Intro to Scales and Chords on the Piano
Mathematics and Music
1. Locate middle C on the keyboard. Locate all the other C’s on the keyboard.
2. Play a chromatic scale, starting at middle C and going up to the next C, playing all the
intervening notes on the piano.
3. Play a diatonic major scale, starting at middle C and going up to the next C, just playing the
white notes on the piano. Write down the pattern of whole (two semitones) and half (one
semitone) steps.
4. Start on a different note (not a C). Play the same pattern of whole and half steps. This is
called a transposition of the C major scale. It is also a major scale. What note did you start
on? That’s the key of the scale.
5. Locate a F# and play from F# to the next higher F#, playing only the black notes of the
piano. This is a pentatonic scale. Write the pattern of whole steps and minor thirds (three
semitones).
6. Find another pentatonic scale starting on a different pitch class.
7. Any collection of C, E, and G pitch classes is called a C major chord. Starting on middle C,
play C and the E and G above it. This is root position of the chord. Write down the intervals
in the chord.
8. Find a C major chord that is not in root position. How does it sound the same? Different?
9. Find a major chord in root position that is not a C chord. You can do this by picking a key,
then going up by the intervals you used for the C major chord.
10. Any collection of C, Eb, and G pitch classes is called a C minor chord. Starting on middle C,
play C and the Eb and G above it. This is root position of the chord. Write down the intervals
in the chord.
11. Play another minor chord that is not C minor.
12. Any three-note chord containing two minor or major thirds is called a triad. Triads are the
building blocks of Western music. Minor and major chords are both triads. An augmented
triad contains two major thirds and a diminished triad contains two minor thirds. Play some
augmented and diminished triads. Do they sound different from major and minor triads?
From each other?