Lesson 23 - The power of Akousunesis finger placement exercises

Introduction

A finger placement exercise is a fast way to write down and learn melody patterns without using notation. There is no timing information allowing you to focus on the actual sound of the melody and the rhythm your able to include using your ears rather than trying to read rhythm which slows down your learning. Finger placement exercises give you insight into the intervals of a particular key signature. Finger placement exercise indicate the exact finger-interval locations when learning to play melody patterns. The only theorical knowledge required is learning how to locate intervals given a reference note. see Fast Tips - Intervals

Finger placement exercise format

[Root][Execution][Hand][Finger][Interval]…[Direction][Finger][Interval]…

[Root] The root note of the exercise.

[Execution]  How to play the exercise. see Symbol meaning

[Hand] Which hand to play the exercise, it only needs to be indicated with the first interval for the line L or R

[Direction] Rising  > or falling < only.

[Finger] Which finger associated with the interval, T I M R P.

[High Indicator] Indicates you rise to the indicated interval over the octave. H Example H3, H-7, H2

[Interval] The interval associated with the finger.  1 -2 2 -3 3 4 -5 5 +5 6 -7 7

Finger placement exercise symbol meanings

>   Keep on rising until you see a reverse change of direction.

<   Keep on falling until you see a reverse change of direction.

<<  Start from a high interval and move down then jump back up to the high interval and repeat multiple times.

>>  Start from a low interval and move up then jump back down to the low interval and repeat multiple times.

><  Rise up then come back to the root of the exercise.

<>  From the high note, go down then up again back to the high note.

==  Play the chord.

H   Play the interval above but over the octave.

||  Play lines together either with both hands or the same hand using different fingers.

_|_ The Anchor symbol, anchor a finger on a note while playing the pattern with the other fingers.

Note: For the symbol >< the direction indicators > and < only apply when rising, reading from left to right. they don't apply when falling, reading from right to left.

Note: For the symbol <> the indicators > and < only apply when falling, reading from left to right. they don't apply when rising, reading from right to left.

Example 1

The follow is a simple example showing how to play the C western major scale using the right hand.

C >< RT1 I2 M3 T4 I5 M6 R7 P1

C Is the root note of the exercise, interval 1.

>< Indicates you rise up sequentially to the high 1 then come back down the scale sequentially.

R Indicates the right hand and applies for the entire line.

RT1 I2 M3 T4 I5 M6 R7 P1 These are all the finger interval placements for the above scale.

Example 1

In this exercise the right hand rises up and then comes back down again while the left hand plays a power chord.

C >< || RT1 I2 M3 R4 T5

C == || LP1 M5 T1

Example 2

Rock blues pattern. Both lines are played together with your left hand, your thumb and pinky are playing at the same time.

When you finish the pattern, you start from the beginning again and repeat multiple times.

C >> || LT55 <M-3 >M3  

C >> ||  LP11

Example 3

Jump blues pattern. Both lines are played together with your left hand, your thumb, pinky and index fingers.

When you finish the pattern, you start from the beginning again and repeat multiple times.

C >> || LT5 T6 <I5 >T-7 <T6 I5

C >> || LP1 P1      P1   P1

The advantages of finger placement exercises

• Minimal theoretical knowledge required.

• You’ll develop finger mobility.

• You’ll reduce your reliance of visual crutches.

• Your learning process will be accelerated.

• You’ll develop interval – ear recognition.

• You’ll develop a subconscious database of patterns in your head in which you’ll be able to utilise in your improvisations and compositions.

• You’ll learn how to find all intervals in western music in real time, you’ll become very good at it.

The issue with traditional notation

• You’ll prolong your time trying to get timing correct from traditional notation exercises. Timing will emerge naturally without even trying if you remove it as a visual crutch. Trying to read timing information from notation is a primary reason student’s quit music.

• Notation is a terrible way to teach music, don’t shoot the messenger, I just speak the truth. The funny thing is, deep down, most people know this fact. Notation is useful for archiving as your able to place a lot of information on a page of music, however, for real time playing this is the main issue, it's too much of a visual crutch in order to develop your ear effectively. Our brain is lazy, we always look for the easy way out, so if you deny your brain a crutch, it's forced to find other ways to learn. 

The advantages of finger placement exercises

• Minimal theoretical knowledge required.

• You’ll develop finger mobility.

• You’ll reduce your reliance of visual crutches.

• Your learning process will be accelerated.

• You’ll develop interval – ear recognition.

• You’ll develop a subconscious database of patterns in your head in which you’ll be able to utilise in your improvisations and compositions.

• You’ll learn how to find all intervals in western music in real time, you’ll become very good at it.

Prerequisites

The following three lessons will left show you how to find intervals quickly on the piano.

Lesson 17 Visualising fifths in real time.

Lesson 18 Constructing chords in real time.

Lesson 19 Visualising thirds in real time.

For more information, see.

The following table shows you how to identify any interval from any given root note.

How to find interval quickly

How to learn exercises

Let us begin with an example.

Ex1 Dm > RT1 M-3 T4 I-5 I5

The number represent intervals and not finger numbers, the fingers are identified as T I M R P. In order to play finger placement exercise, it's important to be able to locate any interval given the root 1 of the exercise. In the example, the note D becomes the root 1 of the exercise.

STEP 1: Locate the root of the exercise, the note D in this case. Place your thumb on the note D and line up all other fingers on the white keys.
STEP 2: Reading from left to right, place your middle finger on the minus third interval. If you can’t find a minor third interval, you need to watch lesson 19. Look down at your hands and play the two notes.

STEP 3: Keep on playing intervals one at a time, always looking at your hands and saying the interval numbers out loud.

STEP 5: Look out for interval landing on the thumb, it will usually involve having to swing under when rising.

STEP 6: Look out for black to white note transitions using the same finger, they might indicate a fast slide.

STEP 7: When you’re comfortable with all the intervals you’re playing, a good memory association is to sometimes say the finger names when you have difficulty remembering a transition. Remember, always look at your hands once you’ve worked out what you’re doing with your fingers.

Ex2 Dm < RR-7 M+5 M5 I-5 T4 M-3 T1

STEP 8: For Ex2, we are reading from left to right coming down the scale. Place your right ring finger on the interval -7.

STEP 9: Move your middle finger to the +5 interval and slide down the 5 interval.

STEP 10: Finish the pattern placing right thumb on 4 and swinging over to middle on -3 and finally thumb on 1.

Observations to be made

Dm > RT1 M-3 T4 I-5 I5

Dm < RR-7 M+5 M5 I-5 T4 M-3 T1

The black notes in this exercise, may be considered as spicy notes depending on the key signature. If we’re in the key of C, then this is the Dorian mode, and both black notes, Ab and Bb are out of key and considered as spicy.

However, some notes are more spicy than others, which note is spicier? The note Ab is spicier because Bb is in the key F, the next key around the circle of fifths, only a semi-tone difference between the keys, but the note Ab exists in the key of Eb, further away from the key of C.