Exercises

[Sargas]

Feel free to post all kinds of keyboard exercises here, whatever you feel like sharing

I, for one, feel like having some exercises to practice on during the summer, so I won't get bored
Unfortenatly, I don't know any exercies to start this thread with :/, only going up and down in scales, which is not that interesting ^^

 

[Skipp]

i'd go nuts if i had to do that more then 10 seconds hehe.

It is good to familiarize yourself of the positions of every note within a specific intonation though.

I don't know if this can be considered an exercise but it sounds good, it's used a LOT, so it means it comes in handy very often (unlike the scale hehe...)

The idea is to play a circle from a specific intonation within a big arpeggio with the second note from the root added (sorry for my bat terminology but i have no idea how to say it more precise). This means you'll be playing the ninth-chord from the intonation you're playing in an arpeggio (for example, C9, D9, E9 etc. Someone calls them Cadd9, Dadd9)

Since i'm not much of a speaker, here's what it sounds like. A very simple one-way arpeggio.

http://www.box.net/shared/zbjiitqg4c

When you know the positions of the notes, add some thirds, then some sus4 chords and be amazed how great such a simple thing sounds

 

[PianoMan]

I find scales enjoyable to practice (albeit when they're new and somewhat difficult...). Lately I've been practicing major and melodic minor scales (one day I'll do all my major scales, the next melodic minor), but I've been using different fingering, mainly 1 - 2, 1 - 3, 1 - 4. What I mean by that is 1 - 2 would be playing the scale using only your first and second fingers, alternating. I go 2 octaves, right hand only, left hand only, then hands together. I do this for those three variations (thus I end up playing the same scale a total of 9 times, left hand, right hand, and hands together for each of the 3 fingerings).

1 - 4 is the hardest, but after doing this for a few weeks now it's not nearly as awkward anymore. I play them with the metronome at 46 (half note)... when I started this metronome was at 60 (quarter note) or just not used. I feel it's important to stress this point... if you try and practice this fast right away (especially 1 - 4), you WILL hurt yourself, GUARANTEED. I'm finding it really fun though, and what's more is after I'm done I'm REALLY warmed up.

Oh something else I've been working on off and on for the past few months are some Chopin Etudes... Etude 12 opus 25 is a good one.

 

[Sargas]

I don't know if this can be considered an exercise but it sounds good, it's used a LOT, so it means it comes in handy very often (unlike the scale hehe...)

I don't really understand that explanation, sorry :/. Could you try and give an example of what notes will come in which order? (meh, crappy english, hope you understood ^^)

1 - 4 is the hardest, but after doing this for a few weeks now it's not nearly as awkward anymore. I play them with the metronome at 46 (half note)... when I started this metronome was at 60 (quarter note) or just not used. I feel it's important to stress this point... if you try and practice this fast right away (especially 1 - 4), you WILL hurt yourself, GUARANTEED. I'm finding it really fun though, and what's more is after I'm done I'm REALLY warmed up.

Just tried that, got stuck already at C minor >.<, I really don't like having my thumb on the black keys :/
(EDIT: Just found a way of doing that, so nvm ^^)

 

[PianoMan]

Yeah thumb on black keys is a pain, this is actually why I started doing this kind of work. I play jazz and feel like practicing only good fingering could be limiting, especially if I accidentally play a thumb on black key and get stuck because of it, you know? This isn't just jazz though; I have thought of doing this for years and what finally did it was playing a Bach invention in which there's a few passages when you have to use weird fingerings, so it's useful practice. Just be careful, and practice slowly. Very slowly at first.

 

[Skipp]

I don't really understand that explanation, sorry :/. Could you try and give an example of what notes will come in which order? (meh, crappy english, hope you understood ^^)

That's why i gave the chords example (C9, or Cadd9) together with a short clip of the arpeggio.

Notes played are C G C D and so on...

 

[Sargas]

I'm feeling a bit stupid now... I've tried reading your explanation in every way possible, but I can't get it to sound somewhere near that example :/

It surely sounds good, and might as well work as an exercise, but I can't understand :S

 

[Skipp]

I'm feeling a bit stupid now... I've tried reading your explanation in every way possible, but I can't get it to sound somewhere near that example :/

It surely sounds good, and might as well work as an exercise, but I can't understand :S

Oh come oooon!

Ok... let's get graphical.

This is a full C Major chord

Most of the time while playing chords in your left hand, you'll play it like this (the x in brackets means you can omit it and just play the octave)

now... the C9 or the Cadd9 chord is played by adding the (well who would've thought of that ) the ninth note to the cord. Just count it.

And this is how it looks on a full keyboard

If you play the notes from bottom to top you'll get something similar to what I've played. This is where you start. Just familiarize yourself with the note positions. Play upwards and then back. Once you know exactly which notes to hit try doing various arpeggios based on those notes. For example start from G next time instead of C then run it the way you did, or instead of going C G C D and upwards try C G(below) C D C G (above) C (above G) etc etc...

You can do them in many orders... Now get of the internet and start playing

 

[Sargas]

Aaaaha, that's what you meant with C G C D, if you would have mentioned that the second C and D was on the next octave, I might have understood your old description ^^.

Thanks

 

[Skipp]

Aaaaha, that's what you meant with C G C D, if you would have mentioned that the second C and D was on the next octave, I might have understood your old description ^^.

Thanks

i thought it was selfexplainable hehe...

 

[Camkey]

scales

yes: scales are boring, but try playing them in extreme staccato until you just can't do any more due to pain. rest....do another set.....just like a bodybuilder. About 3 sets of this a day and by the end of the week your fingers will be flying. I know...cause I am FAST. Camkey

 

[Sargas]

That might work, if I had weighted keys :/

Or will that help with lightweighted keys as well? Maybe not just as much as with weighted?

 

[Camkey]

keys

I am lucky, in that I do have a weighted keyboard. Truth is: I learned this technique when I took accordion lessons years ago and accordion keys are just like the keys on some synth keyboards and organs. You won't hurt the keys. My teacher had the fastest fingers I ever saw. Start with scale in "C" 10 times, go to "D" scale, 10 times, then "E" and so on. make your fingers go until they are tired. good luck. Please listen to one of my songs on songramp. It has a nice keyboard solo, when you get a chance.

click on "Hi FI" Camkey

http://www.songramp.com/mod/mps/viewtrack.php?trackid=60942

 

[Sargas]

That solo surely was impressive, motivates me to try that exercise , it should still work on lightweighted keys, just need to remember that it's a physical exercise to get better fingers, and not only to learn to scales ^^.

Thanks

 

[RotorOnTop]

I thought this was very ineteresting, and a Q...when coming up the keys do you bring the thumb up from under to the next octave??

and...if adding the sixth note A on the keyboard would this be a C6th chord when played as in your C9 explanation?

 

[Skipp]

I thought this was very ineteresting, and a Q...when coming up the keys do you bring the thumb up from under to the next octave??

and...if adding the sixth note A on the keyboard would this be a C6th chord when played as in your C9 explanation?

Yes you do bring your thumb up, but not for a whole octave jump. That would be a bit tricky hehe. I move my hand in more smaller jumps so my thumb goes from bottom C to G then to the higher C and so on.

And yes, C6 is when you add the 6th note in the chord. For C major chord that would be A so a full C6 chord would have C E G A, or any variation of those notes like E G A C, or G A C E etc.

If you're wondering how to play some chords you can see it here
http://www.8notes.com/piano_chord_chart/C.asp

 

[Camkey]

scales

Good replies guys: Just a note, the reason I was taught to do the scales in staccato is the fact that doing them this way will add muscle strength/speed and accuracy in playing difficult compositions when used as an addendum to other excercises. If you play quick runs in a song often, going through the pains of hard excercise will make a world of difference. I've seen some pretty good rock keyboard players play fast passages sloppily because they just want to play during gigs and that is all the real practice they get. Classical players always do their exercises because they just have to, to play the complex passages inherent in their work. No pain no gain? It can be boring, but fruitful.
All the best, Camkey

 

[Mark W]

Hey Derek

Thanks for sharing. There is some unbelievable talent posting on the Web. Great job!

 

[Camkey]

mark

Mark: thanks for the kind words from one newbie to another.
CamKey

 

[RotorOnTop]

Sysryn, thanks for that chord chart, works real good, there is a B inversion I use alot thats not on there, fun chart.