Piano Scales for Modern Music from Coursera

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.

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Syllabus

Welcome to Piano Scales for Modern Music!

Welcome to Piano Scales for Modern Music! Before you begin, we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your experience.

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.

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.

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.

Lesson 4: Playing the Blues

It's time for our final lesson and we are going to focus on playing the Blues. We will learn how to build the minor and major blues scales before practicing them. We will also identify how common it is to hear Blues notes in popular music. We will then combine all of our practicing so far to compose your own melody using a Blues scale before our final improvisation practice over a 12-bar Blues.

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Explores techniques that are highly relevant to Jazz, Blues, and pop music

Develops improvisation skills, which are highly relevant for creating original music

Builds a strong foundation in various scales commonly used by professional musicians

Requires learners to come in with some knowledge of the piano and basic music theory

Taught by Suzanna Sifter, who is an accomplished musician with a strong background in modern music

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Piano Scales for Modern Music with these activities:

Learn a new scale

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Expand your scale knowledge by learning a new scale, such as the major or minor pentatonic scale or the blues scale.

Browse courses on Blues Scale

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Research different scales
Find a tutorial for the scale you want to learn
Practice the scale fingerings
Use the scale in a melody or improvisation

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Career center

Learners who complete Piano Scales for Modern Music will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Music Composer

A Music Composer composes and writes original music for a wide range of purposes, from film scores to video games to concert halls. This course, Piano Scales for Modern Music, can help Music Composers develop a strong understanding of scales, which are essential building blocks for creating melodies and harmonies. The course covers a variety of scales commonly used in popular music, as well as techniques for improvising and composing with scales. This knowledge can help Music Composers create more expressive and engaging music.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Composer

Music Director

A Music Director oversees the musical aspects of a production, such as a concert, opera, or musical theater performance. This course, Piano Scales for Modern Music, can help Music Directors develop a strong understanding of scales, which are essential for understanding and interpreting music. The course covers a variety of scales commonly used in popular music, as well as techniques for improvising and composing with scales. This knowledge can help Music Directors make informed decisions about the music they choose and how it is performed.

See salaries and explore the career path for Music Director

Music Teacher

A Music Teacher teaches music to students of all ages and levels. This course, Piano Scales for Modern Music, can help Music Teachers develop a strong understanding of scales, which are essential for teaching students how to play and understand music. The course covers a variety of scales commonly used in popular music, as well as techniques for improvising and composing with scales. This knowledge can help Music Teachers create effective and engaging lesson plans that help students learn and grow as musicians.

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Musician

A Musician plays a musical instrument and performs music. This course, Piano Scales for Modern Music, can help Musicians develop a strong understanding of scales, which are essential for playing and improvising music. The course covers a variety of scales commonly used in popular music, as well as techniques for improvising and composing with scales. This knowledge can help Musicians improve their playing skills and become more versatile and expressive performers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Musician

Music Producer

A Music Producer oversees the recording and production of music. This course, Piano Scales for Modern Music, can help Music Producers develop a strong understanding of scales, which are essential for understanding and working with music. The course covers a variety of scales commonly used in popular music, as well as techniques for improvising and composing with scales. This knowledge can help Music Producers make informed decisions about the music they produce and how it is recorded and mixed.

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Sound Designer

A Sound Designer creates and manipulates sounds for a variety of purposes, such as film, television, and video games. This course, Piano Scales for Modern Music, can help Sound Designers develop a strong understanding of scales, which are essential for understanding and working with music. The course covers a variety of scales commonly used in popular music, as well as techniques for improvising and composing with scales. This knowledge can help Sound Designers create more effective and engaging soundscapes.

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Audio Engineer

An Audio Engineer records, mixes, and masters audio for a variety of purposes, such as music, film, and television. This course, Piano Scales for Modern Music, can help Audio Engineers develop a strong understanding of scales, which are essential for understanding and working with music. The course covers a variety of scales commonly used in popular music, as well as techniques for improvising and composing with scales. This knowledge can help Audio Engineers make informed decisions about the music they record and mix, and how it is mastered.

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Music Librarian

A Music Librarian organizes and maintains music collections in libraries and other institutions. This course, Piano Scales for Modern Music, may be useful for Music Librarians who want to develop a deeper understanding of music theory and scales, which can help them better understand and catalog music in their collections. The course covers a variety of scales commonly used in popular music, as well as techniques for improvising and composing with scales.

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Music Therapist

A Music Therapist uses music to help people improve their physical, emotional, and cognitive health. This course, Piano Scales for Modern Music, may be useful for Music Therapists who want to develop a deeper understanding of music theory and scales, which can help them better understand and use music in their therapy sessions. The course covers a variety of scales commonly used in popular music, as well as techniques for improvising and composing with scales.

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Music Journalist

A Music Journalist writes about music for a variety of publications, such as newspapers, magazines, and websites. This course, Piano Scales for Modern Music, may be useful for Music Journalists who want to develop a deeper understanding of music theory and scales, which can help them better understand and write about music. The course covers a variety of scales commonly used in popular music, as well as techniques for improvising and composing with scales.

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Music Promoter

A Music Promoter promotes and markets musicians and their music. This course, Piano Scales for Modern Music, may be useful for Music Promoters who want to develop a deeper understanding of music theory and scales, which can help them better understand and promote the music of their clients. The course covers a variety of scales commonly used in popular music, as well as techniques for improvising and composing with scales.

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Music Publisher

A Music Publisher publishes and distributes music for musicians and songwriters. This course, Piano Scales for Modern Music, may be useful for Music Publishers who want to develop a deeper understanding of music theory and scales, which can help them better understand and publish the music of their clients. The course covers a variety of scales commonly used in popular music, as well as techniques for improvising and composing with scales.

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Music Software Engineer

A Music Software Engineer designs and develops software for musicians and music producers. This course, Piano Scales for Modern Music, may be useful for Music Software Engineers who want to develop a deeper understanding of music theory and scales, which can help them better design and develop software for musicians. The course covers a variety of scales commonly used in popular music, as well as techniques for improvising and composing with scales.

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Music Educator

A Music Educator teaches music to students of all ages and levels. This course, Piano Scales for Modern Music, may be useful for Music Educators who want to develop a deeper understanding of music theory and scales, which can help them better teach their students. The course covers a variety of scales commonly used in popular music, as well as techniques for improvising and composing with scales.

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Music Researcher

A Music Researcher studies music and its history, theory, and practice. This course, Piano Scales for Modern Music, may be useful for Music Researchers who want to develop a deeper understanding of music theory and scales, which can help them better understand and research music. The course covers a variety of scales commonly used in popular music, as well as techniques for improvising and composing with scales.

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Piano Scales for Modern Music

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