I have a few students who are beginning to learn pentascales. Teaching pentascales is a great way to incorporate both technique and theory into the lesson. Playing the five finger patterns can help strengthen students finger and hand muscles, and help them feel comfortable playing in all the different five finger positions. It’s a beginning to learning the different major keys, scales and chords without having to learn the fingerings and crossovers yet.

When I teach pentascales, I talk about whole steps and half steps with my students. By this time they have learned what a half step is through learning sharps and flats, but I always review everything. Students learn that the pattern for the first five notes of a major scale is Whole-Whole-Half-Whole. Visually it is easy to teach this using the C Major pentascale. Students can see that there is no black key between the notes E and F, making it a half step.

Pentascales help students hear and understand what a major scale and chord should sound like. When a student has mastered several of the major pentascales and has become comfortable with the sound, I then talk about the minor pentascales. Students easily grasp the concept of lowering the third note a half step to get that “sad” or “spooky” sound.

I have students practice the pentascales using different patterns. For students using the Faber method, The Piano Adventures Technique Book Level 2A, on the first couple of pages there are different five finger patterns written in the key of C, but can be played using the other pentascales too. It’s a great way to get them playing the scales hands together, with chords and broken chord patterns. I sometimes pull this book for students who are using other methods just because I like for students to have something they can use to play the different pentascale patterns from. Another resource that I like to use, especially with my adult students, is the Pentascale Pro books by Melody Bober, Gayle Kowalchyk and E.L. Lancaster. It has all the five finger scale and chord patterns written out for students. Each pentascale also has a duet piece for the student to learn. This book is a great teaching tool! It not only teaches the pentascales, but helps students with playing hands together, learning rhythm, and playing in a duet situation.

I have put together a Pentascale skill builder for my students. They can practice writing the Major pentascales on the staff and marking the notes on the keyboard. They can then play them too!