Why Scales and Technique Are Important

The “Split Pea Soup” of Becoming a Musician

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do!

Again….

1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… 8!

Again….

C… D… E… F… G… A… B… C!

Again…

Raise your hand if you like scales! Anybody? Anybody? Bueller? That’s what I thought. Who likes scales? Ugh! NOBODY! Then why are we torturing ourselves playing SCALES? Could there be a more Split Pea Soup aspect to learning how to play music? It’s bland. It’s boring. And it makes you want to gag. Bleh! (Apologies to those who might, indeed, be fans of Split Pea Soup.)

We briefly addressed the topic of scales a few months back in our blog about Auditions.

“It’s probably the most boring thing we teach, but the closest thing to a shortcut there is to learn how to play your musical instrument with advanced technical proficiency.”

And we stand by this. Scales are a structured, short exercise that help us along the path towards being technically savvy with our instrument. Much in the same way that surgeons do hand exercises in order to perform delicate procedures on the human body, musicians do scales to play their instrument(s) more efficiently with control, finesse, and endurance.

Can’t We Just Skip It?

According to Andy, “In music there is no magic bullet. There is no cheat code. The closest thing to an easy route in music is learning all of your scales with proficiency. All music is built using the language and grammar of scales as a base.”

Scales build your muscle memory for the patterns you see in music by creating a scaffolding in your brain where everything is on your instrument, and it fits together so you don’t have to work or think as hard. You are essentially programming the muscle memory when you learn and then practice scales.

The Benefits of Scales

So now what? We know why scales are important, but that doesn’t really sell the whole doing it bit.

As any seasoned, experienced or even professional musician will tell you, there is a science behind practicing scales that leads you to becoming a better musician. Here’s why:

• Scales train your brain. The repetitive nature of scales — the ho-hum yawning of it all — is the very reason that they’re beneficial to your training, technique and performance. That’s because repetitive actions strengthen neural pathways in your brain which helps you improve motor skills and increase muscle memory.
• Repetition builds confidence. If you’ve ever had to give a speech in public, you’ve more than likely spent considerable time rehearsing it. The more you practice, the greater your confidence when it comes time to deliver your speech. Scales provide the same benefit, increasing a musician’s confidence in their ability to perform well.
• Scales improve sight-reading and improvisational skills. Scales build a strong foundation of musical knowledge, helping a musician to better recognize patterns, understand key signatures, and develop finger dexterity which leads to faster and more intuitive playing.

So now you know how scales benefit you. At this point you should consider a few practice strategies that can really help you if you’re resistant to doing scales or are feeling burnt out practicing them.

The Approach to Scales by Instrument

How we approach scales is different for piano vs woodwinds.

Piano

When a student begins taking piano lessons it takes a long time to get to the point at which they can play full scales. Part of the reason we don’t get to them sooner is because we are building the skills necessary to coordinate the fingers and build up their strength and dexterity.

By the time we have students working on scales we’re introducing them as a way to understand key signatures. Playing the scale and a chord pattern (I-IV-I-V7-I) before playing the song helps reinforce the sharps or flats a student needs to remember.

Additionally, by this point in the musical journey piano students are working on pieces that are far more complex than Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Students at this level need to do more than just play a few pieces a day when they practice. More complicated compositions require more effort and attention. Scales and chords are the structured, targeted warm-ups and exercises needed to help them learn their music faster while unblocking any tricky technical passages.

Woodwinds

Woodwind students get to their scales far faster than piano students. I’d argue that they get to a full scale faster than their brass or string peers in the band and orchestra as well. That’s because we use a different instruction method for woodwinds than brass, strings, and piano which helps woodwind students learn their notes more quickly.

By the time they have completed their early instruction books they can already play a two-range chromatic scale and have demonstrated five to six scales. And that is when the fun begins.

Depending on the instrument, the following might happen in a slightly different order, but eventually we both get around to:

• Major scales full range of instrument — excluding “altissimo” ranges
• Playing by numbers — reinforcing major scales while introducing all three forms of minor scales
• Chromatic scale
• Harmonic minor scales full range of instrument
• Scale in 3rds full range
• Scale in 4ths full range

Staying Sane While Wading Through the Muck

While scales are inarguably uninteresting, there are ways you can make them more so and at the same time, help target specific goals you might have regarding tonguing/articulating or speeding up your fingers. Try one or a combination of the following games:

• Change rhythm
• Change articulations
• Use a metronome

At some point you’ll probably run out of games. That’s when practicing scales can become more of a meditation or mindfulness exercise. You could even liken it to lifting weights. How many reps have you done? How many days in a row have you done them?

Just remember, friends don’t let friends miss Scale Day… Finger Day… Solfège Day — whatever you need to tell yourself to feel better about it.

Find out more about our teaching methods at A Kopp Music. Questions? Feel free to contact us.