Two-octave Minor Scales and Arpeggios in A, D & G

Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman, and today we're going to be reviewing some minor scales and arpeggios
and trying them out in two octaves. Let's come to the piano to get started.
Let's do a quick review of the ladder of fourths without actually looking at the ladder of fourths. So I'd like you to get used to thinking it in your mind whenever you need to reference it. Remember that the key of C
C major as zero sharps or flats, and the key of C major has a relative minor.
Every major key has a relative minor with the same number of sharps and flats. That's what makes them relatives.
To find the relative from a major you just go down the skip of a third.
So A minor
also has zero sharps or flats. This is A natural minor and A harmonic minor.
Now if we go up a fourth from the key of C,
where do we get? One, two, three, four, a fourth above C is F.
F major has one flat. Anytime you go up a fourth,
that new key will have one additional flat. So we have F major.
Where would be the relative minor for F major?
If you said D, you're correct. Remember it's just a skip, the skip of a third below gives you the relative minor. So we use the same flat,
which is B-flat, to give you the key of D minor.
Now, what's a fourth above F on our ladder of fourths?
You might think B, but it's actually B-flat because once we introduce a flat or sharp on the ladder, it stays all the way up the ladder.
So now we're in the key of B-flat
with two flats. We have a B-flat and E-flat now.
If we go a skip below B-flat, that will give us our minor key.
Where's a skip below B-flat?
If you go the skip of a third down, we land on G.
So G minor
also has two flats. It's the same two flats. That's what makes them relatives.
So G minor is next on our ladder of fourths.
And now let's take a quick look at the ladder of fourths to see what we just saw.
On the major side we went through C major, F major, and B-flat major.
On the minor side, all the relative minors, we had A minor with zero flats, D minor with one flat, and G minor with two flats.
Now those three minor keys are what we're viewing today. This time doing them in two octaves.
So let's review the fingering. These three minor skills all use what I call the basic fingering for scales,
and the basic finger basically alternates patterns of three fingers and four fingers.
We have a pattern of three, then a pattern of four then a pattern of three,
then a pattern of four, and then we finish with finger 5 on top like this. We go 1 2 3 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 and then 5 on top.
So the secret to playing scales is to think three, four, three, four. Okay, let's try it together now.
Start on A. We're going to play an A natural minor scale. All white keys and alternate fingers 3 and 4. Let's say the finger numbers out loud as we play.
Right hand finger 1 on A. Ready, go: 1 2 3 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5, stop.
Good, now when we come down we're going to start with a 5,
then we do a group of four, then a group of three, then a group of four, then a group of three.
Okay, let's try it together. Start on your finger 5 up high with an A, go: 5 4 3 2 1, 3 2 1, 4 3 2 1, 3 2 1. Great.
Good, now let's look at the fingering for the left hand. We have 5, then a group of four, 4 3 2 1, then a group of three, then a group of four,
then a group of three. Coming down a group of three, then a group of four, then three, then four, ending with finger 5.
Now, pause the video and I'd like you on your own to try these, try the A natural minor scale in two octaves.
Right hand, left hand, be very careful of the fingering. You want to train the correct fingering from the start.
Try that on your own, then press play to go on.
Great, now let's look at A harmonic minor.
Now we have 1 2 3 1 2 3 finger 4 has to come up to that G-sharp, then finger 1 comes under,
and then 4 again on the G-sharp.
Remember for harmonic minor we take the seventh note and raise it a half step. One, two, three, four, five, six,
the seventh note goes up a half step for harmonic minor.
It gives it that unique harmonic minor sound.
The left hand has the same fingering as before. 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 4 3 2 1 3 2 1
Now, press pause and work on the A harmonic minor   scale right hand and left hand alone, then press play to go on.
Now let's review the A minor arpeggio. So the fingering for our arpeggio,
our arpeggio, that's hard to say. Then go 1 2 3,
So see how your fingers have to reach out a little bit. And as your fingers reach, they're going to flatten a little bit.
They're not as curved as you would have them for scales. See for scales your fingers can be nice and curved. As you do arpeggios, they're going to reach and flatten a little bit.
So 1 2 3 1 2 3 5, 3 2 1 3 2 1
Now you try. Pause the video and try right hand alone two octaves, then press play to go on.
Now let' ...