One Piano Exercise for Scales, Intervals and Chords (E Minor, Both Hands)
This combo exercise trains the E natural minor scale with both hands at once: the right hand plays every diatonic interval from seconds to octaves while the left hand supports with roots, octaves, thirds, fifths, triads or seventh chords.
Key points
- E natural minor is E F# G A B C D, the relative minor of G major.
- The left hand cycles through roots, octaves, thirds, fifths, triads and seventh chords from the scale.
- The right hand builds every diatonic interval, seconds to octaves, on each scale note, ascending and descending.
- Watch the special intervals: F#-C is a diminished fifth and C-F# an augmented fourth.
- Practise the same drill night and next morning, consistently, until it becomes easy.
This lesson from Jason Zac at Nathaniel School of Music gives you a combo exercise: each hand gets its own task, chosen to suit that hand. The right hand works through the intervals of the E minor scale, while the left hand plays bass patterns from the same scale. It is built for busy students who may only have 10 to 20 minutes to practise, or who want a quick warm-up before a gig or recording.
The E natural minor scale
E minor is the relative minor of G major, so it has one sharp, F#: E F# G A B C D E. Compared with a major scale, the natural minor has a flat 3, flat 6 and flat 7, while keeping the major 2nd, perfect 4th and perfect 5th.
Fingering: the left hand plays the first five notes (E to B) with fingers 5 to 1, then the middle finger crosses over for C and you finish the octave. The right hand plays three notes, the thumb passes under, and you continue to the top E. Practise one octave up and down, hands separately and then together.
Left-hand options
Work through these in order, each ascending and descending through the scale:
- Single roots: the scale in single notes.
- Octaves: E to E, F# to F#, and so on. Try to predict your next note.
- Thirds: E-G, F#-A, G-B, A-C, B-D, C-E, D-F#. Writing the scale in a line with its thirds beneath helps you see which are white-to-white or black-to-white shapes.
- Fifths: E-B, F#-C, G-D, A-E, B-F#, C-G, D-A. Note that F#-C on the second degree is a diminished fifth (tritone).
- Diatonic triads: i E minor, ii° F# diminished, bIII G major, iv A minor, v B minor, bVI C major, bVII D major, then i E minor.
- Seventh chords (for intermediate or advanced players): Em7, F#m7b5, Gmaj7, Am7, Bm7, Cmaj7, D7.
Right-hand intervals
From E, the diatonic intervals are: F# (major 2nd), G (minor 3rd), A (perfect 4th), B (perfect 5th), C (minor 6th), D (minor 7th) and E (octave). The real challenge is to build each interval on every note of the scale, staying inside E minor.
Seconds
E-F#, F#-G, G-A, A-B, B-C, C-D, D-E. F# to G, not G#, because G# is not in E minor. Support it with single bass notes in the left hand.
Thirds and fourths
Start thirds in both hands together, then move the left hand to roots, octaves or triads. Fourths are mostly perfect (E-A, F#-B, G-C, A-D, B-E, D-G), but C-F# on the sixth degree is an augmented fourth. Try fourths in the right hand against thirds in the left.
Fifths
Play fifths harmonically (together) in the left hand and melodically (one after the other) in the right hand to reinforce the shape.
Sixths
A sixth is an inverted third: a major third becomes a minor sixth and a minor third becomes a major sixth. In E minor: E-C, F#-D, G-E, A-F#, B-G, C-A, D-B. Sixths thicken a melody: keep the melody on top and drop its upper third down an octave, creating a voice beneath the lead.
Sevenths and octaves
E-D, F#-E, G-F#, A-G, B-A, C-B, D-C. Aim to grab the seventh in one go rather than counting up through the third and fifth, and watch you do not land on the sixth by mistake. Finish with octaves in the right hand over triads in the left.
Ways to vary it
- Play each interval ascending (root then upper note) or descending (upper note then root).
- Mix directions: ascending intervals while descending the scale, or a zigzag of up-down-up-down.
- Add rhythm, such as triplets in the left-hand triads.
- Build phrases that combine intervals, for example seconds going up and fifths coming down.
How to practise
Practise is exponential: hard at first, then suddenly easy, so keep going until it clicks. Repeat the same drill at night and again the next morning rather than starting something new, as sleep helps consolidate it. Try to play without looking at your hands. Stay with E minor for as long as it takes, even a month. Once it is solid, its circle-of-fifths neighbours, G major's close relatives C major and D major, which differ by one note, will come much faster.
Questions about this lesson
What are the diatonic triads of E minor?
E minor (i), F# diminished (ii°), G major (bIII), A minor (iv), B minor (v), C major (bVI) and D major (bVII).
What is the fingering for the E minor scale on piano?
In the left hand, play E to B with fingers 5 to 1, then cross the middle finger over to C. In the right hand, play three notes, pass the thumb under and continue to the top E.
Why practise intervals in a scale rather than only the scale itself?
Interval drills train the shapes your fingers need for melodies, improvisation and composing, so ideas in your head come out naturally. They also teach you the scale far more deeply than running it up and down.
Which interval in E minor is a tritone?
The fourth from C to F# is an augmented fourth, and the fifth from F# to C is a diminished fifth; both are tritones.
Practise it
- Two NotesA guided field guide to intervals: consonance, inversions, scales, modes and the Circle of Fifths.
- SpanAn interval practice studio with separate Ear, Eyes, Hands and Voice drills.
- Piano classes at Nathaniel School of MusicLive online or in Bangalore, with a teacher.
- All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.
Related lessons
- How to Creatively Practise Thirds Over Piano ScalesTo practise thirds over a piano scale, write the scale in a circle, pair each note with the scale note two steps above it (E with G#, F# with A, and so on in E major), then play those pairs up, down, or in mixed directions to build both technique and melody.
- Train Both Hands With a Simple Chord Progression and Bass Line (Piano)To build hand independence on the piano, play a steady quarter-note chord pulse in the right hand (Em, A-E-F#, Am/C, Em in E minor) while the left hand plays a four-note eighth-note bass figure, E F# G E, and shift that figure half a beat at a time through all eight positions in the bar.
- Piano Hand Independence and Interval Theory: One Modern Pop DrillThis modern pop piano drill uses four right-hand notes from Bb major (G, A, Bb, F) over left-hand notes a diatonic third below, then builds hand independence with rhythmic ratios such as 1:4, 4:1, 1:3, 3:1, 2:4 and 4:2 before stacking fifths and thirds into seventh chords.
- Truly Understand Modes From 2 Easy PerspectivesYou can understand modes in two ways: treat each mode as its own scale built from one root by changing intervals, or keep one key signature, such as F major with Bb, and start on each scale degree to get Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian.