Audition Scales

September 23, 2005 at 01:33 AM · Hey, i'm also about to audition for conservatories. Usually minor scales are melodic...well i had juries for violin in my high school and it was similar - they asked for 3 octaves major/minor scales and arpeggios. I used Hrimaly's scales/arpeggios back then..and i'll probably end up using them again..but dont worry because you're probably in very good shape since you play flech scales

September 23, 2005 at 07:07 PM · Generally they ask for melodic minor, if at all. I auditioned at many of the conservatories and not a single one asked me for my scales. Not to say that they are not important and that they won't ask for them, but for the most part you won't find them too much. As long as you know them very well, you'll be fine. You don't need to play them terribly fast- once you get to college they will most likely teach you scales as they would like to.

September 24, 2005 at 04:28 PM · Hi,

As a violin professor, here is what I require if it helps (and practice myself). Major and minor scales (harmonic minor and melodic minor) in 3 octaves - I use the Galamian Scales with the acceleration exercise. Then the Flesch system arpeggios, the broken thirds and chromatic scales. For double-stops - thirds, sixths, octaves, fingered octaves and tenths in normal regular two octave scales. I ask here only the major and melodic minor forms, though there is no harm in practice also harmonic minor double-stop scales.

I think that covering this should give you a thorough enough background and is traditional and comprehensive enough to fulfill the requirements of most professors, though there are some out there who require, though not at the audition, that the complete Flesch scale system be known.

At an audition they will not hear a whole system. They may ask for a specific key of something specific or let you pick the key. Depends on who and where. Sometimes, they may not hear a scale at all.

Best of luck and Cheers!