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101 Ways to Play Scales
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Topic: 101 Ways to Play Scales
(Read 1928 times)
sausagefingerz
Newbie
Posts: 2
101 Ways to Play Scales
on: July 29, 2016, 05:58:06 PM
Can anybody suggest interesting, challenging or useful or ridiculous ways to play scales (and maybe arpeggios) in all keys, in order to improve my technique (and my brain power as well) and to include them as part of my daily routine?
(also explain the method of each if it complicated, and explain what area of technique it is focussing on)
I plan to make a long list of ways to play all scales so that each time I practice I can choose a few ways of playing the scales (in every key) to work on my technique, touch, dexterity, stamina etc.. before I start practicing my pieces, and so I can pick relevant ways of playing scales for the piece I'm about to work on.
Some examples so far:
Staccato
Eyes closed (good for sight reading)
Legato
Super quiet
Russian (similar/contrary/similar motion)
Octave jumps ( 4 most middle Cs then move outwards an octave in each hand and play the C's there, then move back in and play the 4 middle Ds then move both hands outwards an octave and play the D there, etc...) (hopefully will work on octave octave jumps for Scriabin 08/12)
Thirds (in one hand)
Thanks for any suggestions.
They can be as crazy as you like, but with purpose.
P.s. I'd rather people didn't start arguing about the use of scales to improve technique, there are already tons of threads of that, and for the stage I am at I think using scales like this would be very beneficial.
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dogperson
Sr. Member
Posts: 1559
Re: 101 Ways to Play Scales
Reply #1 on: July 29, 2016, 06:17:12 PM
-Legato in one hand, staccato in the other
-Vary the dynamic level between hands
-Quarter notes in one hand : eighth, triplets, etc in the other
-octaves: ascending and descending both hands
- Repeat major and minor
-Scale in one hand and related arpeggio in the other
If you use this list and yours as a concept for improvising variety, the ways to vary the practice are really endless without a list.
my piano teacher feels I should pick my favorite key, major and minor for this level of work as to do all keys would be extremely time consuming.
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visitor
PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 5294
Re: 101 Ways to Play Scales
Reply #2 on: July 29, 2016, 07:02:12 PM
the mcfarren manual pretty much covers all the most relevant variants.
op, it's pretty standard to work the interval sales to, 3rd, 6ths, 10ths, both parallel and contrary motion. (but not contrary motion for melodic minors, the shift causes a bad clash of tones)
so basics like we had to do in my prev professor's studio was
all keys major, all harmonic minor, all melodic minor in parallel unison, 3rd, 6th, 10ths.
all keys major and harmonic minor in contrary motion in 3rd , 6th, 10th.
these were worked with similar variants for arpeggio and broken chords
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109natsu
PS Silver Member
Full Member
Posts: 109
Re: 101 Ways to Play Scales
Reply #3 on: July 30, 2016, 11:19:06 PM
Hi guys....
I am so depressed by just looking at the list....
Is this natural?
Natsu
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