advice for learning

[fairy211]

Hello,

I am self taught currently RCM grade 3 and wonder how to practice optimally. Why is it worth learning the scales? If so, what else from music theory is important? I do not have good experiences with a teacher thats why I continue on my own.
Thanks!

[brogers70]

Here are a few reasons why scales (and arpeggios) are great
1. They help you learn basic music theory, key signatures, the circle of fifths, and all that, and being very comfortable with those things will make everything easier.
2. There are lots and lots of scalar passages in real pieces of music. By practicing the scales you make the fingerings for each scale automatic (eventually) and that makes playing scalar passages in pieces much easier. Of course, very few pieces ask you to play scales in octaves up and down four octaves, but you'll still have engrained the fingerings for scales in all the major and minor keys and that will help in your pieces.
3. When you get a bit more advanced, you'll come across lots of passages that you want to play at fast tempo. When you work on scales, particularly as you've advanced a bit, you'll be working on ways to speed them up while still keeping them clean and precise. In order to do that you'll be focusing on paying attention to how they sound, and how small changes in finger, hand, wrist, and arm position make getting good sound and quick speed easier or harder. You'll learn a bunch of ways to practice scales while trying to improve, things like high finger motions, small finger motions, finger staccato, relaxation exercises, rhythms, etc. You'll develop a whole set of practice tools that you can apply to any difficult passage. You could, in principle, develop that tool kit just by practicing your pieces, but scales (and arpeggios) have the advantage that once you've learned them you don't have to think about the notes, so you can focus entirely on whatever practice technique you are using and the sounds you are producing.

Some people eventually give up doing daily scales, after many years, others do some of it all through life. It's definitely something worth doing.