Alfred’s Basic Piano Library

The Complete Book of

S cales , C hords ,
A rpeggios & C adences
Includes all the Major, Minor (Natural, Harmonic, Melodic) &
Chromatic Scales – plus additional instructions on music fundamentals

WILLARD A. PALMER • MORTON MANUS • AMANDA VICK LETHCO

How This Book Is Organized

Part 1
An explanation that leads to the understanding of the fundamentals of major and minor scales, chords,
arpeggios and cadences is discussed in some detail. Also included is a clear explanation of scale
degrees and a two-page guide to fingering the scales and arpeggios.
Part 2
The Major Scales: The key of C plus the sharp keys in key signature sequence.
Part 3
The Major Scales: The flat keys in key signature sequence.
Part 4
The Minor Scales: The key of A minor plus the sharp keys in key signature sequence.
Part 5
The Minor Scales: The flat keys in key signature sequence.
Part 6
The Chromatic Scales:
Part 7
Enrichment Options: These added options are designed to further develop musicianship. They
suggest a number of additional ways the scales and chords in parts 2–5 may be played. Some of the options
should be practiced in every key being studied.

Copyright © MCMXCIV by Alfred Music Publishing Co., Inc.

All rights reserved. 

Produced in USA.
Electronic edition published 2012
Cover design: Martha Widmann/Ted Engelbart
Book production: Bruce Goldes
 3

Contents

Part 1 Part 4
Tetrachords
Minor Scales—Sharp Keys
Key of A Minor
Building Major Scales
Key of E Minor
Triads
Key of B Minor
Triads: The 2nd Inversion
Key of F# Minor
The Primary Triads in Major Keys
Key of C# Minor
The V7 Chord
Key of G# Minor
Scale Degrees
Key of D# Minor
Key of A# Minor
Arpeggios

Building Minor Scales

Part 5
More About 3rds, 5ths and Triads Minor Scales—Flat Keys
The Primary Triads in Minor Keys Key of D Minor
The Diminished 7th Chord Key of G Minor
Guide to Fingering Key of C Minor
Part 2 Key of F Minor
Key of Bb Minor
Major Scales—Sharp Keys
Key of C Major Key of Eb Minor
Key of G Major Key of Ab Minor
Key of D Major Part 6
Key of A Major Chromatic Scales
Key of E Major Part 7
Enrichment Options
Key of B Major

Key of F# Major
Harmonizing the Scales

Key of C# Major
Blocked Scales, Accelerating Scales
Expanding Scales No. 1, No. 2
Part 3
Scales in Double Thirds, Double Sixths,
Major Scales—Flat Keys
and Octaves
Key of F Major
Scales—The Grand Form
Key of Bb Major
Broken Triads
Key of Eb Major
Triad Chain, Cadences
Key of Ab Major
Triads (Block and Broken)
Key of Db Major
Major Scale and Arpeggio Fingering Chart
Key of Gb Major
Harmonic Minor Scale and
Key of Cb Major Arpeggio Fingering Chart
 

Part 1 Tetrachords

The word tetra means four. A tetrachord is a series of four notes having a pattern of

   Whole step, Whole step, Half step

A half Step is the distance A whole step is equal

from any key to the very next to 2 half steps with
key up or down, black or white, one key between.
with no key between.

C D E F

& œ œ œ œ The notes of a tetrachord

must be in alphabetical order!

WHOlE WHOlE HAlF They must also have this pattern!

STEP STEP STEP

C Tetrachord G Tetrachord

& œ & œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ
WHOlE WHOlE HAlF
WHOlE WHOlE HAlF

D Tetrachord A Tetrachord

& œ œ #œ œ
& œ œ #œ œ
WHOlE WHOlE HAlF
WHOlE WHOlE HAlF

E Tetrachord B Tetrachord

#œ #œ œ
& œ #œ #œ œ & œ
WHOlE WHOlE HAlF WHOlE WHOlE HAlF
50
Key of E Minor
Relative Minor of G Major

LH: 4th finger on F# (2nd degree). RH: 4th finger on D or D# (7th degree).

Natural minor scale, parallel motion in octaves. 5

œ œ œ œ œœœœ
1

œ
3 1 3

#4 œ œ œ œ œœœœ
1 1 4

œ œ œœ
4

œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœœ œœœœ˙
1 1 3

& 4 œœœœ œœ œ œ œ
1 3

œ
? # 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ
1

œœœœ˙
1 3 3 1
4 4 1 3

1 3 1 1
5

Harmonic minor scale, parallel motion in octaves.

5

œ # œ œœ œ œœ
1

œ
3 1 3

#4 œ
œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ
4 1 1 4

œ œ # œ
1 1 3

& 4 œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ ˙
1 3

œ
? # 44 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
1
1 3 3 1
4 4 1 3

1 3 1 1
5

œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Harmonic minor scale, contrary motion.

œ œ œ
5

#4 œ #œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ
1 1

œ
1 3 3 1 3

œ œœ œ˙
1 3

& 4 œ œœ
4 1 1 4

œ #œ œ œ œ œ #œ ˙
? # 44 œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
1 3 1
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ 3 1 1 3 1 3
4 1 5 1 4

Melodic minor scale, parallel motion in octaves. RH 4th finger on D# ascending, Dn descending.
5

#œ #œ œ nœ nœ œ œ œ
1

œ
3 1 3

#4 œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ nœ
1 1 4

œ nœ nœ œ
4

œ # œ # œ œ # œ # œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ ˙
1 1 3

& 4 œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ
1 3

nœ
? # 44 œ œ œ œ œ # œ œœœœ
3 1
1 3 1

˙
4 4 1 3

1 3 1 1
5
 83
Scales in Double Thirds, Double Sixths and Octaves.

  œ 
œ œ
œ
 œœ œœ œ œ   
  œ œ
C major in double thirds—staccato only

 œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ 
& 44 œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ
4

œ œ œœ
4 4

œœ œœ
4 etc.

œœ œœ
2 2

œœ œœ
2 2

œ       œœ ˙̇
 
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œœ
? 4 œœ œœ  œ
œ œœ ˙̇
& œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ
œ ?
4 œ œ œ œ
   œ œ œœ œœ œœ
2 2 2 2
etc.     
4 4
4 4


œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ 
C major in double sixths—staccato only

œœ œœ œœœœ
& 44 œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ
5 5 5 5 etc.

œœœœœœ œ œ
1 1 1 1

œœ œ       œ œ œ œ œ ˙
œ œ œ  œ œ ˙
     
œ œ œ œ œ  œœ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ
8va

? 44 œ œ œœ œœ œœœœ œœœ œ œ œ œ ˙
œ œ  œ œ œ œ  œ   œ œ ˙
1 1
1 1 5 etc.
5 5
5

C major in octaves—staccato only (Optional: in scales using black keys, the thumb and 4th finger may be
used on the black keys in both hands.)

 œ 8va both 
  œ   œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 
5 5

œ  
5

œ œ
5 1

œ œ
1

4 œœœ œ œ
1 hands

œ œœ œœœ œœœœ œ œ œ
1 etc.

& 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ ˙
œ œ œ œ œ œ
   ˙
 œ 
?4 œ œ œ œ œ  
œ œ œ œ 
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
œ œ œ œ
œ
1
œ œ œ œ œ       œ ˙
1 1
1 5 5 etc.
5 5

C major in double thirds—legato only.

œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ
3

œ
5 5

œ œ
4 1 4

œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ
2 3 3 3 3 2
2 2 2 3 2

& 44 œ
5 4 5 1 1 5 4 5 4
4 1 1

œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ ˙
3 1 3 4 5 3 3 3 3 5 4 1 1 3 3

œ
2 3 2 2 2
1 1 2 3 1 1 3 2 1

œ œ ˙
œ œ œ
œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ
?4 œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ
4œ
œ œœ œœ œœ œœ3 2 1 1 3
1 3 2 1 1 3 1 1
œ œ
2 3
2 3 1 1
œœ œœ œœ œ ˙
2 œ ˙
3
1 3 2 5 2 3 2 5 2 3 1 4 5 2 3 1
3 2 5 4 3 5 4 4 5 4 5 2 3
3 4 3 3
5 4 4 5