2
l.h. (5) 1 4
bb r.h. 2 3
l.h. 3 2
eb r.h. 1 2
l.h. (5) 1 4
g# r.h. 4 1
l.h. 2 1
c# r.h. 4 1
l.h. 2 1
#
f r.h. 4 1
l.h. 2 1

Arpeggios:Dominant7th

Arpeggios:Diminished7th

C7 r.h. 1 2 3 4 1(5)
l.h. (5) 1 4 3 2 1
G7 r.h. 1 2 3 4 1(5)
l.h. (5) 1 4 3 2 1
D7 r.h. 1 2 3 4 1(5)
l.h. (5) 1 4 3 2 1
A7 r.h. 1 2 3 4 1(5)
l.h. (5) 1 4 3 2 1
E7 r.h. 1 2 3 4 1(5)
l.h. (5) 1 4 3 2 1
B7 r.h. 1 2 3 4 1(5)
l.h. (5) 1 4 3 2 1

F7 r.h. 1 2 3
l.h. (5) 1 4 3
Bb7r.h. 4 1 2
l.h. 3 2 1
b7
E r.h. 4 1 2
l.h. 2 1 4
b7
A r.h. 4 1 2
l.h. 2 1 4
b7
D r.h. 4 1 2
l.h. 2 1 4
Gb7r.h. 2 3 4
l.h. 4 3 2

4
2
3
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
1
1

1 (5)
1
4
3
4
2
4
2
4
2
2
4

b7
Alternately,theD arpeggiocanbefingered:

Db7r.h. 2 3 4 1 2
l.h. 4 3 2 1 4

a7 r.h.
l.h.
e7 r.h.
l.h.
7
c r.h.
l.h.
7
g r.h.
l.h.

2
4
2
4
2
4
2
4

3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

4
2
4
2
4
2
4
2

1 (5)
1
1 (5)
1
1 (5)
1
1 (5)
1

b7 r.h. 1 2
l.h. (5) 1 4
d7 r.h. 1 2
l.h. (5) 1 4
7
f r.h. 1 2
l.h. (5) 1 4

3
3
3
3
3
3

1 (5)
1
2
3
1 (5)
1
4
2
4
2
4
2

4
2
4
2
4
2

1 (5)
1
1 (5)
1
1 (5)
1

Chromaticminorthirds
Thescalesbelowareshownincontrarymotioninamirrored
fashion.Ascendingscalefingeringsstartwiththebottomfinger
onF,anddescendingscalefingeringsstartwiththetopfingeron
B.Handstogetherinparallelmotionisnotnecessarysinceit
rarelyhappensinstandardrepertoire.

Sliding2fingering

3
1
4
r.h.descending(B)
orl.h.ascending(F)
2

r.h.ascending(F)
orl.h.descending(B)

ChromaticScale
Thestartingnoteofeachscaleisindicatedinparentheses.The
alternatefingeringsarehardertolearnbuthavehigherspeed
potential.

4
2
3
1

3 4 5 3 4 3 4 5
1 2 1 2 2 1 2 1
4 3 4 3 5 4 3 4
2 2 1 2 1 2 2 1

3 4 3
2 2 1
3 5 4
2 1 2

Doublethumbfingering

Standardfingering

1
2
Alternatefingerings
r.h.ascending(B,EorA)or
l.h.descending(F,CorG) 1
r.h.ascending(C,G,orD)or
l.h.descending(E,AorD) 1
r.h.(E)
l.h.(E)

1
(5) 1
1
(5) 1
1
(5) 1
1
(5) 1

3
2
1
1
3
2
2
4
2
4
2
4

3
1
4
r.h.descending(B)
orl.h.ascending(F)
2

2 3 1 3 1 3 1 2 3 1 3 1
1 3 1 3 1 3 2 1 3 1 3 2
2 3 4 5 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1
2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1
th

r.h.ascending(F)
orl.h.descending(B)

4
2
3
1

3
1
4
2

4 5 3 4 3 4 5
2 1 2 1 1 2 1
3 4 3 5 4 3 4
1 1 2 1 2 1 1

3
2
3
2

4 3

1 1
5 4
1 2

th

Anotheralternatefingeringemploysthe4 fingerbutnotthe5 .
Unfortunately,thisresultsinapatternthatrepeatseverytwo
octaves:
r.h.ascending(C)
orl.h.descending(E)
(continued)

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1
2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3

ScaleandArpeggioFingeringSheet

2011ChadTwedt

blog.twedt.com