repetitive practising of scales

[betricia]

 :)I have been able to download a lot of Chang's book and it is great.  I spent a long time reading it last night and this morning.  Now in it he says that just repeating scales over and over is a waste of time but that one must be perfect in them.  I cannot seem to find where he says what I should do.  How do I make them perfect without constantly repeating? 
I hope I am not going to regret asking this question.
thanks anyway
Patricia

[goose]

Hi Patricia,

It does seem a little contradictory, doesn't it? But I think Chang's point is that scale playing actually develops lots of different technical elements at the same time (finger independence, touch, phrasing, thumb over, etc). And since scales are a major building block of Western music, if you can play them well, you make your life easier every time you encounter a scalar passage in real music.

The repetitive activity he is against is the Hanon style, which he says simplifies technique to an unrealistic degree. What I took from Chang is that scale playing should not be mindlessly repetitive, with both hands together going up and down...up and down. Instead, vary how you practise them and be aware of what you are trying to achieve at all times.

So practising hands separately is a major idea, only putting hands together to prove that you can coordinate them. Another suggestion he advocates is playing slowly and deep in the keybed at first.

And the one which really helps to play scales faster is to play the scale as two "chords", e.g. for the right hand, C major is C-D-E and F-G-A-B. Since there's always a 3-group (A) and 4-group (B), you find and "see" the notes easier that way. So you start by playing them as chords (A group, B group, A, B, up the octaves and down) and instead of thinking of scales as seven notes, you think of them as these groups. Then you try "rippling" the notes fast, hit the transition between A-group and B-group and, hey presto, fast scales.

No doubt others with more classical experience than me will chime in at this point. But I hope this gives you a basic answer.

[betricia]

Goose thank you very much.  I have not printed out all of Chang yet as my computer came to a standstill after I had asked it to print out a lot of Chang.  You have helped me and I have not seen the bit where he suggests playing scales by chords.  I will try it right now.  I appreciate your help and advice.  I was reluctant to ask as it is probably so clear and simple but you have pointed me in the right direction quickly and that is helpful.  I am not being lazy to ask but there is sooooo much to read on this subject that shortcuts are great.
Patricia
 

[goose]

You're welcome, Patricia. Glad I could be of some help.

To me, Chang's whole book is about shortcuts, or rather how to make your practising time as efficient as possible. It says something about the complexity of playing piano that his "short cuts" (which he admits only scratch the surface of technique) require 200+ densely printed pages!

Best,
Goose

[betricia]

I have now printed out all of it and my computer is exhausted.  I have a lot of reading to do.  Before I started piano I used to read novels.  Now guess what my bedtime, daytime, anytime reading is?  I have now got all the stuff on playing scales and arpeggios fast, all the exercises etc and have no excuse.  I am not finding TO easy but then I haven't been practising TO for long.  It is so tempting to let my thumb do what it has been used to which is slipping underneath.  If I don't concentrate it slips under and sounds so much smoother but I must resist.
Thanks again Goose. 
I am so glad I found this forum and have learned such a lot.  Thank you all for your time and patience with beginners like me.