Sing & Play – the five-finger position

Exploring Major Triads and Improvisation

So if you've played major triad cycles in the left hand, you're ready for the next assignment. This involves looking at each key on its own for a while and exploring some improvisation. Ultimately, you'll get to improvise around major triads in all 12 keys.

E Major

Let's get started with E major.

1. Play E on its own for as long as you feel like it.
2. Use any inversion in the left hand, while in the right hand:
   • Start with a five-finger position (the first five notes of the E major scale).
   • Make up some two-bar phrases of your own.

"If you can start singing and making up phrases, hearing them first in your head, sing them first and then find the notes on the piano, that's a really fantastic way of cementing your connection between what you hear and what you play."

Moving to A Major

Once you're comfortable, move on to the next key, which is A major:

• Instead of jumping in the left hand, use the next inversion (the next door inversion).
• Find the five-finger position in the new key.
• Try to think up some phrases of your own and go through the whole cycle like that, staying as long as you like on each chord.

"Don't be afraid to really push out the boat and explore different options until you run out of ideas on each chord. The more you do this, hopefully, the more ideas you'll come up with."

Practicing Accompaniment Skills

Before moving away from major triad cycles, consider practicing your accompaniment skills.

• One important way of accompanying is to play bass in the left hand and chords in the right.
• For starters, choose the E chord here:
  • Play it in a nice middle register of the piano.
  • Avoid playing too high to not get in the way of whoever you're accompanying.

Walking Bass Line:

• Start with a root, three, five walking bass line.
• Stay on each chord for as long as you like, or even go around the whole cycle if you prefer.

Alternative Bass Lines:

• Explore different types of bass lines, such as:
  • Descending triads
  • Using the scale

When you move to A, remember to go to the nearest inversion in the right hand.

• The left hand pattern can be slightly different as you can start lower down (an octave lower than written).

Continue the Cycle

Now we're into D major. Please carry on and complete the whole cycle.

"By doing this, you'll become a real expert at playing bass lines."