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Improve your scales!: Time to improve your scales

03.03.04

Scales and arpeggios can be a real stumbling block for exam candidates and budding musicians, and are often the aspects of teaching relegated to the final few minutes of a lesson.

A thorough grounding in scales, particularly in the development of ‘key-sense’ and the recognition of melodic and harmonic patterns, is essential for allowing pupils to become more musically aware, make fewer mistakes and allow the teacher to concentrate on teaching the music!

Paul Harris’ invaluable series Improve your scales! is a method/workbook that incorporates regular scale playing into lessons and daily practice; this in turn helps pupils prepare for grade examinations.  There are individually graded books for piano, string, wind and brass instruments, all suitable for both individual and group learning. Paul’s well tested programme of exercises, games and pieces has proved its ability to  achieve good results for each player.

‘Know the Notes!’ is to prove the actual notes are known!  ‘Finger Fitness’ exercises encourage the need for putting fingers down precisely, accurately and fluently whilst encouraging awareness of intonation.  ‘Have a Go’ encourages thought ‘in the key’, ‘Key Pieces’ place the material in a more musical context and, finally, ‘Say, Think, Play!’ is where the pupil plays the required scales and arpeggios, well prepared so as to avoid fumbles and wrong notes!