Even long before we ourselves are mindful of a few rational agreement of the tones or the call for learning how to play scales, both the EARS and the fingers already sense the orderliness of the tunes. The ear player is able to progress far without any intellectual effort since they more or less feel their way along instead of further rationalizing them. However, no matter how good that player is, the time will come that he will be able to reach his limits and the easy progress and development in music will become quite sluggish or even stop entirely.
Beyond this point, only some ear players are able to progress; with the rational theory of music, it becomes hard for them to start anew and enhance it to the stage where they have accomplished in their performance effortlessly. The people who carry more or less of this theory right along with them as they improve their performance are those playing by notes. By intellectual manipulation, their playing is both developed and limited.
Lying somewhere between the two of these, you can find the most effective way of learning to play an instrument. That’s why playing by scales is very necessary to learn. As far as possible, the ear player should rely upon his ear but he must also be aware at the same time of the relationships that he is listening to so when his ear fails, he can make use of his knowledge. If the readers will just take time to consider the value of learning the importance of the scales, they will be able to understand the significance of this ability.
Tonic
In the particular key lies the basis of all music which the ear player is likely to try. The relationship of the tones to the tonic or basic keynote is where the effect is largely drawn. By using various keys, I know you have definitely attempted making several tunes. It is very worth to practice how to play the scales for you to be able to gain the ability of doing this. Playing scales is quite fun and in a fast progress you’ll learn how to play new tunes so it doesn’t have to become very tedious to you.
Half-steps
The piano is made up of the key of C. You are playing the scale of C when you are hitting all those white keys on the piano. You will be able to identify a common scale when you start on playing C and play up or down the next seven tones. The half-steps come between 3, 4, 7 and 8 where the black keys are not present – that is the characteristic of the major scale. The whole steps are those all other intervals. The C scale goes this way:
C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
½ 1/2
Flats and Sharps
“Accidental tones” are those tunes requiring other notes than those on the scale. It is a flat when the tone is made lower and the black keys to the left are being used. While it is a sharp when the tone is made higher and the black keys to the right are being used. G# and Ab are therefore similar key. On the other hand, all the scales apart from C, one or more black keys are needed to be used. Since they belong to the scale, these keys are not said to be accidentals; the tone is considered as accidental if they are unfamiliar to the scale like when the b or # is removed. Playing the scale of D right now, it will go like this:
D E F# G A B C# D
You can observe that two sharps F# and C# are contained in the scale of D.
Now that you have learned how to play scales, you will be able to make it starting on whichever note you want. Trust your ear on what the next note will be and don’t figure them out by steps and half-steps. In the long run, you will find out that a fine discrimination will be developed by your ear and will easily know how to identify the next tone be it a whole or half-step. It is quite important that you let the ear do its part. The scales can be very helpful in playing the piano by ear in this manner.
In training yourself to become a good musician, learning how to play the scales is a vital step.