Piano technique – C major scale – parallel and contrary motion

Note: This is a legacy post from my archives. While the text is brief, the video below contains a full technical breakdown and demonstration of these principles.

In this video I thoroughly explain and demonstrate how to practice the C major scale in parallel and contrary motion.
 
I decided to start with the contrary motion version because the fingering is symmetrical i.e. the same fingers are used at any time in the two hands: thumb with thumb, 2 with 2, etc. Therefore in contrary motion, both hands move away from and back to the center using identical finger numbers

Video Highlights & Practice Guide

• 0:55 – What contrary motion means: moving in the opposite direction, the right hand goes up as the left hand goes down and viceversa.
• 1:37 – Technique adjustments: Small hands vs. bigger hands. Most books start this scale with both thumbs sharing one key, while this is ok for small fingers it might be awkward for bigger hands.
• 1:58 – Symmetrical fingerings in contrary motion: Explanation and demonstration.
• 3:44 – Mastering the passage of the thumb. This is the single most important movement in piano technique.
• 4:36 – Parallel motion hands together: Explanation and demo. Here the hands move in the same direction, therefore the fingerings are no longer symmetrical.
• 10:30 – Detailed breakdown of the thumb passage in parallel motion.

Proper scale technique relies on fundamental finger independence. If you are struggling with hand position, see my guide on Five-Finger Technique.

I hope that by watching this video and following my detailed advice you can improve at playing the C Major Scale Parallel and Contrary Motion