Piano scales · Chromatic
The chromatic scale
Every key, white and black, in a row: twelve notes, each a half step from the next. It's the scale every other scale is chosen from, and a superb exercise for an even hand.
The notes
Going up, it's usually written with sharps: C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C. Coming down, with flats: C B B♭ A A♭ G G♭ F E E♭ D D♭ C. They're the same keys; the sharps and flats just point the way the line is going.
There's only one chromatic scale. Start it on E or on B♭ and you still play every key, so learning it once means learning it everywhere.
Fingering
The rule: 3rd finger on every black key, thumb on the white keys, and the 2nd finger where two white keys sit side by side (E–F and B–C), so the thumb never has to play twice in a row.
| C | C♯ | D | D♯ | E | F | F♯ | G | G♯ | A | A♯ | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand up | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Left hand up | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Coming down, use the same fingers in reverse. Keep the hand close to the black keys, so the thumb doesn't have to reach in and out.
Where you hear it
Chromatic runs are the slithering lines in a piano showpiece and the creeping bass in a horror film. In ordinary melodies, a single chromatic note between two scale notes (C, C♯, D) is a passing note: the quickest way to add tension and colour.
How to practise it
- One hand at a time, slowly, with a metronome: every note exactly the same length and loudness.
- Then hands together, an octave apart. It's harder than it looks, because the 2nd fingers fall in different places in each hand.
- Then hands in contrary motion, both starting on D: the fingering is the same in each hand, mirrored.
Is your scale even? Ivory listens to you play and tells you what's off: a note that's missing, a hand that lands late, a note that comes early or loud. Then it shows you how it should go.
Keep learning
Questions people ask
What is the chromatic scale?
All twelve notes in order, each a half step from the next: every white and black key in a row. There's only one chromatic scale: start it on any note and it has the same notes.
What is the fingering for the chromatic scale on piano?
Right hand, from C going up: 1 3 1 3 1 2 3 1 3 1 3 1 2, so the 3rd finger plays every black key and the thumb most white keys, with 2 on F and C where two white keys sit together. Left hand, going up from C: 1 3 1 3 2 1 3 1 3 1 3 2 1.
Is the chromatic scale written with sharps or flats?
Usually sharps going up and flats coming down: C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B C, then C B B♭ A A♭ G G♭ F E E♭ D D♭ C. The keys are the same either way.
How many notes are in the chromatic scale?
Twelve: the seven white keys and the five black keys in each octave, before the pattern repeats.