These pages offer three sets of 'scale-tone practice patterns' (STPPs) - in C, Bb and A (none, two and three accidentals). You should have worked through the first page, in part at least, before tackling this page.

Download the STTPs in A PDF here.

These patterns in A are still more demanding. Yes, you CAN play the black keys with the thumb, but it will fall more naturally on the white keys.

By finding a fingering that works for a pattern, but not trying to remember it particularly, you will find that your hands and fingers are, over time, just 'more ready' to play any sequence of notes, in whatever key.

Scale-tone Practice Patterns in A

School yourself to 'think in A'! Three sharps - F sharp, C sharp and G sharp.

Close you eyes and 'feel' the A major keyboard: its combination of white and black keys, what the scale feels and sounds like. Play some scale practice patterns in your mind's eye/on your desktop in preparation.

Batch One

Here are the first seven patterns.

Rehearse the patterns mentally, without using the thumb on any black key, and, most importantly, without 'running out of' fingers.

Batch Two

Here are the next six patterns.

Could you play any, or all, of these patterns:

• Without the thumb?
• Without any one (choose) of the other fingers?

Batch Three

Here are the last six patterns, in six-eight.

Concentrate now on playing the patterns from memory, first in the three keys demonstrated in the series, then freely, in any key.

You can, for example, look at a Pattern 6 in C:

 ... and play it 'in B flat' or 'in A' (that is, transposing into B flat, A, etc.).

You start on the B flat, or A, and play the pattern of skips and steps, in that key.