Are Piano Scales a Waste of Time? Here’s Why They’re Not

by Arthur Bird July 2, 2025

Have you ever thought:

“Scales are so boring!”

If you're nodding your head, trust me — you’re not alone. I used to feel exactly the same when I first started learning piano.

Endless note sequences…
Key signatures to remember…
Awkward fingering patterns…
And so many different scales to learn...

It’s easy to wonder, “What’s the point?”

But here’s the truth:

I was wrong.

As I continued my piano journey — eventually going pro, playing in bands, touring with theatre shows — I realized that scales aren’t just a boring exercise. They are essential.

In fact, learning scales will actually make your piano learning journey easier, faster, and way more enjoyable.

So, here are 5 powerful reasons why learning piano scales will change everything for you (plus a bonus tip at the end!).

1. 🎶 Scales Supercharge Improvisation and Songwriting

If you're not into traditional lessons or sheet music, and you're more interested in playing by ear, improvising, or songwriting — scales are your best friend.

Let’s say you’ve got this chord progression in your left hand:

Em – C – Am – B

Now, if you want to improvise something moody or cinematic, you might use the E harmonic minor scale on your right hand.

Want something more bluesy or gritty? Try the E minor blues scale.

Or perhaps you're in the mood for a bright, uplifting sound? Change your chord progression slightly to fit a major key:

E – C#m – A – B

Then improvise using the E major scale.

🎯 Scales give you a framework — you instantly know which notes are likely to sound good, helping you improvise and compose with confidence.

2. 🔄 Scales Explain Chord Relationships

Here’s a key term: diatonic — it means “within the key of.”

If you know your E major scale, then you can build chords off each note of that scale. That gives you a set of diatonic chords that all fit together naturally.

Instead of guessing or relying on trial and error, your knowledge of scales shows you exactly what chords will work together.

🎯 Understanding scales means knowing how chords and keys interact — and that makes songwriting, improvising, and even learning covers a whole lot easier.

3. 🎼 Scales Help You Learn Songs Faster

Scales are the foundation of music. Classical, pop, jazz, blues — they all rely on scale patterns.

Let’s say you’re learning Clair de Lune, which is in D-flat major (that’s five flats!). If you already know the D-flat major scale, learning the piece becomes way easier.

You won’t need to stop and figure out every accidental — you already know which notes to expect and how they’re laid out on the keyboard.

🎯 Familiarity with scales means you recognize patterns faster — so learning pieces becomes quicker and less frustrating.

4. 🧠 Scales Improve Musical Memory

This ties in with the previous point. Scales don’t just help you learn songs — they help you remember them too.

Let’s take River Flows in You by Yiruma. It’s in F# minor.

If you already know the F# natural minor scale (which shares the same notes as A major), then:

You’re familiar with the melody’s note choices
You understand the structure of left-hand arpeggios and chords
You’re reducing what you need to memorize because it all fits a pattern

🎯 Instead of memorizing random notes, you’re learning musical ideas based on the scale — which is far easier to remember.

5. 📚 Scales Make Music Theory Click

Learning scales isn’t just about technique — it’s about making sense of theory.

Major vs. minor? Key signatures? Intervals? Harmony?

It all starts to click when you can see and hear the scale under your fingers.

Back to our first example: if I’m improvising in E harmonic minor, and I want to add harmonies, I don’t need to guess. I just add intervals like 3rds or 6ths within the scale — and it works.

🎯 Scales give you the toolkit to build harmonies, understand key changes, and create richer, more confident music.

Bonus Benefit: Scales Build Strength & Dexterity

Practicing scales builds finger independence, strength, and control — especially when you’re:

Crossing the thumb
Coordinating both hands
Playing at faster tempos

It’s like going to the gym for your fingers.

🎯 The more you practice scales, the more agile and precise your hands will become — making everything you play feel easier.

🎓 Want to Learn Faster and Smarter?

If you’re enjoying these kinds of tips, you’ll love the Birds Piano Academy Membership.

Rather than jumping from random YouTube videos to blogs and forums, we offer:

Structured, step-by-step lessons
Bite-sized videos designed for real progress
Courses in improvisation, chords, sight-reading, blues, jazz & more

It’s the fastest way to go from casual learner to confident pianist.

👉 Click here to find out more: https://courses.birdspianoacademy.com/p/membership

Final Thoughts

So next time you find yourself asking,

“Should I really practice scales?”

The answer is a loud YES.

They’re not boring. They’re your shortcut to becoming a better musician.

Want to improvise? Learn scales.
Want to write songs? Learn scales.
Want to play faster, memorize quicker, understand theory better?
You guessed it — learn your scales.

🔥 Start with one today. You’ll be amazed at how much it transforms your playing.

Happy playing!
Arthur Bird
Founder - Birds Piano Academy