How Dissonance Weighs In On The Scale

Preacher Reaper

Recently, I was sitting at the piano while reflecting on some of the “Keys” in the book and found myself gravitating toward one in particular. My left hand fingers were making their way up and down the C Major scale while my right hand was simultaneously fingering the Db Major scale.

Although I have done this several times in the past, the appreciation of the value in doing this never gets stale. The shift in thinking and attention that occurs as the fingers of each hand make their way in ascension and descension automatically causes a special awareness to manifest. I was reaping rewards from a strategy I enjoy preaching to others.

Performing an action like this in the middle of a practice routine serves as a positive interruption to the status quo. Furthermore, it certainly does no harm to your technical ability. The alertness that is necessary for the two hands to simultaneously be playing something different creates an absolute necessity for each finger of both hands to dutifully be sure its role is being served. Each hand is experiencing a heightened level of independence while there is a special kind of “telepathy” going on between both of them.

Inter”Mission”

I also find that performing little technical “fingerobics” like this that don’t necessarily impress us as being “ear candy” seems to refresh our experience with the practicing of our other material. For example, I was playing Barry Manilow’s Even Now while placing a special focus on certain segments of that ballad.

While taking a short break from it, shifting to my little scale frolic for a few moments (which was quite the contrast from that song) quickly sets me up to go back to playing the same song with a refreshed attitude as my attention on those select musical segments are approached with more open ears. This in itself is a purposeful reason for this little intermission, not to mention the technical benefits gained from it.

Tag, You’re It!

What ideas can you come up with to spice up your routine that might assist with refreshing your focus on your task at hand? How about playing arpeggios with each hand playing a different chord? You might have fun experimenting with different combinations. You’re sure to discover that some are not as dissonant as others. For example, playing scales in “tenth” intervals sounds rather interesting, like playing the C Major scale with your left as your right performs the E Major scale.

Whatever ideas you come up with, learn to accept them as all part of the fun of sitting down to practice. Yes, feel free to get a little “crazy” as you attempt little feats you never tried before. If they challenge you a little while bringing a smile to your face, you know you’re on to something!

Don’t be surprised if you soon find that these little practice interludes become your incentives for making your way to that piano or keyboard of yours. They can serve as genuine practice stimulators! You see, that’s the goal, my friend. You are really getting the picture now, right? More and more, those practice sessions are turning into daily episodes you simply wouldn’t miss for the world!