Play Your Scales & Chords Every Day, Book 4: Book 4 Piano Book

Book 4 moves beyond basic major scales into the harmonic and melodic minor territories that students genuinely need to navigate. The combination of photographic hand position guidance with traditional written instruction means you're not relying on verbal description alone; students see exactly what their fingers and wrist should be doing. Those check-off boxes work because they give students agency and make daily practice feel like progress rather than obligation.

The darker colors and minor tonality feel mature compared to earlier books, yet the consistent structure keeps the experience accessible. There's satisfaction in watching minor scales emerge under your fingers in the same methodical way major scales did, plus the cadences add harmonic depth that connects technique to actual music-making.

This book serves intermediate pianists ready to move beyond five-finger patterns and major scales. It works equally well for younger students with solid technique and older beginners building foundational literacy, since the visual and written instruction supports independent learning at any age.

• Study the hand position photos before playing. Marlais's visual instruction is detailed enough that students can self-correct posture without stopping to ask questions mid-practice.
• Separate harmonic and melodic minor work into different practice sessions if students feel overwhelmed. One scale type per day allows focus on the specific fingering challenges each presents.
• Use the arpeggios to reinforce hand position from the scale work. Arpeggios demand the same wrist motion but in a broken pattern, making them ideal for consolidating what scales introduce.

Assign this as core daily technique work during semesters when your repertoire includes pieces in minor keys. The fingering charts become reference material students can return to throughout the year whenever they encounter unfamiliar minor scales or arpeggios in their solo repertoire.

• One-octave harmonic minor scales with secure fingering
• One-octave melodic minor scales with secure fingering
• Minor scale arpeggios across one octave
• Harmonic function through cadence patterns
• Wrist rotation and hand positioning for scalar passage work
• Independent practice habits using visual self-assessment tools