Scale Explorer

There are many ways to practice your scales. Instead of the same up and down way try exploring them in different ways.

Pick any scale and play it in each of the following ways. Once you have done this you will know the scale much better.

1. Play the scale very slowly. While you are playing listen very carefully to the distance or interval between each note. What does the gap sound like? How big does it sound?
2. Next play the scale very slowly again. This time say out loud (or inside your head if you are blowing something!) each interval in turn. For example tone, semi-tone.
3. Now play the scale from memory at any speed that you feel comfortable with.
4. If you have been playing the scale up and then down play it down and then up, or the opposite to what you have been doing.
5. Now play it with two different dynamics and then 2 different articulations.
6. Finally (and this can be lots of fun) play each note a diferent length. So maybe you could start with a crotchet, then a quaver, followed by a semi breve and then a semi-quaver!!