Klarinet Archive - Posting 000139.txt from 2006/02
From: "Rob Pratt" <rpratt@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Practicing Scales
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 12:26:06 -0500
Hello.
I think scales/patterns are excellent practice:
* First, they help me play in any key (relatively) effortlessly. If I
know what a certain key signature "feels like" from playing scales, then
I don't have to think about which notes are sharped or flatted. I can
focus on playing music instead of playing notes.
* Scale practice also helps in sight reading (and rehearsing repertoire,
for that matter). If I can identify a difficult passage as related to a
scale that I've practiced, then no problem nailing it--sometimes even
the first time through.
* I play a lot of jazz, and scales are fundamental to modern concepts of
jazz improvisation.
A few things I've learned about practicing scales:
* First, from jazz saxophonist and bass clarinettist Bob Mintzer I
learned to practice scales *from the lowest note on the horn to the
highest note on the horn*. Often players practice scales by starting and
ending on the root. That's only useful if the music you're playing
starts scale runs on the root--and that happens very infrequently! So a
good aim for scale practice is to be able to run any scale beginning on
any scale tone.
* Combining scales with interval practice has really boosted my
technique. My suggestion: Once you've mastered the basic scales (shoot
first for major scales in every key), start running the scales in
intervals--seconds, thirds, fourths, etc. By running in intervals, I
mean the following, using a C scale in thirds as an example (and, again,
practice it from lowest note on the horn to highest note on the horn
instead of root to root):
C E D F E G F A G B A C B D C
* Finally, running scales as fast as it's possible for you to keep all
the notes even and clear will show you where you need to work on your
technique. Anyone can run an F scale fast on a clarinet. Take it up a
step and try to run the F# scale fast, and you'll quickly learn where
you need to do some work to sharpen up your technique.
I still practice scales/patterns/arpeggios several times a week since
getting really serious about woodwind playing some 25 years ago. Sure,
it's hard to get through the first few weeks when you're struggling to
internalize the scales, but after that it's not so bad. Now that I've
mastered scales, I find them almost meditative--a chance to center
myself in my instrument, listen to my tone and focus my mind in the
moment so I can make music.
Finally, please don't worry about all the scales/arpeggios everyone says
to learn. Start simply with major scales and get them down cold. Then
take, maybe, major and minor arpeggios. Start small and develop the
habit of always pushing yourself in practice to learn new ways of using
scales/arpeggios/patterns. You don't have to do all of them right now;
you have a lifetime of playing to work on 'em :-)
Regards,
Rob Pratt
rpratt@-----.com
Santa Cruz, Calif.
-----Original Message-----
From: Palmer, Padraic [mailto:padraic.palmer@-----.com]=20
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2006 8:16 AM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: [kl] Practicing Scales
I've decided to go back to playing the clarinet after years of
neglect.I've decided this time round to start from scratch and learn all
the major,minor,arpeggio's and chromatics.I've been told to do and like
many woodwind players,really don't want to be practicing scales.Can
anyone tell me please,what is the big deal about learning scales,I know
this may be an obvious question to some but I just don't get why they
are so important!
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