Hey musician, Thanks for downloading this learning activity. Learning the number system in music is probably one of the most important skills you can attain. Numbers rule in music! When you hear people talking about 2-5-1 progressions or 6-2-5-1 turnarounds, they re getting those numbers from the major scale of the key they re in. So your ability to quickly determine the 2 nd tone (for example) or 5 th tone or 6 th tone of a key is crucial. This exercise will make you a pro at that in no time! Ask any seasoned musician how important understanding the number system is and they will all respond with the same answer --- it s EXTREMELY important. Not only does it help you under chord progressions (like the 2-5-1 example above), but it allows you to understand music in a UNIVERSAL way. You see, when you think of the 1-chord of a song, you re not just in the key of C major --- you re not just in the key of major or B flat major. You re in a universal key. You can apply that 1 chord to ANY key INSTANTLY ( if you know your numbers)! That is the power of understanding numbers. Even chords are built off numbers. If someone quickly yelled out 1+3+5+6 as the formula for a major sixth chord, would you quickly be able to play this chord in every key? This exercise will almost make you an expert at this overnight. (By the way, a C major 6 would be C+E+G+A, the 1 st, 3 rd, 5 th, and 6 th tones of the C major scale played together. Understanding the number system allows me to recall that chord in less than 3 seconds). So are you ready? You should be, because this simple exercise will change the way you look at music. And if you re wondering why I took the time to personally (NO, I didn t use my assistant) create these flash cards for you It s because I understand the frustrations of being a new musician or trying to understand this stuff, despite it constantly not making sense. I ve been there. I ve done that. And I thought back in life when I was most effective at learning new stuff. And guess what I came up with? It was when I made flash cards and rehearsed them religiously. Whether a chemistry test or an environmental analysis exam, this flash card method always worked for me. So that s what I ve taken the time to do for you. I ve created the flash cards OR YOU. Just print them out and follow my instructions on the following pages and you ll be on your way. After all, if I were in your shoes, I m sure you d do the same for me. Enjoy and excel, Jermaine, ounder Hearandplay.com 1
INSTRUCTIONS 1) Basically, these are flash cards. I ve placed the questions on one page and the corresponding answers on the very next page. or your convenience, I ve put little numbers in the upper left corner so you can match up the right questions with the right answers. They will have the same unique number (if the question has a 1 on it but the answer has a 2, then you ve paired up the wrong flash cards). You ll see what I mean once you look at them. 2) If you re familiar with printing double-sided pages, you may want to first start by printing the odd number pages. You can do this in the PRINT MENU right before you print this document. Tell the printer to only print ODD-numbered pages (that means, pages 1, 3, 5, 7, and so forth). Then, once those pages have printed, put them back in your printer and print the EVEN-numbered pages on the other side (pages 2, 4, 6, 8, etc). Make sure to put the paper in the correct way. Every printer does this differently but you ll figure it out (I have full confidence in you). The ink may show through lighter paper so you may want to use thicker paper or try step #3 instead. 3) If you just can t print double-sided copies or you find the ink is showing through the paper (which causes you to see the answer and CHEAT ), simply print every page separately. Then staple or glue the answer pages to the back of the question pages. Then simply cut them out and you should have flash cards that are ready to go! 4) EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: I don t want you learning the wrong numbers so make sure the little number id in the top left matches for the question AND the answer. If it doesn t, you ve done something wrong and will be quizzing yourself with the WRONG answers. That s a big no-no! 5) Enjoy yourself! Have fun! Learn those numbers! 2
Here s a reference chart. You can study this with the cards. But don t use this to cheat. You can either start by studying this and reinforcing what you ve learned with the cards. Or you can try the cards first and use these pictures as summaries. Up to you! Either way will work! C Major C D E G A B C 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Major Bb 4 G A C D E 1 2 3 5 6 7 Bb Major Bb Eb Bb 1 4 Eb Major Eb Ab Bb Eb 1 4 5 C D G A 2 3 5 6 7 G C D 2 3 6 7 Ab Major Ab Bb Db Eb Ab 1 2 4 5 C G 3 6 7 3
Db Major Db Eb Gb Ab Bb Db 1 2 4 5 6 C 3 7 Gb Major (enharmonic with #) Gb Ab Bb Db Eb Gb 1 2 3 5 6 C b 4 7 # Major (enharmonic with Gb) # G# A# C# D# # 1 2 3 5 6 B E# 4 7 B Major C# D# # G# A# 2 3 5 6 7 B E B 1 4 E Major # G# C# D# 2 3 6 7 E A B E 1 4 5 A Major C# # G# 3 6 7 A B D E A 1 2 4 5 4
D Major # C# 3 7 D E G A B D 1 2 4 5 6 G Major # 7 G A B C D E G 1 2 3 4 5 6 5
INGERINGS OR MAJOR SCALES (BONUS LESSON) Before you get into your flash cards, let s learn the fingering for each scale. Correct fingering is very important. The following fingerings are for the left and right hand when playing major scales. Left Hand Right Hand 4 3 2 2 3 4 5 5 1 1 LET RIGHT When playing a major scale, always put the 5 finger from your left hand on the first note of the scale. The same rule applies for the 1 finger with your right hand. C D E G A B C D E G A B 5 1 If you were playing a C major scale (with both hands), the above picture illustrates the correct position for each hand. That is, by starting with your 5 finger on your left hand and your 1 finger on your right hand. 6
RIGHT-HANDED SCALE INGERINGS OR MAJOR KEYS MAJOR KEY (s) INGERING Right Hand C Major Scale Major Scale B b Major Scale E b Major Scale 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 2-1-2-3-1-2-3-4 2-1-2-3-4-1-2-3 2 3 4 5 A b Major Scale D b Major Scale G b or # Major Scale 2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3 2-3-1-2-3-4-1-2 2-3-4-1-2-3-1-2 1 RIGHT B Major Scale 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 E Major Scale 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 A Major Scale D Major Scale G Major Scale 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 Note: The shaded rows indicate major scales that have the same fingering. LET-HANDED SCALE INGERINGS OR MAJOR KEYS Left Hand MAJOR KEY (s) INGERING 5 4 3 2 C Major Scale Major Scale B b Major Scale E b Major Scale 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 LET 1 A b Major Scale D b Major Scale G b or # Major Scale 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 3-2-1-4-3-2-1-3 4-3-2-1-3-2-1-2 B Major Scale 4-3-2-1-4-3-2-1 E Major Scale 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 Note: Rows of the same shaded color indicate same fingering. A Major Scale D Major Scale G Major Scale 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 5-4-3-2-1-3-2-1 How to read the fingering charts Example #1: If you wanted to play an Major Scale with your right hand, you would start with your 1 finger and end with your 4 finger. Also note that your thumb crosses under at the 5 th tone of this scale. Example #2: If you wanted to play a B Major Scale with your left hand, you would start with your 4 finger and end 7 with your 1 finger. In this scale, your ring finger crosses over at the 5 th tone.
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1 1 st 2 Tone 1 st Tone C 3 1 st 4 Tone 1 st Tone Bb Eb 5 1 st 6 Tone 1 st Tone Ab Db 7 1 st 8 Tone 1 st Tone Gb B 9
2 1 C 4 6 Eb Db 3 5 Bb Ab 8 B 7 Gb 10
9 1 st 10 Tone 1 st Tone E A 11 1 st 12 Tone 1 st Tone D G 13 14 2nd Tone 2nd Tone C 15 16 2nd Tone 2nd Tone Bb Eb 11
10 A 9 E 12 G 11 D 14 G 13 D 16 15 C 12
17 18 2nd Tone 2nd Tone Ab Db 19 20 2nd Tone 2nd Tone Gb B 21 22 2nd Tone 2nd Tone E A 23 24 2nd Tone 2nd Tone D G 13
18 Eb 17 Bb 20 C# 19 Ab 22 B 21 # 24 A 23 E 14
25 26 3rd Tone 3rd Tone C 27 28 3rd Tone 3rd Tone Bb Eb 29 30 3rd Tone 3rd Tone Ab Db 31 32 3rd Tone 3rd Tone # B 15
26 A 25 E 28 G 27 D 30 29 C 32 D# 31 A# 16
33 34 3rd Tone 3rd Tone E A 35 36 3rd Tone 3rd Tone D G 37 38 4th Tone 4th Tone C 39 40 4th Tone 4th Tone Bb Eb 17
34 C# 33 G# 36 B 35 # 38 Bb 37 40 Ab 39 Eb 18
41 42 4th Tone 4th Tone Ab Db 43 44 4th Tone 4th Tone # B 45 46 4th Tone 4th Tone E A 47 48 4th Tone 4th Tone D G 19
42 Gb 41 Db 44 E 43 B 46 D 45 A 48 C 47 G 20
49 50 5th Tone 5th Tone C 51 52 5th Tone 5th Tone Bb Eb 53 54 5th Tone 5th Tone Ab Db 55 56 5th Tone 5th Tone Gb B 21
50 C 49 G 52 Bb 51 54 Ab 53 Eb 56 # 55 Db 22
57 58 5th Tone 5th Tone E A 59 60 5th Tone 5th Tone D G 61 62 6th Tone 6th Tone C 63 64 6th Tone 6th Tone Bb Eb 23
58 E 57 B 60 D 59 A 62 D 61 A 64 C 63 G 24
65 66 6th Tone 6th Tone Ab Db 67 68 6th Tone 6th Tone Gb B 69 70 6th Tone 6th Tone E A 71 72 6th Tone 6th Tone D G 25
66 Bb 65 68 G# 67 Eb 70 # 69 C# 72 E 71 B 26
73 74 7th Tone 7th Tone C 75 76 7th Tone 7th Tone Bb Eb 77 78 7th Tone 7th Tone Ab Db 79 80 7th Tone 7th Tone Gb B 27
74 E 73 B 76 D 75 A 78 C 77 G 80 A# 79 28
81 82 7th Tone 7th Tone E A 83 84 7th Tone 7th Tone D G 85 86 Best Best Music Site Instruction 87 88 Makes Music Easy un Learning 29
82 G# 81 D# 84 # 83 C# 86 HearandPlay.com 85 HearandPlay.com 88 HearandPlay.com 87 JG 30