what are fun ways to practice scales in music

Encouraging students to practise scales needn't be an uphill struggle, says Paul Harris - in fact, it can even be fun!

The following article was first published in The Strad's Nov 2001 consequence

Y'all can have one biscuit now, or, if yous tidy your room, you lot can take iii when you lot've finished!' That's known as delayed gratification, and information technology's essential for pupils to have at least some inkling of its significance if scale teaching and learning is going to be anything other than a continual battle! None of u.s.a. - teachers or students - underestimate the importance of scales, but how many of us actually savour them?

Thorough calibration learning will not, for nigh young players, reap immediate rewards. Let'due south face it, practising scales is non as musically satisfying as unlocking the secrets of a Romantic sonata, or every bit exciting equally getting to grips with a showpiece for the next concert. Well-played scales will go pupils improve marks in exams, just their raison d'être lies in the less tangible merely essential expanse of bones musical development.

It's important to recognise the importance of scales, for you'll never convince a pupil to 'vote for scales' if you don't believe in them admittedly yourself.

Scales amend technique

Yes, they do, but non just by paying them lip service. Simply playing through a couple of scales during a practice session will accept very little touch on a pupil's technical development. 'Slim-o-Nutrient volition only help yous lose weight equally function of a calorie-controlled diet', the ads tell united states. Similarly, scales will but affect technique if they are role of a holistic approach to pedagogy. Time and business must simultaneously exist put into posture, arm positions, precision of finger motion and positioning. In addition, information technology is essential that the many connections with aural work are brought to the fore.

Scales help control tone

Every annotation has its own sound world resulting from its harmonic brand-upwards. Practising scales with precise and directed listening will help your pupil acquire to friction match tonal and dynamic levels.

Scales help playing in tune

They volition if yous actually try to play them in tune! You wouldn't believe the number of times I've heard scales played appallingly out of tune in my work as an examiner. I find this very frustrating - a existent waste product of a gilt opportunity to gain marks. Again, it'southward all connected with audible training: with active and musically perceptive listening.

Scales develop sense of key

Absolutely, and this is a very important reason for practising and playing them. But again, only if they are approached with a sensitive ear and with encephalon fully in gear.

Scales improve sightreading

Again, yeah. Simply only if they are learnt with music every bit well as by ear. Recognising scale and arpeggio patterns will only become immediate and reliable if pupils know what scales look similar.

And so scales can be worth their weight in gilded. Our next job is to find a way to make them more palatable. The secret is to devise several related activities which make as many connections equally possible with all other areas of musical development, prior to playing a scale. In fact, you lot may determine to teach scales without pupils ever playing them! Spend some time listing imaginative ways y'all tin connect scales with aural, technique, sightreading, rhythm, improvisation, composition and pieces. This is the basis of real 'musical thinking'.

With such connections in mind, here are some practical strategies for introducing a pupil to a new scale. Observe, at no time do we (all the same) really play the calibration.

Know the notes

Pupils should exist able to say the sequence of notes upwards and down. I've had many a debate with teachers on the relevance of knowing the note names, simply I'm convinced that the more ways we know something, the stronger the understanding will be. You'll exist surprised how hard some pupils volition notice saying the notes descending!

Write out the scale

Preferably use manuscript paper with a pen or pencil. A computer is OK, but nothing beats creating your own notated calibration.

Sing the calibration

Non to the taste of all students, only persevere with the more reluctant! For less enthusiastic pupils begin with just the first 3 notes, and so eventually progress to five earlier finally having a go at the whole scale. It may have a long fourth dimension to cajole them to do this, just the ultimate rewards will be worth it.

Instruct pupils to pre-hear each note before they sing it

This is a very powerful - though for some exceptionally difficult - discipline. To awaken the audible senses, play scales to your students. Make deliberate mistakes, either incorrect notes or more than subtle errors of intonation, and see how confident they tin can go in picking upwardly inaccuracies.

Make upwards short exercises that cover item technical manoeuvres

Sing the exercise first, slowly, pre-hearing notes and trying to hear and pitch the very centre of each i. Then play these exercises slowly, concentrating on all appropriate aspects of posture and finger movement. Make pupils realise how of import it is to care almost the quality and intonation of every note, and to be patient - this piece of work volition pay groovy dividends.

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Observe a simple and effective written report in the fundamental

Utilise the aforementioned process as to a higher place.

Improvise and/or compose a piece in the cardinal

Don't underestimate the importance of such work. Over a menstruum of fourth dimension your students will learn to produce interesting and constructive pieces, which will actually aid their musical development. Improvisation, along with audible and retention work, accesses the all-important right side of the brain (notation and technique live in the left side). All-round musical evolution must let each one-half of the encephalon equal activity. Possibly you can have a concert of pupils' scale pieces from fourth dimension to fourth dimension.

Choose a well-known tune and play it past ear in the key

Don't worry about mistakes. Simply attempting to find the correct notes is a very useful process.

None of these activities demand that the scale be played on its own. We are learning about the scale (and related patterns). We are learning about the central. We are using the time to gather all the necessary ingredients and we are learning to sympathise those ingredients. You may but like to leave information technology at that! Some pupils will not practice or play scales whatsoever lengths yous may go to. As long as they are enjoying their pieces - which, later on all, are in a key - and yous are giving some 'scale-related' backup (equally above), this may well exist sufficient until that fine day when they wake up and finally say to you, 'I now see how scales tin can really change my life - when can we starting time?'

For those students who are prepared to do and so, it'due south time to play the scale. Information technology's a big moment. It'south an important moment and we're non going to let it pass without appropriate fanfares. Preparation is essential and we're going to sing an octave, dead in tune, first. Then we're going to hear information technology through silently, in our heads. Then a few seconds of stillness before the performance. The commencement time a new calibration is played in total must exist savoured, must be enjoyed. The performance must exist authentic, in tune and played with a beautiful audio. This is not a romantic, idealistic and unattainable expectation. If you care then your pupils will also begin to intendance - it's every bit simple as that.

What next? Continue to reinforce calibration learning by revisiting all the above activities and add the post-obit as and when advisable:

Play with varying bowings and articulations

Play with varying rhythmic patterns

Play with varying dynamics

Vary the style of ascent and descent (for example, upward: bowed and forte, down: pizzicato and piano. The number of variations is vast)

Vary the tempo (virtually pupils get into the habit of playing scales within a very narrow band of tempos - encourage experimentation at both ends of the metronome)

Vary the manner (a scale in the style of Mozart, Brahms or Stravinsky for example)

Play both by ear and with music

Vary the starting note (eg G major beginning and ending on D or A - or even F sharp!)

Start on the top note and play descending followed by ascending

If you wish your pupils to have scales (and all their related patterns) seriously, you volition need to devote quality time to their study. As in all practiced educational activity, they must be approached with a combination of imagination, fun and high expectations. Only, above all allow scales to play their vital role in developing the 'whole' musician past making connections and by treating them as your friends - never as your enemy.

This article was offset published in The Strad's November 2001 issue

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Source: https://www.thestrad.com/playing-hub/how-to-make-scales-enjoyable/2919.article

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