Here’s how I use visuals to help with learning octave scale fingerings.
The piano scales of C, G, D, A and E major, all use a 123-1234 fingering pattern.
It’s not such a tricky pattern once you have memorised and in your ‘muscle memory’
….but it’s much easier to actively memorise anything when we use imagery….
So instead, let’s think of this pattern as your fingers going past a car (123) or a lorry (1234).
Today I had a moment to rustle up this neat little cars and lorries visual aid. It sits at the back of the keys whilst we play the scale pattern.
We also sing this chant as we play up the scale “Pass the car, pass the lorry, past the car, pass the lorry, HOME!’ (then reverse).
(For the LH ascending we just start with ” Pass the lorry”, although I often teach the LH descending first, so it starts with the same 123 group as the RH)
There are soooo numbers in music notation (especially for piano with 2 hands involved!) so it’s great to be able to bring a little story-telling and imagery to the proceedings!