I.

COMPLEMENTARY
H
it is offered:

1. The basic principles of piano technique.

.
Complementary Piano, a subject for beginners in music, where

2. Basic fundamentals of Blues : harmony, áio Mivauda

licks, Comping
3. Basic Rock Fundamentals : Harmony, Licks, Comping
4. Basic fundamentals of Jazz: harmony, licks, Comping

giovagm23@gmail.com
giovagm23@hotmail.com
Instagram: giovagm23
 Complementary Piano – Module 1
Complementary Piano Book by Gio Miranda
The ideal book for those who want to start from scratch. Ideal for beginners,
amateur musicians, self-taught musicians, teenagers.
122 pages with 4 modules where it is offered:
• Module 1 : 3 Lessons explaining the basic principles of piano technique in
relation to ergonomics, fingering of major and minor scales, as well as the
perfect fingering of the four fundamental triads.
• Module 2 : 4 traditional Blues lessons, highlighting fingering of blues and
pentatonic scales for both hands, structures of traditional Blues progressions,
accompaniment pattern for both hands, exercises, basic phrases or licks for
improvisation in Blues, Turnaround or phrases for intros and endings in the 12-
bar structure.
• Module 3 : 3 basic Rock lessons. Types of Rock, Differences between Rock
Straight and Rock Swing, Grooves of Rock straight and Rock Swing, Repertoire
for studio, study of pieces by Coldplay, The Beatles.
• Module 4 : 4 Basic Jazz Swing Lessons. Relevant jazz pianists, reading lead
sheets, role of jazz pianist, interpretations according to a melody – harmony,
melody – bass line, tools for improvisation, melodic structuring in an
improvisation, Repertoire of jazz standards.
• 4 lessons available + Audios of each exercises and examples in a
single book!
What are you waiting for? Request it NOW!
In this file I will give you the first 3 lessons of this book, if you want it complete, contact
me by:

Email : giovagm23@gmail.com
Blog : http://giomirandapianista.blogspot.com/
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Complementary Piano – Module 1
 Complementary Piano – Module 1

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 Complementary Piano – Module 1
Lesson 1: Introduction to piano
History and definition
Invented in Italy by Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700, the piano is a percussion
string musical instrument made up of a series of metal strings of different lengths and
diameters, arranged from largest to smallest in a sound box, and a series of white keys. and
black. When pressed, these keys activate small wooden mallets, hammers or hammers,
hitting the strings and generating the sound.

The word piano is an abbreviated form of pianoforte , coming from the Italian musical terms
piano and forte , which indicate " soft " and " loud " respectively, referring to the variations
in volume produced in response to the player's pressing of the keys.

It should be noted that today there are three types of pianos: horizontal or grand, vertical
or wall, electronic, digital or electromechanical.

Anatomy of the acoustic piano

Figure 1.1. Parts of an upright or upright piano

What makes the upright piano particular is that the soundboard, the strings and the
hammers or hammers are located, as their name indicates, in a vertical position. By having
 Complementary Piano – Module 1
this configuration, the back of the piano allows the sound to come out without any
impediment.

The upright piano is also known as a wall piano because the back is usually attached to a
wall.

Figure 1. 2. Parts of a horizontal or grand piano

Top

Lid Support

Keyboard
(88 notes) Sounding
board

Unicordio Pedal,
una corda or
Celeste

Sostenuto Pedal,
Tonal or Center

Strong or
Resonance Pedal
(Sustain)

Unlike the upright piano, in the grand piano the soundboard and the strings are located
horizontally, that is, parallel to the floor.

As we have seen previously, in the upright piano there is no obstacle for the sound to come
out of it, but in the grand piano there is. Grand pianos have a cover on the back, this must
be lifted to make the sound come out and be heard perfectly.

Relationship of the keyboard with “the grand staff ”

The grand staff is, basically, the union of two staves with an invisible line between them, this
line is known as central C, which would be C4 on the piano. The top staff uses the treble clef
 Complementary Piano – Module 1
to identify the notes and the bottom staff uses the bass clef.
As pianists, when encountering a grand staff , we must play the notes on the upper staff
with the right hand and those on the lower staff with the left hand.
Figure 1.3. Relationship of the keyboard with the musical notation system

Pianist Ergonomics

hand position
Relax your fingers and place your hand on a flat surface with all your fingertips resting on
the surface and your wrist at the same height as your knuckles. It is important that the hand
and fingers form a dome. All fingers should be curved.

The thumb should point slightly downward and bend slightly towards the fingers, so that
the last phalanx of the thumb is parallel to the other fingers.

Figure 1.6. Position of the pianist's fingers

 Complementary Piano – Module 1

Figure 1.6 shows the fingers slightly curved, pointing downward and reaching the surface at
angles of about 45 degrees. This curly configuration allows the fingers to play between the
black keys.

The tip of your thumb and other fingertips should form a rough semicircle on the flat
surface. If you do this with both hands side by side, both fingers should be facing each
other.

This is just a starting position. Once you start playing these rules immediately disappear, as
you may have to stretch your fingers almost straight or curve them more, depending on
what you are playing. Therefore, although the ideal curved position must be learned, strict
adherence to such a fixed configuration is not correct, especially since it has significant
disadvantages.

Body Position
The correct height of the bench and its distance from the piano is also a matter of personal
taste. For a good starting point, sit on the bench with your elbows at your sides and your
forearms pointing directly toward the piano. With your hands on the keys in a playing
position, your elbows should be slightly below the height of the keys. Next, place your
hands on the white keys: the distance between the bench and the piano (and your sitting
 Complementary Piano – Module 1
position) should be such that your elbows lose their body as they approach each other.

Figure 1.5. Height and distance between the bench and the piano

A GOOD POSITION TO PLAY

Straight back, slightly leaning forward
Vertical arm
Forearms and hands horizontal
 Complementary Piano – Module 1
Don't sit in the center of the bench, but sit closer to the front edge so you can plant your
feet firmly on the floor or pedals. Bench height and placement are most critical when
playing strong chords. Therefore, you can try this position by playing two black key chords
simultaneously, as loud as you can.

Figure 1.4. Body position slightly to the left

The weight of the arm is important not only as a reference force for a uniform and balanced
execution taking into account that gravity is always constant, but also to check your level of
relaxation.
The piano was designed with gravity as the reference force because the human body
evolved to adjust very accurately to gravity, meaning that the force to play the piano is
almost equal to the weight of the arm. When we perform complex tasks, such as playing a
complicated piano passage, our natural tendency is to tense up so that the entire body
becomes a contracted mass of muscles.

It is important to note that when pressing the keys, it is necessary to do so downwards and
forcefully, leaning forward a little, with the full weight of your arms and shoulders, to emit a
surround but not noisy sound. Make sure your shoulders are fully engaged. You can't make
 Complementary Piano – Module 1
impressive sounds using just your hands and forearms, the strength must come from your
shoulders and body.
If you can relax all the unnecessary muscles and use only those required at the necessary
moment, you will be able to play extremely quickly, effortlessly, for long periods of time,
without fatigue, and with more reserve strength than necessary to produce the loudest
sound.

Pianist fingering
Fingering defines the location of the fingers that the pianist must use to execute a certain
exercise or piece of music; this is usually indicated as an indication in the scores. Using the
correct fingering from the beginning of learning a piece helps you not only learn it faster,
but also memorize it more easily. With good fingering you will be able to play more easily
and fluently. So it's worth the effort!

The numbering of the pianist's fingers is as follows:

MY = Left hand M.D. = Right hand

Figure 1.7. Pianist fingering

 Complementary Piano – Module 1
Types of memory in music
In the process of learning scales, intervals, chords and musical works, several elements
intervene in combination. There are at least five basic methods to memorize:

1. auditory memory
It is based on music: melody, rhythm, expression, emotion, etc. This approach works best
for artistic and musical types of people who have strong feelings associated with their
music. Those who possess absolute pitch will also do well because they can find the notes
on the piano simply by remembering the music. People who like to compose also tend to
use this type of memory.

The most important function of auditory memory is to serve as the memory algorithm. The
key to success in memorization is having an algorithm and knowing how to use it. Musicians
are lucky because they don't have to invent an algorithm. music is one of the best
algorithms available! This is the main reason why pianists, in a concert, can play for hours
without missing a note.

2. visual memory
This memory is used to retain what is captured through sight. You memorize the entire
score and actually act it out and read it in your mind. Even those who think they have no
visual memory can obtain it if they practice it routinely while studying the piece from the
beginning. Another way to approach visual memory is to start memorizing the general data
first, how many systems the score has and how many measures per system. Then the notes
of each measure, then the expression marks, etc.

An advantage of visual memory is that you can work on it without the piano, anytime,
anywhere. Another advantage is that if you lose concentration halfway through a piece, you
can easily restart by reading that section of the music in your mind. Visual memory also
allows you to read ahead while playing, helping you think ahead and develop sight reading.

3. Touch memory
A large component of your initial memory will be tactile memory, which is acquired through

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repeated practice. The hand just continues playing without actually remembering each
note. "Tactile memory" has at least two components: a reflex movement of the hand that
comes from touching the keys and a reflection in the brain from the sound of the piano.

Both serve as signals for the hand to move in a pre-programmed manner. Therefore, when
you begin to memorize a new piece, there is no need to consciously activate the hand
memory.

Tactile memory is useful because it helps memorize while practicing a piece. In fact,
everyone should practice common constructions, such as scales, arpeggios, Alberti
accompaniments, etc., with tactile memory, so that their hands can play them
automatically, without having to think about each note.

Tactile memory is acquired only after many repetitions and is one of the most difficult
memories to erase or change.

4. Mnemonic memory
Mnemonic memory refers to an intellectual process through which the musician establishes
an association of ideas, concepts or knowledge to remember a passage or exercise that he
will perform. One way to apply it is to remember the sequence of the keys and hand
movements, with the music, while you are playing. It's like we have a piano in our mind.

The ideal thing to develop this memory is to memorize separate hands, or MS according to
its acronym, and then both hands, or AM also according to its acronym. So, when we are
away from the piano, we should play the piece in our minds, first with MS, then with AM.
Playing in the mind, without the piano, is our ultimate goal using mnemonic memory as a
basis.

Memorizing in this way produces the same advantages as visual memory plus an additional
advantage, since the memorized notes are piano keys instead of marks on a sheet of paper.
Therefore, there is no need to translate from musical figures to keys.

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This allows you to play with less effort compared to visual memory, since there is no need to
go through the additional process of interpreting the score.

5. Theoretical memory
At the advanced level, learning keyboard memory is easy because students have acquired
certain knowledge, so theoretical lessons will give you the best way to memorize.

Unlike the other memories, the theoretical one has deeper associations because the theory
leads to a better understanding of the music and the associations are more detailed, small
details that you hardly noticed before can acquire important meaning.

Through theoretical knowledge you will be able to identify main characteristics of the
composition such as tonality, time signature, rhythm, chord structure, chord transitions,
harmony, melodic structure, etc.

In short, keyboard memory should be the primary memory method. You must hear the
music at the same time, so that musical memory is part of this process. Enlist the help of
visual memory whenever it comes easily, and add as much theoretical memory as you can.
You haven't really memorized until you know how to play the piece in your mind, this is the
only way you can gain confidence to play musically and safely.

The major scale

The major or diatonic scale is the most important and the most used at the level of
composition in popular music, therefore it is the first one that should be learned as a
student of music and piano. This scale is made up of a group of seven notes, the pattern for
these notes is: Tone-Tone-Semitone-Tone-Tone-Tone-Halftone .

In summary, the major scale, also known as the Ionian mode, is made up of seven notes,
with a semitone between the third and fourth degrees, and between the seventh and
eighth degrees. That is, it has five tones and two semitones. From whatever point we start,
if we follow this pattern we will obtain the peculiar sound of the major scale.
 Complementary Piano – Module 1
Fingering for major scales
Below we see a table that shows the proper fingering to play the diatonic major scales in all
twelve keys with both hands.
Figure 1.8. Fingering chart for the 12 major scales in both hands

Tonality 1 Left hand 1 Right hand

c 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (1)

F 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4 (1)

Bb 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3 2, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4
Eb 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3

Ab 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3

DB 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2

GB 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 2 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2

b 4, 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (1)

AND 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (1)

TO 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (1)

d 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (1)

g 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (1)

Exercises 1: Major scale with its arpeggios

Figura 1.9. C scale and arpeggio
C scale
 Complementary Piano – Module 1

Figura 1.10. G scale and arpeggio

G scale

Note that in the previous exercises the fingering for each note appears above or below each
musical figure. We are using only two major scales (C and G major), in two octaves, ending
with the arpeggio of their main triad.

When studying scales, the most important thing is to rely on the great advantage of the
thumb over the other fingers. Without a doubt, the thumb has greater muscular richness,
far surpassing that of the other fingers, which determines its superior mobility and sound
strength, apart from its independence.

For example, notice the pattern of the scales in the MD is 1 23 then 1 234, between these
two groups the passage of the thumb is of great importance in order to maintain symmetry
in the execution of the notes. Now when it goes down it is 5432 1 then 3 21. Finger three, the
middle one, passes over the thumb, supporting it to be able to move the hand with great
ease.

It is essential to play all these scales paying attention to the passage of the fingers, in order
to produce a totally impeccable performance.

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 Complementary Piano – Module 1
Exercises 2: Aeolian minor scale with its arpeggios
Figura 1.11. Am scale and arpeggio

Ameolica Scale

Audio 1.3. Am scale and arpeggio

Figura 1.12. Em scale and arpeggio

Aeolian Em Scale

Audio 1.4. Em scale and arpeggio

 Complementary Piano – Module 1
In these exercises of minor aeolian scales of Am and Em we will apply the same procedure
of the major scales, which would be the relative minors of C and G major. A more practical
way to see this scale is to visualize ourselves playing the same major scale from its sixth
degree, thus obtaining the Aeolian minor scale. For that reason the key signature between
its relatives is maintained, and in these cases the fingering used is also the same.

Practice routines

• Regarding the ergonomics of the instrument:

V Find a suitable sitting height so that your elbows are at the same level as the
keys.
V Always sit upright, you should never sit cross-legged.
V The arms should never be stretched or narrowed. Execute the movement
through the keyboard with a " brushstroke " sensation in the body.
In conclusion, the goal is to use as little power and effort as possible in performance,
even during the loudest moments of a song.

• During the study of the scales, each passage must be repeated many times because
repetition is the best way to memorize. Therefore, there is no point in not
memorizing while studying, especially since it turns out to be the fastest way to learn.
Schedule your practice time into a routine
Be consistent. 45 minutes each day are more productive than practicing five hours on
Sundays or before the day you are scheduled to watch classes
Plan the practice session. Having goals for each week allows for clear focus during
practice time
It is important to highlight the study with separate hands (MS), since it is the only
way to quickly increase speed with control and without encountering problems.

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 Complementary Piano – Module 1
• The metronome should be used only briefly to check tempo, speed and rhythm. If you
use it excessively you can lead to the loss of your internal rhythm, musicality, and
even biophysical difficulties due to excessive exposure to rigid repetitions, so your
brain will begin to counteract the click of the metronome and you may either not hear
the click or hear it at the wrong time
• In order to memorize and play well we must study slowly, even after being able to
play the piece easily at real speed.
 Complementary Piano – Module 1
Lesson 2: Triads and seventh chords
American cipher

Also known as the Anglo-Saxon musical notation system, the American cipher is a practical
tool that uses the letters of the alphabet to refer to notes and chords.

Figure 2.1. Anglo-Saxon musical notation system

ABCDEFG

La Si Do Re Mi Fa Sol

Figure 2.2. Chord table and its nomenclature in the American cipher

Chord Basic Encryption Example

Elderly (The same name of the Chord) c

Minor m, - Cm, C-

Increased +, aug, (5#) C+, C aug, C (5#)

Diminished or dim Co, C dim

Semi diminished or minor

seventh with the flatted m7 (5b), -7 (5b), 0
fifth Cm7 (5b), C-7 (5b), C0
Fourth Suspended sus4 C sus4
Second Suspended sus2 C sus2
Sixth 6 C6

Minor Sixth m6 C m6

Major Seventh or Major

maj7, M7, A Cmaj7, C M7, CA
Seventh

Minor Major Seventh m maj7 Cm maj7

seventh or
7 C7
Dominant Seventh

Minor Seventh m7 Cm7, C-

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 Complementary Piano – Module 1
The four fundamental triads
A triad is a three-note chord, usually made up of intervals of thirds; tonic, third and fifth.
There are four possible combinations and each one forms a different triad:

• Major triad: formed by an interval of a major third with a minor third.

Figura 2.3. C triad in fundamental position

• Minor triad: formed by an interval of a minor third with a major third.

Figura 2.4. Cm triad in fundamental position

• Diminished triad: formed by two minor third intervals.

Figura 2.5. C° triad in fundamental position

• Augmented triad: formed by two major third intervals.

Figura 2.6. C+ triad in fundamental position

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The most basic level of harmony is found in triads. Remember that it takes at least three
notes to make a chord, so triads are the first set of chords you'll find in the note grouping.

Triads add a lot of texture and new sounds to your piano performance, the importance of
learning to create them is that through them you will have a whole new world of musical
possibilities for you.

Triad inversions
We can invert a chord according to the number of notes it has, as a triad is made up of three
notes we can obtain two inversions plus the fundamental position from it. Basically,
inversions are obtained by moving the lowest note of the triad being played to the next
octave.

For example, we have the C major triad in fundamental position (C - EG), applying the
previous definition we would have the first inversion as follows: EGC and the second
inversion: GCE.

When you play the inversions you will notice that the notes are the same although in a
different order. However, the sound has been inverted, therefore it is not exactly the same.
This will help any piece of music that we play with the piano to sound much better when
making a transition between a first chord and a second.

The main point of inversions is to avoid jumps on the piano, if you have two chords, C and G
for example, and you play them in root position, the distance between them will be a fifth,
which makes it somewhat cumbersome, especially when a fast tempo piece of music is
being played.

Now, if you use inversions you will avoid this abrupt change and you could execute C in
second inversion, (GCE), and G in fundamental position, (GBD), or C in fundamental
position, (CEG), and G in first inversion, ( BDG). Play these examples on the piano and you
will see how you can go from one chord to another more easily and they will be more
pleasant to the ear.
 Complementary Piano – Module 1
Below we will see two examples of the possible inversions of the four types of triads:
Figura 2.7. Triads of C with their inversions

Audio 2.1. Triads of C with their inversions

Figura 2.8. Triads of G with their inversions

Audio 2.2. Triads of G with their inversions

 Complementary Piano – Module 1
Fingering for triads
Below is a table with the fingerings commonly used to play triads, on the piano, with their
respective inversions and with both hands:

Figure 2.9. Fingering chart for the four fundamental triads

Major, Minor, Augmented Left hand Right hand

and Diminished Triads
Root Position 5-3-2 (1) 1-2-3 or 1-3-5

1 to Investment 5-3-1 1-2-4

2 a Investment 5-3-2 (1) 1-2-3 or 1-3-5

Diatonic triads: Major mode

If we construct triads on each degree of the major scale and stay within the restrictions of
the scale, we will create diatonic triads, which are the harmonic basis of many
contemporary styles. They are called diatonic triads because they belong directly to the
scale, any combination of these triads in a progression will sound good.

The vast majority of popular music is reduced to that basic harmony and the rest is based on
this concept. For this reason you must not only learn to play the scale but also study its
harmonization.

Figure 2.10 shows the harmonic behavior of each degree in the major scale mode:

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 Complementary Piano – Module 1
Figure 2.10. Harmonic function of the modes in the major scale.

Degrees of the Major Mode 1 Function 1 Harmonic Behavior

1 Ionian Elderly

II Doric Minor

III Phrygian Minor

IV Lydia Elderly

V Mixolydian Elderly

SAW Wind Minor

VII Locrian Diminished

Figures 2.11 and 2.12 indicate the diatonic triads found within the C major and G major scales:

Figure 2.11. Diatonic triads of C

C major

Audio 2.3. Diatonic triads of C

Figure 2.12. Diatonic triads of G

G major
 Complementary Piano – Module 1

Relating the above triads to the four types of Fundamental Triads, note that Major Triads
are built from major scale degrees I, IV, and V, and minor triads are built from scale degrees
II. , III and VI , and finally a diminished triad is constructed in the VII degree of the scale. The
augmented triad does not appear anywhere in the diatonic series.

seventh chords
By adding a third to any of the triads mentioned above we will obtain a seventh chord. The
name is due to the seventh interval that is formed in relation to the tonic. Like triads, we can
build a four-note chord on each degree of the major scale, which will result in four different
species:

1. Major seventh chord : formed by a major triad plus a major 7th. It is generated in
degrees I and IV of a major scale.

Figure 2.13. C major seventh chord in root position

 Complementary Piano – Module 1
2. Dominant seventh chord : formed by a major triad plus a minor 7th. It is generated in
the V degree of a major scale.
Figure 2.14. C dominant seventh chord in root position

3. Minor seventh chord : formed by a minor triad plus a minor 7th. It is generated in
degrees II, III and VI of a major scale.
Figure 2.15. C minor seventh chord in root position

4. Semi-diminished chord : formed by a diminished triad plus a minor 7th. It is generated

in the VII degree of a major scale.
Figure 2.16. C semi-diminished chord in root position

When playing the chords with a seventh, you will notice that the sound of each one is
particular, this helps to break with the symmetry in the composition of the music and play
with sensations, for example the chord with a major seventh provides a feeling of
tranquility in the music, while the chord with a minor seventh, or dominant chord, adds

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 Complementary Piano – Module 1
more tension to the

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 Complementary Piano – Module 1
same, that is why it is very common that after a dominant chord it resolves to a major
seventh chord.

Chord inversions with seventh

As in triads, we can generate inversions in chords with sevenths to produce new sonorities
and create better voice conduction between chord progressions. Since a seventh chord is
made up of four notes, we can obtain three inversions plus the fundamental position from
these. Below we will see some examples of possible inversions of seventh chords:

Inversions of dominant sevenths

Figure 2.17. Dominant seventh chords with their inversions in C

Audio 2.5. Dominant seventh chords with their inversions in C

Audio 2.6. Dominant seventh chords with their inversions in G

 Complementary Piano – Module 1
Inversions of major sevenths
Figure 2.19. Major seventh chords with their inversions in C

RAI2 POSITION IEeA INVESTMENT IOA INVESTMENT GEEA INVEES16N

Audio 2.7. Major seventh chords with their inversions in C

Figure 2.20. Major seventh chords with their inversions in G

Audio 2.8. Major seventh chords with their inversions in G

Fingering for seventh chords

Below is a table with the fingerings commonly used to play seventh chords with their
respective inversions in both hands:

Figure 2.21. Fingering chart for dominant and major seventh chords
Seventh Chords Left hand Right hand

Root Position 5-3-2-1 1-2-3-5

1 to Investment 5-3-2-1 1-2-3-5(4)
2 a Investment 5-3-2-1 1-2-3-5(4)
3 a Investment 5-3-2-1 1-2-3-5

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Chord Study: Chord Attack
Practicing accurate chord playing is the first step in applying chord attack. Let's practice
with the C chord, C - E - G , for the E The arm weight method is the best way to achieve
precision and relaxation.

Place your fingers on the keys to play C - E - G . Relax your arm and entire body, keep your
wrist flexible, raise your hand between 5 and 20 centimeters above the keys using the
smallest distances at first and simply let gravity make your hand and fingers fall as a single
unit, do not move your fingers

Relax your hands completely during the fall, and then "activate" your fingers and wrist at
the moment of impact with the keys and allow the wrist to flex slightly to cushion the
impact of the descent and the pressure of the keys. By letting gravity pull your hand down,
you are basing your strength or sensitivity on a constant force.

The sensation should be that you play from your shoulders and arms, not with your
fingertips. When you can play this smoothly, relaxed, quickly, and without any feeling of
fatigue, you will have made progress.

Make sure you're playing perfect chords, which means all the notes must fall at the same
time, because without this kind of sensitivity you won't have the precision required to play
fast.

It is important to practice slowly because that is the way you can exercise precision and
relaxation. Accuracy improves more quickly at low speeds.

Practice Routines

• Observe carefully the fingering tables described in the lesson, play each triad and
seventh chord following these instructions with both hands, you can practice them
together or play each note separately, like a broken chord
• Practice diatonic scales in triads and sevenths in ascending and descending order by
applying the fingerings already mentioned above

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• Study inversions of triads and seventh chords separately, and then use them in
common harmonic progressions such as: I – V – VI – IV

• Take a random chord and work on the “chord attack” in detail , follow each step to
the letter, it will undoubtedly improve the development and sound when playing the
chords on the piano
• Once you have mastered triads and sevenths in the keys of C and G major, work on
them in other common keys such as D or F major.
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Lesson 3: Fundamentals for technique
What is piano technique?
Piano technique is the ability to play millions of passages on the instrument, therefore it is
not a skill, but the aggregate of many skills. The task of acquiring this technique is therefore
reduced to solving the problem of how to acquire so many different skills in a short time.
The wonderful news is that piano skills can be learned in a short time using the correct
learning procedures.

These skills are acquired in two phases:

1. Discover how fingers, hands, arms, etc. move

2. Condition muscles and nerves to execute the movements described above. This
second phase is related to control, not the development of strength or athletic
endurance.
Acquiring the technique is a process of developing new and faster neural connections for
certain movements and memory functions, and for “speaking the language of music.”

Mental Execution
How do musicians "make music"? Whether we compose music or play an instrument, all
music must originate in the brain of the artist. We can certainly turn off consciousness and
play the piano from memory after enough practice, a totally wrong way to make music
because the resulting level will be poor.

Many pianists have the false idea that the expensive and huge concert grand piano
produces its own sound with its characteristic music and therefore we must train our
fingers to learn to play the piano. But the human brain is by far more complex and superior
to any mechanical device in terms of musicality.

The brain does not have the limitations of wood, felt, and metal. Therefore, it is more
important to train the brain than the finger muscles, especially since any finger movement
originates as a nerve impulse in the brain. The answer to the previous question is what we
 Complementary Piano – Module 1
will call Mental Execution, or ME.

MS refers to the process of imagining music in your mind, or even actually playing it on an
imaginary piano. MS controls almost everything we do in music, from the learning process
to memorization, pitch, performance, composition, music theory, performance, etc.

MS also helps you learn the piano in a thousand ways, for example. Because you can
perform MI away from the piano, you can effectively double or triple your practice time
using MI even when an instrument is not available. Beethoven and Einstein often seemed
distracted because they were busy with MS during most of their waking hours.

Separate Hands Study (MS): Technique Acquisition

Virtually 100% of technical development is achieved by studying with separate hands. or MS,
so we should not try to develop finger/hand technique with both hands, or AM, as that is
much more difficult, time-consuming and dangerous.
One way to study any lesson or exercise is to choose two small passages, one for the right
hand, or RH, and one for the left, or MI. You study with the MD until you start to get tired,
then we switch to the IM. We change every 5 or 15 seconds, before the resting hand
becomes lazy, or before the working hand gets tired. If we choose the right rest interval, we
will find that the rested hand is eager to play.
Let's avoid playing when the hand is tired, as that leads to tension and bad habits. Since we
are not familiar with the study with MS, we will gradually have a weaker MI. In that case, it is
necessary to give more work to the MI. With this scheme, we can actually study 100% of the
time, without ever tiring our hands doing so!

Finger Extension Exercises

The physical ability of a pianist's fingers, determined by the demands of the repertoire
performed, requires special training. The development of strength and dissociation of finger
movements technically characterize a properly trained pianist.
Finger extension exercises are arranged to give the greatest possible flexibility to the
fingers and hand. To get the best results, we should practice sparingly and only for short
 Complementary Piano – Module 1
periods, working very slowly and carefully.
It will not be necessary to exaggerate the union of the notes, but rather pay strict attention
to the contact of the finger with the key, listen carefully and extract a round and complete
sound from the piano. The hand should be held lightly, and the wrist, arm, and body free
from all contraction.

Exercise 1: Finger Extension

Figure 3.1. Finger extension exercise

Audio 3.1. Finger extension exercise

 Complementary Piano – Module 1
Chromatic scale
The chromatic scale is made up of twelve sounds separated by a semitone interval, it's as
simple as that. For example, let's say you want to build this scale from the note C, it would
look like this: C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B and C.

This would happen in ascending order, in descending order you would play the same notes,
except some of these would be enharmonic equivalents, meaning they are the same notes
with different names. Then, the chromatic scale in descending order would look like this: C,
B, Bb, A, Ab, G, Gb, F, E, Eb, D, Db and C.

Although the chromatic scale is not commonly used in its entire length in musical contexts,
in the field of popular music, chromaticism, that is, the use of fragments in semitones, is
used especially to create tension between one note and another by applying the which are
known as passing notes.

Chromatic scale in two octaves

The chromatic scale is the one that demands the least from the pianist in terms of fingering,
since it involves the successive execution of the piano keys, whether white or black. The
point that must be clear is that the arrangement of these keys on the keyboard is not
homogeneous. Due to our Western musical system, there is no black key between the notes
E and F, as well as between B and C. Here is an example of how the chromatic scale in
octaves would be played with both hands:
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Figure 3.2. Chromatic scale in octaves

In summary, the fingering for the chromatic scale, starting from C, is as follows:

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Figura 3.3. Fingering table for playing the chromatic scale for both hands

Scale Left hand Right hand

do-do#-re-re#-mi-fa-fa#-
sun-sun#-la-la#-si-do 1-3-1-3-2-1-3-1-3-1-3-2-1 1-3-1-3-1-2-3-1-3-1-3-1-2

Whole tone scale

Unlike the chromatic scale, which is made up of semitones, the hexatonic scale is made up
of intervals of six whole tones. This scale is often applied in Jazz to improvise on dominant
chords, due to the tension it produces. Basically, there are two types of whole tone scale,
these would be the scale of C: C, D, E, F#, G#, A# and that of B: B, C#, D#, F, G, A, B. This is
because no matter what point we start from to construct the whole tone scale, we will
always find some of these notes. Below is a table with the fingering of this scale starting
from the twelve keys.

Figura 3.4. Whole Tone Scale Fingering Chart for the Right Hand in All Keys

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b 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4 (1)

A 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3 (1)
N
D 2, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3

T 2, 1 2, 3, 4, 1, 2
O
2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2
d

Since there are basically two whole tone scales, below are two examples of how to play
these in two octaves with both hands:

C major whole tone scale for both hands

Figure 3.5. Whole tone scale in C major

Audio 3.3. Whole tone scale in C major

The basic pattern to play this scale would be: MD 12-1234-12-1234 and MI 321-4321-21-4321
 Complementary Piano – Module 1
B major whole tone scale for both hands
Figure 3.6. Whole tone scale in B major

Audio 3.4. Whole tone scale in B major

The basic pattern to play this scale would be: MD 123-123-1234 and MI 4321-321-321-321

Interpretation: Sight reading

Before performing a new piece of music, the following aspects are quickly reviewed:

• compass sign

• key armor

• Alterations other than key signature

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• Any rhythm or element that may present a challenge

Often, observing these rhythms and thinking about them for a fraction of a second is enough
to eliminate any problems they may create.

Below are some aspects to consider for sight reading:

1. Before you start playing, psych yourself up and set a specific tempo
2. Once reading has started, do not stop. The tempo must allow for “advanced” reading,
that is, forward. Speed is not essential
3. Keep your eyes on the music. It's impossible to develop a good feel for the keyboard
when your eyes are always looking at your fingers. Plus, it takes a long time to
constantly look up and down. As a result of this habit, there is a risk that, when reading
at sight, one cannot maintain a constant pace.
4. To practice every day

Practice routines
• Every time you go to practice a piece of music, apply the technique of mental
execution, you will notice that by mastering it mentally first it will make it easier for
you to play it on the piano.
• Develop the habit of studying with MS in each exercise or piece of music you are
going to perform, so that you can save time and at the same time keep both hands at
the same technical level
• Practice each exercise described in this lesson at a tempo of 60 to 80 bpm with MS,
then bring your hands together when you have completely mastered them
separately.
• Do not rush to perform the quick exercises, the main thing is to work on cleanliness
in the execution and obtain good control between both hands
Complementary Piano – Module 1