The phrase "Always do you Scales" for me conjures up images of cranky old music teachers who were desirous that I learn old music that they wanted to teach, and that I would have to spend years doing exactly that before I could really get into the cool stuff! Not so, as far as I am concerned. It is, in my view, possible to learn the cool music right from the off. After all what's the point in learning music if it isn't fun? And how are you supposed to do a piece of music justice when you perform it if you don't enjoy playing it.
In my world, whatever keeps you playing is good to play! And, I would add, that whatever enhances your playing is good enhancement! This is where scales come in and this is where scales can be fun. For every song that you learn always learn the relevant scale. This will help you master the song faster and see how the song itself works and is constructed. There is no need to overload yourself with technical exercises, but just enough to help loosen up your fingers and get them moving in the same that they are required to do so for your relevant song.
That hardly seems so bad now, does it? But let me explain to you a little further about some of the other enormous benefits that will come your way as a bonus. Just remember, that all of music is made up of scales. The American National anthem, for example, is a major arpeggio in reverse; the English National anthem, to give you another, contains a run that just goes up the first five notes of a major scale; Rock and Roll progressions are made up of dominant 7 arpeggios; the theme tune to Eastenders involves just going up a major scale; the soundtrack to this... the hymn that does this... I could go on with examples all night!
What I am trying to explain is that there aren't that many scales but there are a heck of a lot of songs and a ton of music out there. If you know how to play your scales, you will have a head start on how to play any song whatsoever. As I said before all melodies are derived form scales, so it follows that if you know the scale you'll be able to play the song more often than not, straight away!
By learning the relevant scale for whatever song you are learning you will gradually build up a database in your mind of notes and combinations of notes, as well as strengthening your fingers. What is more, you can make the scales fun and even more useful, by mixing up the patterns and rhythms. For example, play a scale with a shuffle feel to help you with blues and jazz melodies. Or, perhaps, experiment, with different pick strokes so that you become more versatile with your picking hand. Or, when playing with other students of music, practice the scales at different intervals so that you can get used to harmonizing.
Of course, if you just practice your scales by reading them out of a scales handbook you will find them quite dull. Instead, try and commit them to memory and then the real fun begins. There is no limit to what you can do with them, experiment and even try writing your own melodies. See where the scales can take you and how important to your musical development they can be.
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