How would I go about learning my scales?

July 7, 2014 at 05:04 PM · Get Flesch' scale book. Huge thing. Instead of trying to learn all 24 and all their variations, focus on just a couple. The whole point isn't so you can rush through everything but to actually be able to play them well. G Maj and pick something else like A Major or some minor key, some will be more challenging than others. Learn the arpeggios, thirds, fifths, diminished, etc as notated in the Carl Flesch scale book. Return back to school and impress people when you warm up. ;P

A lot of teachers won't necessarily focus on them per se in their lessons due to time restraint or assuming the student will undertake them on their own. When you get into college, if you continue then you're going to need to them under your belt.

PS: Use a metronome. Really really focus on each note, intonation, tone, left and right hand techniques. You'll find after a while, etudes and pieces you're learning starts to become easier and easier just by going over your scales in a concise way. Also, talk to your teacher about how they'd like you to practice them. May be they have some variation that'd work better with your playing or technique level.

July 7, 2014 at 05:06 PM · Email me privately http://www.baylor.edu/music/index.php?id=859279 and I'll send you a pdf of the 3 octave scales using the Flesch fingerings going through the circle of 5ths and also a pdf of the Galamian acceleration exercise which is a good way to work on them.

July 7, 2014 at 07:55 PM · Simon Fischer Scales is a great book. I'd look into that.

July 7, 2014 at 08:04 PM · Learning all the scales with the standard fingering (Flesch) is not that big a deal. All the major scales from Bb Major on up (B, C, Db, D, Eb,E, F, F# use the same fingering, starting with the second finger on the G string. Then you have to learn the fingering for G, Ab, and A. The same goes for the minor scales. So you really have only a couple of basic patterns. I recommend that you start with Bb Major. Learn it well and then start transferring it to the other scales starting with the easiest which would be D Major. Then C. Then Eb. Then all of them. You can use the same procedure for the minors.

It is indeed important to be able to play any scale. It is not enough to play one scale well.

July 8, 2014 at 12:48 AM · I was going to say.....and you will discover also in your scale book. There are only three basic finger patterns, ( with variations for minors, and your ears will tell the differences ) beginning 1st finger and 2nd finger and 3rd finger. With those patterns any scale can be played, but don't just try and play all the scales...learn/master the finger patterns first in the low positions.

July 8, 2014 at 02:28 AM · As Roy says, the fingerings are not a revelation. What *is* a revelation is *how to practice* scales so that you get the most out of them. For this, the Flesch book is really not very useful, although it does include some good exercises such as scales on one string, broken scales, scales in thirds, and the like. But if you are approaching scales seriously for the first time, what you will need is coaching and instruction on how to approach the study of scales, from he ground up. This is the brilliance of the book "Scales" by Simon Fischer. He shows you how to do it. In my opinion Fischer makes Flesch largely obsolete.

I agree with John A that a metronome is very useful. So is the approach of increasing the tempo by changing the rhythm of the scale from quarters to quarter triplets to eighths, etc.

Learning all 24 by the end of the summer, that's pretty ambitious. I recommend choosing the keys of the pieces you are working on.

One thing you just have to accept about scale practice is that the textbook fingerings for the three-octave scales will hardly ever apply directly to passages you encounter in concertos or orchestral parts. That's why I agree with the previous post that learning to play very well scales in low positions (even if only two octaves) is very important because you learn the relationships among the various finger positions and your intonation will improve along with that.

July 8, 2014 at 08:53 AM · I agree with those who like Simon Fischer's structuring approach which he attributes to his familiarity with the Jahnke scale book. I have been giving them to my students with great success, AND I love the fact that he actually wrote them all out so that the students actually practice on them.

July 8, 2014 at 11:51 AM · I have got Simon's scale book and its a great reference tool.

But as people say, scales covering every note on the fingerboard should be in your head, with the fact that its only certain finger patterns and these cover all the scales etc.

The best thing to do is play scales and arpeggios in the keys your pieces and studies are in, plus a few of the more obvious ones as well.

It's good to do one or two octave scales also using just one finger on one string, it improves ear training. (Banging a finger down on the next note does not guarantee it will be in tune, but moving from one note to the next along the string using one finger relies totally on ear training and a sense of pitch).

July 8, 2014 at 02:08 PM · I'd suggest Barbara Barber's _Scales for Advanced Violinists_.

http://www.amazon.com/Scales-Advanced-Violinists-Barbara-Barber/dp/0769296033#

This book was recommended to my 14-yo daughter by her teacher and I think it does a good job breaking down the study of scales into manageable bites.

July 8, 2014 at 03:29 PM · Hi Lotan!

I use Carl Flesch scale system, but I only focus on one scale right now so I can play it really well.

And at the same time I do two scales from Max Adler's studies, which are really good for practicing high positions (I'm also in high school right now!) :)

July 8, 2014 at 03:34 PM · If your scales need a lot of work I think you shell focus on one or two scales at a time and work with details. Focus on your technical issues and then when you move on to a new scale it will be way more easy.

Don't rush trough them if they need a lot of work!

July 10, 2014 at 04:16 AM · One thing I really like about the Fischer is the way he starts with interval patterns that build into scales--this lets you work on tonal relationships as well as the 'step-wise' mostion of scales themselves.

Fischer also explains what he's doing very clearly; the introductions are like a lesson in themselves.