Offered By

Piano Scales for Modern Music

Berklee

About this Course

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Scales are an essential part of musical study and are a vital part of an effective practice routine. But as you develop your musicianship, scales can also lead to better improvisation and understanding of melodic structure. This course will provide you with a new look at practicing and using scales to guide your musical creativity. You will start by learning standard and non-standard fingering for scales commonly used in popular music, before using these scales to create new melodies. In addition to the examples covered in the course, you will also be given extra exercises and backing tracks to help you improve your playing and improvising.
At the end of this course, you will have improvised using scales such as major and natural minor, major and minor pentatonic, the Blues scale, as well as several modes. You will be able to develop a practice routine to continue memorizing these scales, and be able to identify which scales would work best for a specific genre and chord progression.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Intermediate Level

Basic music theory knowledge including reading music notation and key signatures.

Learners should have access to either a keyboard or piano.

Approx. 12 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Construct and play a variety of scales used in contemporary music
Identify scales in multi-genre melodies and harmonies
Compose and improvise melodies using scales
Utilize effective practice routines to quickly improve your piano playing

Skills you will gain

Piano Performance
Harmony
Improvisation
Effective Practice Techniques
Music theory

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Intermediate Level

Basic music theory knowledge including reading music notation and key signatures.

Learners should have access to either a keyboard or piano.

Approx. 12 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Suzanna Sifter

Professor

Piano

503 Learners

1 Course

Offered by

Berklee

Established in 1945, Berklee is at the forefront of contemporary music education, bringing its award-winning curriculum to more than 3.5 million students around the world. Currently comprising Berklee College of Music, Berklee Online, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Berklee NYC, Berklee Summer Programs, and more, Berklee is shaping the key players of tomorrow’s music industry. With innovative programs in performance, production, business, theater, dance, and more, students come away from their Berklee experience with a professional portfolio, practical job skills, and a strong sense of community.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Welcome to Piano Scales for Modern Music!

1 hour to complete

1 video (Total 3 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz

3 hours to complete

Lesson 1: The Major and Natural Minor Scales

In this first lesson, we will begin by discussing the structure of the major and natural minor scales and identifying the fingering used to play these scales. We will learn how to make the most of our practice time by including a short warm up, practicing with proper posture, and creating daily practice goals. We will then identify how to use the major and natural minor scales in a jazz style and to improvise.

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 28 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes

7 videos

What You'll Learn in Lesson 155sBuilding the Major Scale6mNon-standard Fingering1mBuilding the Natural Minor Scale6mEssential Practice Tips5mLesson 1 Melodic Application3mImprovising with Major and Minor Scales3m

4 readings

Lesson 1 Playlist10mLesson 1 Notation10mHomework 1: Scales15mSubmitting Your Projects10m

2 practice exercises

Lesson 1 Quiz30mSelf-Assessment: Use the Scales to Play a Melody10m

Week2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Lesson 2: The Major and Minor Pentatonic Scales

In lesson two, we will switch over to major and minor pentatonic scales. You will learn how to notate and play these scales and we will cover a very simple practice tip that will simply how you memorize scale fingerings. We will then identify the major and minor pentatonic scale in various popular musical settings and learn to play pentatonic melody over a funky groove. Finally, we will practice improvising using a new chord progression.

3 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 19 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes

6 videos

What You'll Learn in Lesson 21mBuilding the Major Pentatonic Scale3mBuilding the Minor Pentatonic Scale4mLesson 2 Practice Tips4mLesson 2 Melodic Application2mImprovisation with the Pentatonic Scale3m

4 readings

Lesson 2 Playlist10mLesson 2 Notation10mHomework 2: Scales15mSubmitting Your Projects10m

2 practice exercises

Lesson 2 Quiz30mSelf-Assessment: Improvise with the Minor Pentatonic Scale10m

Week3

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Lesson 3: The Modes of the Major Scale

In lesson three, we will move on to something that might be a little less familiar but is widely used in all styles of music. We will take a look at the modes that can be created using a major scale and then focus in on a few that are most commonly used in popular music. We will talk about playing with different dynamics and how to develop an even playing tone on the piano. We will also play and improvise a melody in a jazz setting.

3 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 28 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes

Week4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Lesson 4: Playing the Blues

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 29 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
You will be eligible for a full refund until two weeks after your payment date, or (for courses that have just launched) until two weeks after the first session of the course begins, whichever is later. You cannot receive a refund once you’ve earned a Course Certificate, even if you complete the course within the two-week refund period. See our full refund policy.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Piano Scales for Modern Music

Piano Scales for Modern Music

About this Course

What you will learn

Skills you will gain