Scales & Arpeggios - Basic Introduction

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The Basics of Playing Scales

Introduction

It seems to me that a thorough knowledge of scales and arpeggios is an absolute necessity for all serious students of the piano. Western music is built on the major/minor tonal system, and to attempt to study the instrument without scales (or basic theory) would be as nonsensical as learning language without the alphabet or without bothering with grammar. For the purposes of these articles, I am going to assume that the theory of scales is understood, and that you are using a reliable manual of scales and arpeggios. Scale work is an ongoing process from the relative beginning stages...