Scaling the
Accordion, Minor Scales, Book 1 is
designed to help piano accordion students become familiar with the natural
minor scales, the basis of the harmonic minor scales and the melodic scales.
The book also helps students develop facility with the basses. This
modern approach is a companion book to use along with "Scaling the Accordion,
Major Scales, Book 1" and other instructional books.
The sequence for this book is scales,
exercise, and tune for each natural minor scales. Following each
scale are exercises for that scale, which prepares the student to play
the tune composed for the scale. After learning a scale, reinforce
this new skill and knowledge by adding the scale to the warm-ups for each
practice session.
Each exercise page stars with a
basic scales exercise. The other exercises on the page are based
on the tune that follows. Repeat each exercise many times (this is
a model for practicing music). Identify the challenging passages
and practice them many times, independently of the tune. This makes
the tune much easier to play!
Each time was composed to help the
student become more familiar with the notes and sounds of the scale used
for the tune. The teacher can also use the tunes to help the student
develop skills in dynamics, articulation, phrasing, and expression.
The Anatomy of a Minor Scale on
page iv shows the pattern for every minor scale. The Physiology of
the Basses on page 43 shows the layout of a 120-bass keyboard, information
about the organization of the bass keyboard, and the pattern of notes played
with the chord buttons.
Scale fingerings are included to
help students develop proper habits. The fingerings on the minor
scales page are standard fingerings. Becoming familiar with standard
fingerings helps students assign their own fingerings in other music they
encounter. Fingerings for the exercises and for the tunes provide
a foundation for any alternative fingerings that teachers might want to
show their students.
I hope you enjoy playing the music
in this book!
Valarie Morris
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