- Level: Elementary to Early intermediate
- Pages: White key majors – 52 pages; Black key majors – 52 pages; White key minors – 80 pages; Black key minors – 63 pages
- Format: PDF instant download
We all want students to learn scales in a musical way that helps them quickly play more accurately in key signatures. But this process is fraught with problems! Here are just a few you may have encountered.
- The transition from five-finger patterns to one octave scales (hands alone and then immediately together) is often too rapid.
- The transition is too difficult for many students (especially hands together)
- A lack of musical context makes practicing scales boring.
- Scales are not usually practiced with engaging rhythms
- A lack of harmony makes scales unappealing.
As a result, learning scales is often unmotivating and musically unsatisfying.
But Smart Scales solves these issues! The variety of different melodies in the same key will enable your students to stay with the key long enough to actually achieve fluency. Students will develop familiarity with the most common musical shapes in each new key. In addition, the teacher accompaniments in Smart Scales provide the rhythmic and harmonic context which traditional scale practice lacks. This subtly provides rhythmic support, encouragement and feedback.
Diane Hidy has been using Smart Scales in her studio for years with great success and she’s confident that you will love them too!
How Does Smart Scales Work?
Each unit begins with one melody without key signature followed by the exact same melody printed with a key signature. This provides a wonderful opportunity to help students read and understand how key signatures work. After this introduction, each melody uses the key signature. The melodies are in 6/8 meter to encourage both movement and moments of repose.
Diane Hidy recommends introducing a new Smart Scale a few weeks before you teach a piece in that key. By doing this, you’ll guarantee that your student already knows the key signature and the most typical melodic shapes before they try to use them. Since each scale has its own auditory flavor, kinesthetic feel, and associated muscle memory, learning some of these characteristics first will help make the new piece start off feeling less foreign.
Of course, you can continue to teach the playing of one octave scales. But you’ll find this resource is much more effective at helping students actually apply their scales. They’ll be able to play in key signatures much more quickly and effectively when you use Smart Scales.
Can I Get Discounted Bundle?
Yes, if you don’t have any of the Smart Scales editions yet, you can purchase the discounted bundle here.
Show Me a Demo of the Beautiful Music!
Here’s a beautiful demonstration of Diane Hidy using this with her student. In this video, they do not observe any of the repeats, but rather are just play through each line for demonstration purposes. You would not assign all of this music in one week!
What is the Studio License?
Smart Scales is delivered digitally (through your email receipt) and is studio licensed. This means that you can print and use this resource for any student that you directly teach for your entire lifetime of teaching. The license only permits one teacher to use the resource. Any additional teacher wanting to use the resource for any reason (even within the same studio) must purchase their own studio license.
Watch Diane Hidy Introduce Smart Scales
Kara Schleunes –
Diane Hidy’s Smart Scales is a game-changer. I just purchased and printed 10 copies to use with 10 families in my studio, and teaching scales will never be the same!
kstegman –
Smart scales are so helpful in making scales interesting and musical. My students really internalize the feel of each scale and are better equipped to actually play in different keys. I love the duet parts! Bonus, my students who struggle with compound time are improving rhythmically, too. Highly recommend Diane Hidy’s Smart Scales! I cannot wait for the other keys and I’m eager for Smart Minor Scales!!
Pauline –
My students love playing the Smart Scale duets with me and this has proved to be a lovely warm up to the lesson.
Thank you Diane – may I ask that you please continue this wonderful project by composing the major black keys and the minor white and black keys? :):)
Megan Gilles –
These are AMAZING! These make the scales musical and really are a joy to play with your students. I have 15 students using the smart scales this year. I am hoping that Diane composes more of these for the other scales! Great reinforcement of the scales as we prepare for exams. The duet part is so well written-Interesting for the teacher and it adds so much!
Cheryl Graham –
Love these especially with the teacher duets! Such a musical & practical way to practice scales!
Marie Hershey –
I love them! I use them with an adult beginner class. They are just learning scales and this put a new fun twist to our study. We start with just their part and then add the duet which makes it so much fun to hear the harmony. A private student also enjoys them and Mom can play the duet with her at home. Plan to use them with all my students. Thanks Diane
Carol DuBe –
I love Smart Scales for a couple of reasons. When the teacher needs something to fill up 7-10 minutes, this is perfect. Also, the student and teacher can take turns doing the treble and the bass. This way the student gets the experience of playing in all bass notes as well as treble. Plus it makes the student more aware of playing in different keys and remembering black notes! Plus the experience of playing short duets with students is invaluable! Need more? Plus the scales are a good warmup!
Jeanne Kent –
I have used this wonderful resource for about a couple of months now and have nothing but good to say about it. Playing scale fingering that sounds musical is a game changer. I can’t wait for the Black Key Scales book to be released!
Suzanne Solum –
Love Smart Scales! 🎵 It makes learning scale notes more fun and a great way to intuitively put melodic lines of the scale into the fingers of your students.
Lorna Kujanpaa –
Smart Scales gives me time to “enjoy” scales with a student by relaxing and discovering beautiful melodies and harmonies created by what is usually thought of as “boring scales”.
Rebekah Powell –
I am enjoying using this with my students! Scales are easier for my students and we each look forward to playing them together!
Debbie –
Game changer! My students are excelling in their execution of scales. They are very pleasant to listen to & have lovely duet parts.
Megan Hughes –
I’ve used the E major unit as an entre to passage work with 2 students, an adult beginner and an intermediate child. I don’t usually teach scales per se, but this resource allows me to pick the appropriate bits for what a student needs. The E major section lends itself to both beginning fingering for passages and for very rapid passage work as a next step. It can be taught basically by rote and the accompaniment makes it have some real meaning.
Caren –
Scales have never been more interesting!!! My adult and kid students really enjoy playing the duets with me. One adult said, “I never enjoyed doing scales when I was young. This is really fun!!
Gayla –
I’m enjoying Smart Scales. At this time, I’m only using it for one student, but he likes them better than the “old way.”
Cheryl –
I love them and my students (children and adults) are really enjoying them too. They are also learning the duet parts.
Carol –
As a teacher, I love Smart Scales! It’s a wonderful and needed transitional tool between pentascales and full-octave scales. The 6/8 time signature is delightful, and my students and I enjoy hearing the teacher/student parts played as a duet. The harmonies and the rhythmic back-and-forth — often one player is doing eighth notes while the other sits on the dotted quarter notes — are helping students engage their ears. They really love it when both parts play eighth notes at the same time!
A truly great product that is so much more than scales. It has put smiles on my students’ faces (and mine!), which I’m not sure has ever happened before with traditional scales!
Jonella –
I’m enjoying the Smart Scales. It provides sightreading practice as well as many examples to work with the same scale. My favorite part, though, is the pleasant and calming duets. They’re lovely.
Carol Ann –
My adult students have especially enjoyed Smart Scales and have even pointed out how the fingering becomes automatic and natural as they recognize similar passages in their pieces. And an added bonus are the duets which contribute to playing scales more musically. The scales are a big hit.
Sandy –
I have always kept my kids in scales their whole time with me through the years. I never realized how much I dreaded finishing the 5 finger scales and moving to octave scales until I saw that it can be more fun. When I have the kids do the smart scales with me, I find that they don’t even realize they are learning scales. I also like that they do much better with rhythm than I expected. They are more careful to make sure I get to play my part as well. Win, win!
Vanesa –
I have just started using these with my students. After I have taught them the scale, we use the Smart Scales as sight reading. And then I give them a piece to play in that key. It seems to be a nice transition from learning the scale to playing the piece. I am liking these!
Meghan –
I am thoroughly enjoying the smart scales. The melodies really are beautiful and the 6/8 meter is so relaxing and natural. I love how the various fingerings at first are difficult for the students (at least for some of mine) but then when they work on the various trickier fingerings, their knowledge and familiarity with the scales increases.
Linda Frampton –
Fantastic resource. Exactly what I have been looking for. Particularly useful for students who find scales boring or stressful. These scales encourage musicality, relaxed and easy technique as well as a rapport between teacher and student. Please write more!
Barbara –
I have been using Smart Scales, and experimenting with them as to the best way to use them in my teaching, ever since Diane first published them. The advantage is the fluency that the students achieve and, a big one for me, a chance to play duets with them that they don’t seem to balk at like they do when I produce a duet piece! And they seem to enjoy it.
At present I am teaching them the scale first, hands separately, and then say, “Right, let’s have some fun with this scale!” We don’t learn every exercise for each scale, always the first two and last two and then the student picks which others to learn.
Kay –
I love the Smart Scales. I have a few students who love to start their lesson with them. It promotes beautiful, even playing while learning the scale fingering! They are also delightful and calming for me to hear.
Debbie –
I really like Smart Scales, Wendy and Diane, I am using it with several of my students. It is a prequel to the music that they are starting. It gives the students the opportunity to see where the accidentals are before they see them in the music. So, keep them coming. I am looking forward to the black keys and the minor keys.
Elizabeth –
ALL of the kids I have enjoyed Smart Scales with LOVE them. They are happy to play them, even the tired gymnast dealing with a new 4 night a week schedule of gym practice perked up. Scale passages in pieces are easier to recognize. I reinforce solfege, harmony and sightreading skills with them. Most importantly, we love the sound of them! Thank you Diane and Wendy!
Greta –
Great for sight reading! I’ve used these as warm ups and to sharpen sight reading because students expect certain notes but have to be careful really read what’s written.
Amanda –
I have a student that detests practicing scales and when I showed him these he was so excited and said “that’s a genius idea!” I can’t wait for the other scales to be released! I think this is a more wholesome approach to tying in key signatures while playing scales, teaching them to “think in the that key” when they play other music. It is really helpful for visual learners too to see how the scales look while playing them. And all while having fun! Thank you for all you do to promote fun learning!!!
Cecilia –
The Smart Scales has been a welcomed addition for my piano students. It has made them more aware of the scales they are using. The duet part is a plus as the students learn ensemble..work which can be accomplished when they come for their weekly lessons!!
Donna LaRue –
The Smart Scales are a wonderful resource that I’ve used with several of my students thus far. Especially helpful is the fingerings which are carefully notated and “living in that particular room of the house”, or key, for all the separate RH & LH measures is excellent! I appreciate the lilting 6/8 time signature & the lovely accompaniments that make these small snippets lovely music. I look forward to adding more of these to our studio collection!
Susan Petters –
I thought it was nice to have little pieces of each scale. My students enjoy them but I feel they were very pricey for what you get.
Glenda –
Smart Scales is a refreshing way to introduce students to the technic of scale fingering. Each exercise is its own short “song”, with lovely accompaniments. Wish I had had something like this when I was learning scales! Looking forward to future sets (black keys & minors)! Thank you!!
Patricia –
I have been playing the “Smart Scales” since receiving them. They are helping me to play in multiple keys without constantly reminding myself to remember the key signature. I have been playing for over 73 years and this is true blessing.
Today, I will start my beginning intermediate student on the “Smart Scales”. I can hardly wait. I know she will take to them right away. She has also been struggling with sight reading and I am sure the “Smart Scales” will help with sight reading also.
Huge thanks to Diane Hidy for writing this! I am looking forward to future “Smart Scales”.
Melissa Toedtman –
Smart scales are a brilliant creation. They are easy to learn and fun to play, especially as duets. There is something about the meter and the thumb crossings that help with staying relaxed and playing into the keys, not to mention good sight reading practice. What’s not to love about Smart Scales! Brava, Diane!
Melody –
I love the Smart Scales – they do so much to vary the scale learning process – and I think imprint the characteristics of that particular scale on the minds of the students. Some of my students love them – and some find it a very long scale – hopefully they too will come to love them in time.
Jane Moore –
I have been pleasantly surprised with the unanimous positive response to these Smart Scales from my teenage students. Almost without fail, after playing these the students will remark how much they enjoy playing them. They are a simple, melodic way to master the fingering for these scales, and it is an added plus that I get to play along. It has been a great purchase for my studio.
Carol –
It was great to see two of my students – a mother and daughter – play some Smart Scales together. I like how the music score teaches students to pay attention to necessary fingering, and how it engrains the scale fingering for each key.
Cheryl –
This has been great as a supplement to teaching the particular scale students are working on. I’ve used it after they play their weekly scale as a sight reading activity.
Betsy –
I found many of my students this fall had just learned the C Major 8-note scale last spring and then took the summer off. These scale packets served as great review for them. Also, their sight reading skills have GREATLY improved with these exercises so it’s a win-win. The 6/8 time signatures are fantastic; I love how young students – having never played 6/8 before – seem to just naturally feel the meter. I’ll definitely use the Smart Scales for 6/8 preparation as well as scale prep or review! A wonderful resource to add to my teacher toolkit!
Garreth Brooke –
These are a really useful resource for consolidating learning of scale patterns and provide excellent opportunities for simple sight-reading in 6/8 and ensemble playing. I’ve used them with both adult and child students and they’ve gone down well with both. The music itself is really appealing: gentle, warm, and very expressive. My only complaint is that I need more!! 🙂 I’ll definitely be buying the rest of the collection.
Sara –
Students seem to get bored with scales so easily, and this is the perfect answer! They play them with expression and attention to notes and fingering, that I can’t get them to do with regular scales!
Cheryl –
One adult especially thoroughly appreciates the new Smart Scales. It has has really made scales easier and more enjoyable for her.
Carla –
You are SO Amazing! Smart Scales have been a game changer for my students not only in fingering scales but sight-reading, Wow!
Debbie –
I recently purchased the Smart Scales (white keys) and have been enjoying using them with my students. I assign the scale during their lesson for them to practice at home and use it as a sight reading tool at their next
lesson along with the duet. My students love to play duets with me and even though some of them have not learned 6/8 time, it is a great way for me to teach it and they love the flow of feeling it in two beats. I also have compiled a chart (with the help of a “techy” student) to keep track of their progress, and look forward to purchasing the new black key scales.
It has worked so well to accomplish three goals, of learning key signatures, technique and sightreading and teaching them to shape their phrases. Wow! Students have been asking to begin their lesson with the Smart Scales. Well done!!
Marie Hershey –
I love teaching scales with these. They are more interesting and students need to be alert when playing them. My adult class is really enjoying them, especially when I play the duets. Much more enjoyable than the normal scale books!!
Bernadette –
This is an excellent resource! Thank you Diane. My students love playing with the duet part. One student said “it sounds SO good!”. Money well spent 🙂
Karen Janssen –
I’m really enjoying White Key Major Smart Scales, and am going to buy the Black Key Majors now! One question, if anyone sees this: do you have your students practice them at home??? Just curious, or if most of you use them solely as sight-reading practice during your lessons.
Pamela –
One of my adult students has been sitting on a plateau for some time. Scales have challenged him, and since adopting Diane’s Smart Scales, he understands better and plays scales so much more fluently.
Debra –
My students love them! The scales are so musical and sound beautiful, plus they help with sightreading. My latest use is to write chords and using them as a lead sheet. With more advanced students, they can figure out the chords that Diane used in the accompaniment, or use just the basic 3 chord progressions. Doing the scale with the left hand and chords in right hand really helps with left hand melodies, although this is trickier!
Marian –
I am a recent “convert” to Smart Scales. I honestly did not think I needed them when they first came out, but after hearing Diane and her student play again recently, I decided to use them for sight reading and/or for an occasional break in our lesson. EVERY student whom I have played them with has loved them. Two parents remarked, “these are beautiful”. Smart Scales are helping with my student’s artistry and musicality and “cementing” the scales aurally and in the hands! Thank you!
Paul –
Smart Scales are a great tool to use with all students. Just started using Smart Scales with every one of my students, elementary through high school, so we’re just on the C scale. I assign 4 of the short examples for “practice” each week and tell students to play them every day. Then they come for their lesson and we play the 4 examples back to back as a medley with the teacher duets! The only drawback is I’m singing them in my head the next day!
Cheryl –
Also bought Diane’s new Scales in Minor White Keys. My adult said she loves them because they are pretty and it gets her more used to playing in different keys. I also challenge her to learn one of the duet accompaniment parts. She loves to do duets because she feels they teach her to count and listen better!
Linda –
These exercises are wonderful melodies that instantly apply students’ acquisition of new scales or similar exercises- (consider this a request, Diane, 🤗) chords, cadences, arpeggios, and intervals in isolated keys. For my students who are reluctant to learn keyboard theory, these are priceless jewels for motivation. Plus they are fun duets that are truly quite pretty. I am grateful for these and other Compose Create works that keep students interested and advancing! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
Caren Worel –
Diane Hidy does it again!!!! These scale books are a hit with me and my students. So much fun.
Thank you Diane.
Mary Yorke –
I have recently been able to acquire all of the Smart Scales books and I am hooked on scales! I’ve always dreaded teaching scales. As the students have come to a paticular proficiency quotient, I “reward” them with the Smart Scales duets. Something amazing always happens! Everyone relaxes and smiles and wonders at the beautiful music that can be made from just playing a scale! Thank you for this resource!
Mary –
I have recently been able to acquire all of the Smart Scales books and I am hooked on scales! I’ve always dreaded teaching scales. As the students have come to a paticular proficiency quotient, I “reward” them with the Smart Scales duets. Something amazing always happens! Everyone relaxes and smiles and wonders at the beautiful music that can be made from just playing a scale! Thank you for this resource!
Mary –
I have recently been able to acquire all of the Smart Scales books and I am hooked on scales! I’ve always dreaded teaching scales. As the students have come to a paticular proficiency quotient, I “reward” them with the Smart Scales duets. Something amazing always happens! Everyone relaxes and smiles and wonders at the beautiful music that can be made from just playing a scale! Thank you for this resource!
Lisa –
I love having Smart Scales as a resource that supports students’ fluency in the various keys, sounds beautiful, and is a reward as others have said! Thank you Diane!
Corinne –
We call the Smart Scales piano yoga. It is so relaxing and beautiful while developing important skills in bite-size chunks.