practicing scales

nickenator · Regular Member Joined: 10 Jan 2009 Posts: 37

I have a question that might sound basic, but I'm a beginner. I want to practice scales and arpeggios. Do I need to take the range of my instrument and my personal skill set into account? For example, if I play a C scale starting ending in middle C, I can comfortably play the 9th, 11th, etc. But if I play a Bflat scale ending above the staff, I can't get much higher than the 9th. So, should I be improvising on Bflat starting below the staff, ending at middle Bflat, and then playing the 9th/11th etc from there? Does that make any sense?

trickg · Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 6:46 am Post subject:

When I practice scales I practice them in the octave that is most comfortable to play them. For that Bb scale you are talking about, I play it from low Bb to the middle Bb. That doesn't mean that at some point when your range is better you shouldn't also be able to play it up the octave, but for fundamentally learning the scale notes, the lower octave is fine IMO.
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Craig Swartz · Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2018 8:10 am Post subject:

Go as high above and below the tonic as you are able- stay in the key and learn the fingering patterns. You will be adding to your range and the knowledge of the scale fingerings you are working on.

Another thing I used with my Jr High band kids- play major scale as 1-8-1, then 2-9-2, 3-10-3, etc. (If you see how scale exercises are set up in Arban and about every other method it'll be obvious.) Doing this requires the fingering patterns to be committed to memory, where they should be and also takes into account fragments, etc. I also had them learn the outlines of the I and V arpeggios, then end each scale with a 1-3-5-8-7-5-4-2-1 arpeggio. Commit these also to memory. (It's the same thing for every key, if a bunch of inner city kids could get it with some patience, anyone can...)

If one is a "band" player only and can do this in Concert C, F. Bb, Eb, and Ab they'll cover about 75% of the keys they'll encounter. Big bonus if/when relative minors are added. Again, teach learn the process, it is identical in every key. Good luck.