Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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The name Ben Andrew will ring a bell with many, due not least to the inclusion of his beautiful piece Snowflakes in The Joy of Graded Piano grade one book (find out more), as well as his Grade 5 theory workbooks from Hal Leonard.
Ben Andrew’s latest is a set of three scale books for players at Grades 1 to 3 levels. Yes, you read that correctly: scales books.
But stick with me, because these surprisingly affordable but gorgeously presented full-colour books offer a complementary approach that may well help elementary learners over the initial hump of learning basic scales, and might just make scales and arpeggios practice more enjoyable for all…
The modern method…
Ben Andrew describes his ScaleBlocks approach as,
“the modern method for learning scales and arpeggios”.
The simple concept here is to divide each scale into recurring note clusters as a way of supporting pattern recognition and kinaesthetic learning. While this is a well-established approach, the special novelty here is that Ben Andrew colour-codes his ScaleBlocks, bringing the concept more vividly to life.
He also offers what he calls ‘triple-lock learning’, making the ScaleBlocks as accessible to as many learners as possible and, we are told, ensuring “rapid, deep mastery for every learner”. In practice, this means that the resource delivers three distinct presentations of the ScaleBlocks, as explained in the book’s introduction:
- Image: each scale is displayed within a large, colour-coded piano keyboard diagram. This explicitly presents the physical shapes of the scale pattern, allowing the student “a simple method by which to learn finger patterns away from notational representation”.
- Notation: every scale is also presented using colour-coded staff notation. This must be downloaded and printed using the a unique code found inside the book.
- Video: play-along videos accompany each scale. Here again, the code in the book unlocks access to the files, which you can download to your device or stream online.
To summarise, each 40-page book includes just the images, the other two elements available via digital streaming or download, but included in the cover price. I will be considering each element later in this review, and it will become clearer how the ScaleBlocks concept actually runs through all three.
Keys to the Grades
Before looking at the content itself, let’s consider how this material fits within the UK’s graded exam structure. The first book is labelled “Initial & Grade 1”, while the second and third books cover the requirements for Grades 2 and 3 respectively. But which board and syllabus?
Ben Andrew doesn’t explicitly answer this within the books, but they appear to cover most of the ABRSM and Trinity College London requirements.
Not only are the keys used by both these leading boards present and correct, but their individual assessment quirks are also catered for, with the curious exception of Trinity’s Grade 1 broken chord requirements (G Major, F major, E minor and D minor), which are inexplicably omitted.
Those using the RSL Classical grades will find almost everything they need here too, excepting some pentatonic scales, but those using the MTB and LCM exam boards are less well catered for. MTB users will be happy to see the B major scale in the first book though, with a nod to Chopin.
Ben Andrew’s books finally also benefit from the inclusion of a few bonus scales “for further learning” as follows:
Book One, Initial & Grade 1:
• C major, G major and A minor pentatonic scales
Book Two, Grade 2:
• F major and E minor pentatonic scales
• Whole-Tone scale starting on E
• Dorian Mode (starting on D)
Book Three, Grade 3:
• Rag Bhairav
• Lydian Mode (starting on C)
• E minor and D minor pentatonic scales
• Minor Blues Scales (starting on E flat)
In each case, Ben Andrew gives the backstory and musical context of these scales, which underlines the point that all scales have genuine cultural and creative significance in our development at the piano.
Exploring the Content
Turning to the publications, let’s consider the ScaleBlocks images contained in the books themselves. These consist of a 3D image of the piano keyboard, with keys colour-coded to indicate fingering patterns as follows:
- Red notes are always played with finger 1
- Blue notes are played simultaneously as chords
- Yellow notes are at the top or bottom of a scale and they often use a unique fingering
The following samples show how this looks (you can click the individual images to enlarge them):
Natural, Harmonic and Melodic Minor scales are helpfully all included, the latter with four diagrams which cover ascending and descending versions in each hand, with large arrows to indicate the direction of travel.
These ScaleBlocks images are, I believe, likely to prove immensely helpful for those elementary students whose brains are wired for visual learning, whether used alongside other resources or as their main learning tool.
While the images occupy most of the space, it’s good to see that the highly attractive books also include additional, helpful practice tips, background information and advice.
Ben Andrew applies his colour scheme with helpful consistency in the first two books, but in the Grade 3 book he begins to use the system rather more loosely. Here, some scales lose the red colour, the thumb notes joining the blue blocks. Others include notes that aren’t coloured at all, while yellow notes subtly begin to disappear.
The rationale for this is not explained; nevertheless, as learners enter the intermediate stage, this might in any case be the transitional point at which teachers will be weaning them onto more conventional, notation-based approaches, for reasons I will come to shortly.
The Digital Content
Turning to the notation downloads, these are eBooks ranging in length from 34-37 pages, matching the scope of the printed publications. Again, the scales are generally presented one-per-page, with red, blue and yellow note heads to match the colour-coding of the book images.
Each scale is presented twice: firstly with the blue note clusters presented as chords, and then with the individual notes in sequence, but still using the same coloured presentation. This is a smart idea, which nicely links the material of the eBook to the images in the main book and, importantly, to the ScaleBlocks concept.
I actually prefer the presentation of the ScaleBlocks using this notation download, and suspect that many piano teachers will share the view that notational representation helps learners make important connections between shapes, sounds, and written symbols.
Finally, there are videos for each and every scale across the series, again available digitally from Hal Leonard’s website as part of their brilliant ‘My Library’ feature. These can be streamed or downloaded to the user’s device, and fit nicely on the screen of a typical smart phone.
The presentation here follows the popular idea of cascading blocks, showing which notes to play next, and with which fingers. Here, we are firmly in the territory of rote learning, which will undoubtedly appeal to some more than others.
Beyond the “Blocks”
Having praised the ScaleBlocks concept as a way of supporting pattern recognition and kinaesthetic learning, it must be understood that when it comes to effective scales learning, these are far from the whole story.
There are many benefits to scale playing, which I have written about here. When using Ben Andrew’s Piano Scale Books, it will be important to notice those aspects of scales learning which his concept doesn’t explicitly address, mindfully compensating with other strategies and resources.
Firstly, scales practice should support the development of finger independence and dexterity, and is useful for working on articulation, phrasing, evenness of touch, balance and tone. Note in particular that the smooth transition of the thumb will require special attention and emphasis alongside using the ScaleBlocks shapes.
Secondly, scales help us develop an awareness of key, practical understanding of music theory, and the facility to transpose music. They also provide an essential foundation for informed improvisation and composing. It is important to develop these creative goals and music theory concepts holistically, with care and attention.
Thirdly, arpeggios and broken chords help the player learn about harmony and chord formations. Teachers might consider that they will significantly benefit from being played as full triads in each position, rather than just as the smaller blocks presented here.
Fourthly, learning scales and arpeggios supports our ability to play new music at sight, making musical patterns visually (and aurally) more predictable. Again, to support this necessary cognitive development, I would recommend downloading and using the notation provided as a vital element of the ‘triple-lock learning’ Ben Andrew offers.
Wrapping up this section, let’s briefly address an important point raised by Kendall Taylor in his pedagogic classic, Principles of Piano Technique and Interpretation (Novello, 1981, available here):
“In the teaching and learning of scales both teacher and pupil should be aware of the special value or purpose of scales at different stages of development.”
Outlining three stages of progress, Kendall Taylor explains that the initial focus is on acquiring a knowledge of keys and first principles of fingering. The kinaesthetic benefits of Ben Andrew’s ScaleBlocks approach pertain quite specifically to this first learning stage. As such, the limitation of this series to an upper limit of Grade 3 seems sensible indeed.
With understanding of context, teachers and learners can correctly leverage the benefits that Ben Andrew’s books offer, using them with wisdom alongside other recommended resources.
These could include the more integrated, creative approach taken in Paul Harris’s Improve Your Scales series reviewed here, and the emphasis placed on understanding music theory which is so superbly offered by Karen Marshall’s Piano Trainer Scales Workbook, reviewed here.
Closing Thoughts
I am sometimes told by colleagues that there is really no need for scales books, and I am not unsympathetic to their point. But scales and arpeggios offer so many holistic learning benefits and musical applications; it seems to me that having an encompassing range of educational resources to hand can be immensely worthwhile.
Ben Andrew and Hal Leonard must surely be congratulated for bringing so useful and innovative a new approach to a crowded market, and one which so uniquely supplements those already available.
With diligent editing and superb design, the books themselves are stunning. Their commendably low purchase price is just £6.99 each at the time of review, making them a no-brainer for any teacher working with learners at elementary level in their studios. The books are also an easy recommendation for home use, depending on each student’s learning and practice needs.
I suspect that for many beginners, Ben Andrew’s Piano Scale Books could transform the early stages of scales learning for the better.
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