How To Practice - Scales

Unfamiliar Scales

Mike Saville — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:54:50 +0000

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Does it take you a long time to learn a new scale or pattern of notes? Use this method and you will know them in no time at all!

There are 7 steps you need to complete:

1. Sing the scale

Use a good full voice and sing all the notes of your scale. Do this until you can really hear the notes inside your head before you sing them. Aim to sing the precise notes. It can be useful to use a piano to get you started with this.

2. Sing and name the intervals

Having got all the notes into your ears this next step will help make you aware of the gaps between the notes. For each step in your scale sing the two notes and then name the step between them. It could be a major or minor second or a whole or half tone if you prefer. Do this until you are confident of all the intervals up and down your scale. Read more . . .

Scale Explorer

Mike Saville — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:46:01 +0000

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. Read more . . .

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?
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.
Now play the scale from memory at any speed that you feel comfortable with.
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.
Now play it with two different dynamics and then 2 different articulations.
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!!

Scales Variations

How To Practice — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:13:33 +0000

Photo courtesy of Maxblack

This method will test if you really know your scales.

You will need some manuscript paper for this method. To begin with you need to write out 3 variations of your scale. You can either do this in each key you need to play or could just do it in C major and work the others out in your head.

The 3 variations you need to write out are: Read more . . .

Variation of notes
Variation of rhythm
Free Variation

Play Your Cards Right

How To Practice — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 07:50:54 +0000

This practise method is a game you play against yourself.

You will need the same pack of cards you created for Scale Poker.

Shuffle the pack and cut the pack to reveal a card and scale. You can then start the game.

You must try to play the scale perfectly (that means all the notes, rhythm, range and articulation!). If you do play it correctly you score 2 points. If you get any of these aspects wrong then you lose a point. Shuffle the cards, cut the pack and choose another scale - again score 2 points if you play it perfectly but lose a point if you don't. Read more . . .

Bag Full Of Scales

How To Practice — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:33:43 +0000

Photo courtesy of Lmeurs

Use this method to make sure you practise a variety of scales.

For this you will need some card, a bag and your instrument.

Firstly cut the card up and write a different scale on each piece e.g. C Major. When all your scales are written out put the cards into a bag and give it a shake.

Pick out a card and play this scale ensuring that it is correct all the way through. Do the same for some other scales until you have completed 5 different ones. Read more . . .

Scale Poker

How To Practice — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:42:49 +0000

Here is another method to make sure you don't end up with a few good scales and some other bad ones.

For this method you will need an old pack of playing cards and a marker pen.

On the face of each card write the following:

Key (ie Bb)
Type (ie major/minor)
Range (ie a twelth)
Articulation (ie staccato)

Once you have done this for all your scales shuffle the cards and deal yourself 5 cards from the top of the pack. Play each of these scales correctly 3 times. Read more . . .

Dicey Scales

How To Practice — Thu, 22 May 2008 08:44:27 +0000

Let the dice pick your scales and also tell you how to play them.

For this method you will need 2 six sided dice.

First roll both dice to decide which key to play:

1 = C	2 = C#	3 = D	4 = Eb
5 = E	6 = B	7 = F#	8 = G
9 = Ab	10 = A	11 = Bb	12 = F

Next roll one dice to decide the type of scale:

1 = Major	2 = Harmonic Minor	3 = Melodic Minor
4 = Major Arpeggio	5 = Minor Arpeggio	6 = Dominant 7th

Finally roll one dice to decide how to play the scale:

1 = Legato	2 = Detached	3 = Hands Together
4 = Tongued	5 = Hands Seperately	6 = Tenuto

Having rolled the dice 3 times you now which which scale to play. Play it through 3 times correctly before choosing another scale.

You can change the keys & types above to match the scales you have to learn. Read more . . .