Five Finger Patterns

Five Finger Patterns are simply a method to practice the first five notes of each scale and the tonic chord for that scale. By practicing these patterns on a regular basis you will become accustomed to the feel of each scale and the feel of the tonic triad.

For a review of the first five notes of the major scale see Major Tetrachords.

To review Scale Degree Names (like tonic) go to Scale Degrees.

To review Triads go to Understanding Traids.

The five finger patterns are simpler than a complete scale and are a great place to begin to develop your technique. See the fingerings in the example below.

Fingerings

Because five finger patterns use only five pitches, they fit comfortably under the five fingers of the hand, thus the name. When playing the patterns with the right hand you will use the fingers going from the thumb up to the pinky or fingers 1-5 in that order.

                     1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 3 5 3 1

When playing with the left hand you will use the fingers going from the pinky up to the thumb or fingers 5-1 in that order. See the example below.

                     5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 3 1 3 5

Relationship Between Major and Parallel Minor Keys

The only difference in a major key Five Finger Pattern and the parallel minor key Five Finger Pattern is the lowered third scale degree. In other words, if you play a major key Five Finger Pattern and then move your third finger down one key (1/2 step) you will now be playing the parallel minor key Five Finger Pattern.

G Major

                     1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 3 5 3 1

G Minor

                      1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 3 5 3 1

To review Minor Scales go to The Natural Minor Scale.

For a review of Relative and Parallel Keys see Relative and Parallel Keys.

Both Hands Together

The exercises at this level only ask you to play one hand at a time. This is so that you can play using the on-screen keyboard. But, it is highly encouraged that you practice these exercises on your own using a keyboard that will allow you to play both hands together.

Playing the Exercise

The Five Finger Pattern exercises can be played with the on-screen keyboard, using your computer keyboard and the grey letters on the on-screen keyboard, or using a piano keyboard connected to your computer by a MIDI cable. Rhythm is not graded but you are encouraged to keep a steady beat.

Practicing Five Finger Patterns

Five Finger Patterns are a great way to develop a feel for scales. One of the best ways to do this is to play the pattern with both hands together in each major key followed by the parallel minor of that key. If you do this 5 days a week, you will quickly memorize the Five Finger Patterns and find it much easier to play in every key.