Playing a musical instrument often entails uninteresting tasks such as playing scales that can become boring. Scales are a necessary evil, if you will and if applied properly can be a path to better playing, no matter the instrument. If you can remember why you are playing scales you can receive the best result from their use.

 

How Do Scales Help?

 

 

Scales are helpful for the improvement of technique in your playing, being it guitar or piano. Scales help you to perform more challenging pieces. You will understand music theory more when you grasp scales, they go hand in hand. Jazz players will attest to the importance of scales to playing jazz music. To be unfamiliar with scales is to not be able to read the road map of music, especially in jazz.

Scales must be a part of every serious practice in order to make them second nature. One of the benefits of scales is to warm up your fingers before you begin playing.

Tips for Practice With Scales

It is important to start with a scale that is easy for you. Remember to not push too hard at first. A short run, say a triad or even less is a good place to warm up before you move to a full octave or even more. Move your starting point up a half step at a time until you have moved up an octave. Next you will repeat the process with a different scale, say a minor one instead of a major one.

 

The patterns you learn as you play scales will become part of your permanent muscle memory. As you progress you will be able to play one scale after another as you move up and down. Your technique as you play scales is vitally important. Scales practice is often dreaded and feared by all musicians until you understand what it will do for you.
You are developing good or bad habits as you play scales, so concentrate and play well.

 

 

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Filed under: Classical Composers • Classical Music • Classical Performers

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