Every key, part 2: busy keys and any key

The rest of the twelve. Past two black keys it is easier to flip the question round: in the busiest keys the black keys are the default, and you remember which white keys are left. Then the drills cover all twelve, Dorian joins in, and the section ends with improvising in a key picked at random, the way you’d meet one in a project.

Start this section in the interactive course

5.1 Three black keys: F♯ minor and C minor

F♯ minor: F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D E. B minor’s two black keys plus G♯, a whole tone above F♯. On the keyboard: the first two black keys of the group of three, and the first of the pair.

C minor: C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭. G minor’s two black keys plus A♭, the sixth note of C minor. The mirror image: the last two black keys of the group of three, and the last of the pair.

F♯ minor starts on a black key, so the thumb waits until A. C minor starts on white and plays like the white-key scales with three keys moved.

F♯ minor, right hand: F♯ 2, G♯ 3, A 1, B 2, C♯ 3, D 1, E 2, F♯ 3.
F♯ minor, left hand: F♯ 4, G♯ 3, A 2, B 1, C♯ 3, D 2, E 1, F♯ 4.
C minor, right hand: C 1, D 2, E♭ 3, F 1, G 2, A♭ 3, B♭ 4, C 5.
C minor, left hand: C 5, D 4, E♭ 3, F 2, G 1, A♭ 3, B♭ 2, C 1.
The thumb never lands on a black key in these fingerings. That’s the main rule behind scale fingerings.

Exercises

F♯ minor: all seven notes: Every note, any order, one slip allowed.
F♯ minor, up and down: Starts on finger 2. The thumb lands on A and D.
F♯ minor, left hand: Left hand from finger 4. The thumb lands on B and E.
C minor: all seven notes: Every note, any order, one slip allowed.
C minor, up and down: Root to root and back.
C minor over a two-step loop: Eight bars over a swung garage beat with chord stabs. Scale lit.

5.2 Four black keys: C♯ minor and F minor

C♯ minor: C♯ D♯ E F♯ G♯ A B. Every black key except A♯. The white keys left are E, A and B.

F minor: F G A♭ B♭ C D♭ E♭. Every black key except G♭. The white keys left are F, G and C.

Remember these by the gap: C♯ minor leaves out the last black key of the group of three, F minor leaves out the first.

C♯ minor, right hand: C♯ 3, D♯ 4, E 1, F♯ 2, G♯ 3, A 1, B 2, C♯ 3.
C♯ minor, left hand: C♯ 3, D♯ 2, E 1, F♯ 4, G♯ 3, A 2, B 1, C♯ 3.
F minor, right hand: F 1, G 2, A♭ 3, B♭ 4, C 1, D♭ 2, E♭ 3, F 4.
F minor, left hand: F 5, G 4, A♭ 3, B♭ 2, C 1, D♭ 3, E♭ 2, F 1.

Exercises

C♯ minor: the white keys: Play all seven notes, any order. Start with the three white keys, since they are the part to remember.
C♯ minor, up and down: Starts on finger 3. The thumb lands on E and A.
F minor: all seven notes: Every note, any order, one slip allowed.
F minor, up and down: Four fingers, then four again: thumb on F and C.
F minor in time: One note per click after the count-in.
F minor, left hand: Left hand: 5 on F, thumb on C, then 3 crosses over to D♭.
F minor over a techno loop: Eight bars over a driving loop. Scale lit. Try one repeated note with rhythm before moving.

5.3 All five black keys: B♭, E♭ and G♯ minor

Three keys use all five black keys plus two white ones. Learn the two white keys and you have the key.

B♭ minor: B♭ C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭. White keys C and F.

E♭ minor: E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭. White keys F and B. The B is spelt C♭ here because each letter appears once in a scale; it is the same key.

G♯ minor: G♯ A♯ B C♯ D♯ E F♯. White keys B and E.

E♭ minor pentatonic is the five black keys from section 3. One step past G♯ minor on the sharp side is D♯ minor, which is E♭ minor spelt with sharps: the ladder joins up into a circle.

B♭ minor, right hand: B♭ 2, C 1, D♭ 2, E♭ 3, F 1, G♭ 2, A♭ 3, B♭ 4.
B♭ minor, left hand: B♭ 2, C 1, D♭ 3, E♭ 2, F 1, G♭ 4, A♭ 3, B♭ 2.
E♭ minor, right hand: E♭ 2, F 1, G♭ 2, A♭ 3, B♭ 4, C♭ 1, D♭ 2, E♭ 3.
E♭ minor, left hand: E♭ 2, F 1, G♭ 4, A♭ 3, B♭ 2, C♭ 1, D♭ 3, E♭ 2.
G♯ minor, right hand: G♯ 3, A♯ 4, B 1, C♯ 2, D♯ 3, E 1, F♯ 2, G♯ 3.
G♯ minor, left hand: G♯ 3, A♯ 2, B 1, C♯ 3, D♯ 2, E 1, F♯ 4, G♯ 3.

Exercises

B♭ minor: Every note, any order, one slip allowed.
E♭ minor: Every note, any order, one slip allowed.
G♯ minor: Every note, any order, one slip allowed.
E♭ minor, up and down: Thumb on F and on the white B.
B♭ minor, up and down: Starts on finger 2. Thumb on C and F.
E♭ minor, left hand: Left hand from finger 2. The thumb lands on F and on the white B.
E♭ minor over ambient pads: Eight bars of slow pads. Mostly black keys: let your fingers rest on them and reach down for F and B.

5.4 Dorian in any key

Dorian is natural minor with the sixth note raised a semitone. B minor’s sixth is G, so B Dorian has G♯. F minor’s sixth is D♭, so F Dorian has D.

A Dorian key uses the same notes as the minor key one step up the sharp side of the ladder: B Dorian has the notes of F♯ minor, F Dorian the notes of C minor. You already know them.

Dorian fits a backing that moves from the minor chord to a major chord on the fourth note (i to IV). Natural minor’s sixth clashes with that IV chord; Dorian’s raised sixth is part of it.

In Live’s scale menus and Push’s scale mode this is called Dorian.

Exercises

B Dorian: all seven notes: Every note of B Dorian, any order. Remember G♯.
B Dorian over i to IV: Eight bars moving between Bm7 and E7. Land on G♯ when the chord changes to E7.
F Dorian, home notes only: Eight bars between Fm7 and B♭7, only F lit. D natural is the colour note.

5.5 Darker colours: Phrygian and harmonic minor

Two more minor scales, each one note away from natural minor, and each with a strong character.

Phrygian lowers the second note a semitone. E Phrygian is every white key from E: E F G A B C D. The F a semitone above home gives a dark, tense sound, and a vamp between the home chord and the major chord a semitone up (Em to F) is its signature. It suits brooding techno and darker downtempo.

Harmonic minor raises the seventh note a semitone. A harmonic minor is A B C D E F G♯. That G♯ makes the fifth chord major (E instead of Em), which pulls hard back to Am, and leaves a gap of three semitones between F and G♯ that gives melodies an exotic edge.

Both are easy to find from what you know: Phrygian is natural minor with the second flattened, harmonic minor is natural minor with the seventh sharpened.

Live’s scale menus and Push’s scale mode both include Phrygian and Harmonic Minor, as does the jam room here.
In harmonic minor, land on G♯ only as it moves up to A; held on its own it sounds unfinished.

Exercises

E Phrygian: all seven notes: Every note of E Phrygian, any order. All white keys, home on E.
E Phrygian over Em and F: Eight bars moving between Em and F. Lean on F over the Em chord and let it fall back to E.
A harmonic minor: all seven notes: Every note of A harmonic minor. Remember G♯.
A harmonic minor over Am and E7: Eight bars between Am and E7. Use G♯ over E7 and resolve it up to A when Am returns.
A Phrygian, home notes only: A Phrygian over Am and B♭, only A lit. B♭ is the colour note.

5.6 Any key, by feel

This is the target: a project in a key you didn’t choose, a keyboard, and nothing to look up.

The routine: find home against the bass, play the minor chord, run the pentatonic once to get the shape under your hand, then improvise. Bring in the second and sixth notes once your ear has settled, and try the sixth raised if the track has a IV major chord.

If the track is in a major key, use its relative minor, three semitones below the major home note: a track in D major works with B minor’s notes. Section 6 covers major keys and their chords.

Repeat these drills over days rather than all at once. Short, frequent sessions fix keys in memory better than long ones.

Exercises

Black keys, all twelve keys: Play the black keys of the key shown, any order.
From a major key: The track’s major key appears. Play the minor chord of its relative minor.
Minor chord, all twelve keys: Home, third and fifth of the key shown, any order.
Pentatonic, all twelve keys: The minor pentatonic of the key shown, home to home.
Scale, all twelve keys: The full scale of the key shown, home to home.
Random key, home notes lit: Sixteen bars in a key picked when you press Start. Home notes lit.
Random key, lights off: Sixteen bars, nothing lit. Find home, play the chord, run the pentatonic, then improvise.

← Every key, part 1: the black-key ladder All sections Chords from shapes →

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