Klarinet Archive - Posting 000219.txt from 1997/07

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Pentatonic Scale
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 1997 18:02:08 -0400

On Mon, 7 Jul 1997, Ryan Lowe wrote:

> But these two forms that I asked about are the most useful to learn? I am
> trying to learn *all* of my scales. So far, I can play; major, natural
> minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor, blues (1,flat-3,4,flat-5,5,flat-7,8),
> "pentatonic major" (the form that I asked about) and "pentatonic minor". I
> am well aware that there are oodles (sp?) of other scales, but in my
> limited amount of time that I have each day, what would be the most useful
> to practice? What do each of you practice (scale-wise) religiously every day?

I think you have a good start. I play and recommend to my students all
that you have listed, except for me the pentatonic scales do not occupy
quite such an important place. In part, the scales we play will be
determined by the music you expect to play. If you aspire to be a jazz
player, the blues scales are of very much importance, and you will want to
include the pentatonic scales, too. Jazz players also need especially to
work on the modal scales - dorian, phrygian, lydian, mixolydian, and
locrian. (The major scale is also called Ionian and the natural minor is
Aeolian.) Of these, the dorian and mixolydian are most used, but all have
their place, along with various transformations of several of them.

But, for playing all types of music, what seems to me to be left out of
your routine are the symmetrical scales and arpeggios - the chromatic,
whole tone, diminished 7th arpeggio and the augmented triad arpeggio.
I would recommend playing these every time you practice for improving
technical contral of the instrument.

Be sure to use scales as a tool. There is no particular value in playing
scales for their own sake, if they do not result in improvements to your
playing. It would be an error of judgement to practice scales a great
deal to the detriment or exclusion of practicing actual music.

Ed Lacy
el2@-----.edu