Piano Guidance
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Can you play black keys with thumb?

Yes, you can use your thumbs on the black notes! In fact, pianists do it all the time. So why this apparent prohibition? The issue only occurs when you play a scale.

keyboardimprov.com - Yes, pianists, you CAN use your thumbs on the black keys!
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What key is most blues played in?

The two most common keys in blues music are E and A. There are others, but these two keys are the most common.

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I get asked about this a lot. A new student will tell me they've heard that "you should keep your thumbs off the black keys." But in order to follow this "rule" they end up turning their whole hand in and awkward manner; all to avoid playing a black key with their thumb.

Well I'm here to tell you that it's easier than you think. Yes, you can use your thumbs on the black notes! In fact, pianists do it all the time. So why this apparent prohibition?

The issue only occurs when you play a scale. Let's make an experiment: Go to your piano or keyboard and play an F major scale with your right hand. Start with your thumb on F, and play F, G, and A. Then, reach your thumb underneath your hand and stretch it to play the next note in the scale, the Bb. Continue with your 2nd finger on C, 3rd on D, etc. to E and F. In other words, you're using the familiar C major scale fingering (1231234) on F major, which contains the Bb as its 4th note. Now play it again, using the same fingering. Do you feel how awkward this is? By placing your thumb on the Bb and then continuing with the scalar passage, you've forced your hand to practically turn a somersault. Now play the F major scale again, this time using the proper fingering of 1234123. Much easier, right? Your thumb now functions as a "pivot" on the white note. This is why different scales use different fingering; to keep our thumbs on the white keys (which are physically lower). This method fits the shape of our hands better. But what about all the times when you're not playing scalar passages? Now let's look at those situations. Try this: play a Bb chord with your RH: Bb, D, and F, all at once using 1,3 and 5. You may need to slide your 3rd finger up to the middle of the D, but it should feel natural. This is because you don't need to pivot anywhere. Your thumb is fine on the Bb and, in fact, feels good in that position. Whew - I'm glad we cleared that up! We can happily let our thumbs land on the black keys in most music situations; except when they involve scales. Now let's get back to our keyboards and play some great music 🙂 By the way, click here if you want some fresh ideas about practicing scales. Have fun!

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THE 12-BAR FORM The primary harmonic structure of the blues is the I-IV-V progression, which derived from church music of the South. Unlike most...

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If you're like most pianists, you can play in a few keys like C, F and G very well. You're good in D, A and Bb too, but you have to think about the...

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How old is Yamaha P-125?

The Yamaha P-125 is a portable digital piano introduced in 2018. It replaces its predecessor, the P-115.

en.wikipedia.org - Yamaha P-125 - Wikipedia

P-125 Manufacturer Yamaha Dates 2018-present Price ~$600 Technical specifications Polyphony 192 Synthesis type Sampler Velocity expression Yes Storage memory 100 KB Input/output Keyboard 88-key External control USB to host The Yamaha P-125 is a portable digital piano introduced in 2018.[1] It replaces its predecessor, the P-115. The P-125 has 24 voices, ranging from grand piano to rock organ, and comes with 71 preset tunes. A built in metronome and recorder help store roughly 100 KB (11,000 notes) for playback or upload via USB. The keys are Yamaha's graded hammer standard (GHS), low keys weighing more than high keys to more accurately mimic the feel of an acoustic piano.[2] The whole piano weighs 11.8 kg (26 pounds).[3] The shell is black or white. The P-125 is very similar to the P-115.[4] They have the same weight, size, polyphony and keyboard action. The P-125 has an improved two-way speaker system, USB Audio input and output, ten more voices and a slightly newer design.

Features [ edit ]

71 preset tunes (21 demo, 50 piano)

USB to host line

AUX out ([L/L+R][R])

2 6.3mm front-facing headphone jacks

Pedal input to accompany either a standard pedal or Yamaha's LP-1 three-pedal unit. Both LP-1 pedal unit and FC3A sustain pedal support half-damper response.[5][6]

See also [ edit ]

References [ edit ]

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