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" It has three components: the physical- basically getting the blood to the extremities and its best done with a few minutes cardio vascular work such walking up and down some steps, calisthenics or whatever. It is not the same as stretching which should only be done after having warmed up. Be warned. The second component is emotional and might involve considering what mood you are in and playing a short extract or improvising around that mood. The third is intellectual and might be regarded as tuning in by playing a few scales with intense concentration or something of that ilk."

Really enjoyed those points. Excellent!

I also like the idea of practicing scales in fragments, not just bottom to top, Galamian acceleration, etc. This includes scales on one string, chromatic, double stops, etc. The scale does not always have to start at the beginning- whole notes, or 4 to a bow, etc. Of course, everyone probably knows this already. I didn't figure it out until I hit 20 or so....

If only I had known about prunes at 13....

Also, starting scales at the top, going down, then back up.

Greetings,
thanks William. It`s interrsting the Russian scale book by Gilels has scales strating at the top included. It makes an awful lot of sense givcen how often we do have to start their in repertoire.
Neve ha d aRussian prune thouhg.
Cheers,
Buri Thanks Buri! Another wonderful blog! I think you expressed this point briefly a few days ago and I followed the spirit of it I think since then and just loved it. I used to do 20-30min/day scales each day to warm up and I found I always needed more time I have to do justice to the scales. Now I started with some passages of concertos, then scales or etudes, then concerto again. The result is a lot more satisfying but didn’t know why until reading your more detailed explanation now.
Prunes are amazing thing! Kreisler said you didn't need to have a violin in your hands to warm up.

I practice every day but not for long periods since I have a job and a family. My best practice (actually my only useful practice) is when I am mentally fully engaged in what I am doing.

Aaron Rosand told me years ago that when playing three and four octave scales it's useful to not come all the way back down, but to go back and fourth up high for awhile. He also said that he likes to play scales in the key of whatever he's going to be playing next. Sounds good to me. I enjoyed learning a new word today, i.e. "Squiffy". ; ) I heard a really good way to 'warm up' is to soak your hands in luke warm water. it really helps me a lot! i do kinda feel that staleness.. Whenver I think of practicing, I think of starting with scales and it kinda makes me feel uneasy. I think I'd much rather do scales at the end and jump into my concerto... or maybe not jump into playing it, but work on some really difficult passages slowly and in a stress-free way. If that makes sense lol.
I think I'm gonna talk to my teacher more about this. I do trust what she says, but I'm gonna tell her about this uneasy-ness that I feel when practicing scales.
I really like those numbered points that you stated about scale practice under the improvement of playing section :). Greetings,
I heard a superb idea from soneone on this site. Extract all the scales from the Sibelius cocnerto and make them into a scale book.
Why stop there You could introduce do the same with most cocnertos and everynow and again spend a week working on them ratehr than the regualr scale book.
It also helps to swicth scale manuals around so buy all of them.
Also remember Milstein didn`t ahve a sclae manual so he learnt them from Chopins paino music. learning @piano parts of the violin is very beneficial to technique,
Cheers,
Buri I think its good to practice starting and ending on a different note than the tonic. It really makes you concentrate half and whole steps while improvising a fingering. Most runs don't start on scale degree 1 anyways.