Repertoire to improve Scales

[cheeriosok]

Hello all,

I've been practicing scales, but I want to improve my speed while also making music.

I have been practicing Scarlatti K517. Something similar would be great!

Please recommend similar repertoire, etudes, exercises etc to improve scales. Thank you!!

(Level: Beginner/Intermediate)

[fftransform]

The K. 517 is not fast enough to constitute 'improving speed in scales.'  If you can't already play an isolated scale at that tempo, then you shouldn't be trying to play that piece at all.  I think you should just pick pieces that you like, and continue practicing your scales like normal; there are lots of little rhythmic/dynamic games you can play with your scales that help you build up more confidence and speed, prolly you already know about them.  Of course there are also 2/3/4-finger exercises related to scales as well, especially thumb under/over stuff.

How about just learning some little passages from pieces that you love?  That seems better.  Like, learn the very end of the Chopin Ballade 1, with those parallel chromatics.  Kind of notorious for tripping up people just starting with that level of rep.  Many other examples like that, like from the Pas de Deux in the Pletnev Nutcracker, or maybe an extract from the Waldstein 3rd movement.

[brogers70]

I've had a lot of progress since I started using some of the techniques recommended by Josh Wright in this video (and in others of his which you can easily find starting from this one).

&t=447s

[klavieronin]

This is a nice one for right hand scales

[lelle]

^That recording is awesommmmmeee

Wouldn't Mozart's sonata "facile" in C major be a good starting point?

[anacrusis]

Lots of pieces from the classical era would suffice, really. Clementi sonatinas, Haydn sonatas, Mozart sonatas...

[lelle]

I played this piece when I wanted some moderate tempo scales to work on, while also getting to make some great music:

It's got some other rather tricky parts in it though.

[visitor]

Spend a few reading thru the Kabalevsky sonata no 3 in F op 46   
Although the entire thing would certainly move the right students playing fwd it may be a bit much in the development and "war music " B thematic sections but the lyrical A material is beautiful and would make for great short etude /excerpts to play , I did it years ago

However a former dear friend no longer w is that was a active in the board and an incredible musician and teacher  uploaded a beautiful performance here , listen to the first
Mov , others are great but not much "scaley" stuff

My old  video link appears In a tweet I did the other day
Feel free to follow for other shenanigans
(~‾▿‾)~
https://twitter.com/DeDanbo/status/1452025783233482756?t=Jq6S3sIK09Dw3La5ISoHMA&s=19

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=44423.0