How To Play Flat Keys In Tune Like A Pro
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Have you found yourself struggling with playing flat keys in tune and you’re ready to learn some tips to help you play flat Keys more in tune?
In this post discover how to play flat keys in tune like a pro. This post includes a step-by-step process to help you not only play the flat keys that you’re currently working on more in tune but how to develop a strategy to study flat keys.
Need to know music theory
First off we need to kind of discuss a little bit of music theory here. What I’d like you to do is go to your piece that you’re working on that has flats and look at your key signature. In that key signature you need to know how many flats you have and you also need to know if you’re playing in major or minor.
Know what notes “ring”
The next very important tip is to know what notes are your sparkly notes. Sparkly notes are notes that resonate with your open strings. Notes that have a very fresh sparkly sound meaning they really vibrate. So that would be your G’s, D’s, A’s, and E’s.
If you’re playing in the key of F you have a B flat and your G, D, A, and E are still going to resonate. When you play in the key of B flat we lose one of those sparkly notes because our E is flat.
Color code your music. Highlight the notes that are sparkly notes.
Why this is important? Because what I have seen happen when it comes to Flat keys is all the notes get played slightly Out Of Tune and we want to Anchor in on those notes that are actually without a flat to know those notes individually. Make sure that they stay true to their identity and are not given in the peer pressure of the flats around them.
For example, this key signature B flat and E flat which is B flat major or G minor we still have some sparkly notes.
Tune flats a half step below
Listen to your G’s and your D’s and tune that E flat, to the D. Find the D and then play the E flat so we don’t want to tune that E flat or think of that E flat as coming from an E natural because it’ll end up being sharp.
We want to keep it tuned to the half step below. This applies to all flats.
Play Scales
So it’s excellent to practice the following scales in the specific key that you’re working in. For this G minor example, we have two Flats B flat and E flat. I would play a G minor scale in every position that you find in your piece. So if you find that you’re playing a third position or in fourth position or second or sixth position you want to be able to play that G minor scale across the instrument in those specific positions.
Really listen that every note is super in tune.
It’s important to practice three-octave scales as well.
Play all notes within the key within that position
Say you are playing in the key of E flat and you’re playing in first position I would suggest playing every note possible in that key of E flat in first position.
Start on G and play all the notes within the key of E flat major. So we’d have G A flat B flat C and we want that c to be a truly in tune C and not let it be influenced by the fact that we’re playing an A flat and a B flat. Our one and two are low so in this exact example I would suggest finding the C and then working your way down then going back up to the C. Play all the way to the fourth finger on the E string and in this case that would be a B Flat.
This is such a great way to practice your scales when you are Desiring to improve your intonation within your pieces and just always listen to those sparkly notes that they don’t change their identity.
Get to know the pitches
I have a great download to help you out with getting to know the pitches in such a way that you identify with them on a deeper level and that’s my Pitch Exploration Journal.
Now do you understand this pitch exploration Journal, if done properly is truly going to transform your intonation and your relationship with the pitches. If you’re serious about improving your intonation within playing flat keys, I would work through the circle of fifths and play every key that has Flats major and minor. I would start off with the very first key which is F major or D minor and I would work out the major and minor scale for each key signature so one flat F major I would play F major scales in every position that you are able to play in. So if you’re able to do F major scales across the instrument in first through seventh position I would do that and then also the D harmonic minor scale
in every position first or seventh that you know going up and down. So if you only know first third and fifth that’s totally fine if you only know first and third that’s great. If you only know first position no problem but if you’re truly dedicated and wanting to improve your intonation within flat keys I would play the major minor scales within the positions that you know. So one flat F major, D Minor Two Flats, B flat major G minor and so on and so forth, scales across the instrument, three octave scales.
Get to know the pitches
I have a great download to help you out with getting to know the pitches in such a way that you identify with them on a deeper level and that’s my Pitch Exploration Journal.
This pitch exploration Journal, if done properly is truly going to transform your intonation and your relationship with the pitches.
Play etudes within your flat key of choice
Take out a fun Etude from Wohlfahrt, Sitt, Kreutzer, Sevcik. There are many different places you can check out for a simple etude to help you improve your intonation.
Play pieces within your flat key of choice
Depending on the level that you’re at, pick a piece within that specific key signature. For example, if g minor is your key of choice, you can choose the Bruch violin concerto as your G minor study if it is within your current playing level.
Playing flat keys in tune practice strategy
If you’re serious about improving your intonation within playing flat keys, I would work through the circle of fifths and play the following practice strategy in every major/minor flat key.
I would start off with the very first key which is F major or D minor.
Practice Strategy:
- Scales & Arpeggios across the instrument in 1st through 7th position
(at least the positions you know) - 3 Octave Scales
- Etudes
- Pieces
If you go through this process, I promise you will be very, very confident in playing your flat keys in tune.
Happy Magical Practices,
Heather is a classically trained concert violinist residing in Bulgaria. She received her BM violin performance degree from CU-Boulder, studied with top teachers including Rachel Barton Pine. Heather has held leadership positions with multiple orchestras in the Greater Chicago-Milwaukee area. She has instructed millions of violinists globally via Youtube videos, online academies, group coaching and one on one sessions. Heather’s students have won multiple awards, concerto competitions, held concertmaster positions in orchestras and even performed in Carnegie Hall. Heather is an advocate of a holistic violin lifestyle – putting one’s mind, body and spirit as a violin journey priority.
Please share in the comments which above tips you will be implementing into your daily practices sessions.
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