Piano Scales, Arpeggios & Technical Work Syllabus

Scales, Arpeggios & Technical Work syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Scales, Arpeggios & Technical Work in Piano, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Major Scales

   4 topics

   • Scale Construction (W-W-H Pattern)
   • Sharp Key Scales
   • Flat Key Scales
   • Standard Fingerings
2. 2

   Minor Scales

   4 topics

   • Natural Minor
   • Harmonic Minor
   • Melodic Minor
   • Relative & Parallel Minors
3. 3

   Other Scale Types

   4 topics

   • Chromatic Scale
   • Pentatonic Scales
   • Blues Scale
   • Whole-Tone & Modes
4. 4

   Arpeggios & Broken Chords

   4 topics

   • Major & Minor Arpeggios
   • Dominant & Diminished Sevenths
   • Broken Chord Patterns
   • Arpeggio Fingerings
5. 5

   Scales in Variation

   4 topics

   • Scales in Thirds & Sixths
   • Scales in Contrary Motion
   • Two & Four Octave Scales
   • Speed & Evenness Development
6. 6

   Circle of Fifths

   4 topics

   • Key Signatures Order
   • Navigating Sharps & Flats
   • Enharmonic Keys
   • Modulation Relationships

Scales, Arpeggios & Technical Work flashcards for Piano

18 of 50 cards from the Scales, Arpeggios & Technical Work deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the whole-step/half-step pattern used to build any major scale?

   W–W–H–W–W–W–H (whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half). Starting on any note and applying this pattern produces the major scale of that key.

2. How many semitones are in a half step, a whole step, and a full octave?

   A half step = $1$ semitone, a whole step = $2$ semitones, and an octave contains $12$ semitones.

3. Between which scale degrees do the half steps fall in a major scale?

   Between degrees $3$–$4$ and $7$–$8$. All other adjacent degrees are whole steps.

4. What is the order of sharps as they appear in key signatures?

   F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯ (mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle). Each sharp is a perfect fifth above the previous one.

5. What is the rule for naming a major key from its sharp key signature?

   The tonic is one half step above the last (rightmost) sharp. Example: last sharp C♯ means the key is D major.

6. List the sharp major keys in circle-of-fifths order with their number of sharps.

   G ($1$), D ($2$), A ($3$), E ($4$), B ($5$), F♯ ($6$), C♯ ($7$). Each new sharp key is a perfect fifth higher than the previous key.

7. What is the order of flats as they appear in key signatures?

   B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭ — the exact reverse of the order of sharps. Each flat is a perfect fourth above the previous one.

8. What is the rule for naming a major key from its flat key signature, and what is the exception?

   The second-to-last flat names the key (e.g., flats B♭–E♭–A♭ means E♭ major). The exception is F major, which has only one flat (B♭) and must simply be memorized.

9. List the flat major keys in order with their number of flats.

   F ($1$), B♭ ($2$), E♭ ($3$), A♭ ($4$), D♭ ($5$), G♭ ($6$), C♭ ($7$). Each new flat key is a perfect fourth higher (a fifth lower) than the previous key.

10. What is the standard right-hand fingering for the C major scale, one octave ascending?

    1–2–3–1–2–3–4–5. The thumb passes under the third finger between the 3rd and 4th notes (E to F).

11. What is the standard left-hand fingering for the C major scale, one octave ascending?

    5–4–3–2–1–3–2–1. The third finger crosses over the thumb between the 5th and 6th notes (G to A).

12. What is the general fingering rule for black keys in scales, and how does F major right hand illustrate an exception to the standard pattern?

    The thumb generally avoids black keys; longer fingers (2, 3, 4) take them. F major right hand uses 1–2–3–4–1–2–3–4 (finger 4 on B♭) instead of the usual pattern, so the thumb stays on white keys.

13. What is the whole-step/half-step pattern of the natural minor scale?

    W–H–W–W–H–W–W, with half steps between degrees $2$–$3$ and $5$–$6$.

14. Which natural minor scale uses only white keys, and what mode does the natural minor scale correspond to?

    A natural minor (A–B–C–D–E–F–G–A). The natural minor scale is identical to the Aeolian mode, built on the 6th degree of the major scale.

15. Which scale degrees of the natural minor are lowered compared with the parallel major?

    Degrees $\flat 3$, $\flat 6$, and $\flat 7$. Example: C minor has E♭, A♭, and B♭ where C major has E, A, and B.

16. How does the harmonic minor scale differ from the natural minor?

    The 7th degree is raised by a half step (in both directions, ascending and descending). Example: A harmonic minor = A–B–C–D–E–F–G♯–A.

17. What distinctive interval appears in the harmonic minor scale, and between which degrees?

    An augmented 2nd (equal to $3$ semitones) between the 6th and raised 7th degrees, e.g., F to G♯ in A harmonic minor.

18. Why is the 7th degree raised in the harmonic minor scale?

    To create a leading tone a half step below the tonic, which makes the dominant chord major (V instead of v) and gives a strong V–i cadence in minor keys.

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