Scales are a necessary part of playing any musical instrument well. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but lack of playing scales and arpeggios results in poor technique. Like a body builder lifting weights, scales are "weights" for musicians. For every musician who desires good technical prowess, scales are a necessity. Scale practice is NOT limited to classical musicians! The question is... Do you want to get better? If so, then start a regiment of scale practice!
To practice scales, here are a few tips:
Scales make up a good chunk of most music. If you practice scales "musically" minded, they will sound better when you actually play them in real music.Part of the goal in practicing scales is to try and make every note sound the same. Each note should have good tone quality. Listen carefully to "how" each note sounds.
Always start slow. It's better to practice slow and accurate than fast and sloppy.
Slur! The reason for this is that finger "blips" will not show up when "articulating." This is the same for arpeggios. For wind players, connect the notes together by NOT tonguing. For other instruments, how smooth can you play?
One octave scales are best for tone practice. Set the metronome to quarter equals 60.
Play two-octave scales to build technique. Practice at least two octaves at a speed that's comfortable with the hands.
ALWAYS play scales and arpeggios with a metronome. It does not lie about tempos. Choose a speed that you can play with ALL the scales you know. In other words, don't change the metronome for each scale. Pick the speed for your slowest scale and play all scales at THAT tempo!
For scales (and arpeggios) that you are just learning, you may start without the metronome (whew!). Get the fingerings cemented into the hands. Once you can play them at a steady (but slow) speed, you may THEN add the metronome.
When practicing new scales, "work" them separately from already learned scales. Once the new scales are at the same speed as the other scales, add them into the scale warm-up routine.
OH yeah... please don't be afraid of the scales with lots of sharps and flats. The only reason that they are hard is because we don't practice them enough. The more you practice, the better they will get!
The goal is to eventually play all twelve major scales (and ultimately minors) at the SAME steady speed.
Keep hands relaxed and fingers close to the instrument. The general rule of thumb is to not increase the metronome speed until fingers can stay relaxed through all scales.
For other warm-ups and etudes, have a specific warm-up routine that involves areas that YOU need to work on.
The basic warm-up routine should consist of long tones, tone studies, scales, arpeggios, articulation exercises, and possibly etudes (or other technical exercises).
Consider adding sight reading into the warm-up. This will help with rhythm and learning music quicker.
Are you a rock or pop musician? If so, you can learn to play scales without reading music. Scales are meant to increase your technical ability. If you know the basics of building a scale, you can do it by ear. However, the same rules apply in that you MUST practice slowly and accurately and with a metronome.
Happy Practicing!
Del Hungerford is a professional musician and educator in the Pacific Northwest. She's been a member of professional orchestras and chamber ensembles as well as teaching in the public schools. Currently, she teaches education courses and clarinet lessons at the university level. She holds a D.M.A. in clarinet from the University of Washington. For more information on Del's musical activities, check out her blog: http://delhungerfordmusicstudio.blogspot.com/
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