My son is taking violin lessons from a new teacher and he has him playing scales in a way I haven't seen before (I took violin lessons many years ago). In, say, a three octave G-major scale, he teaches some kind of flourish at the beginning and end of the scale. Instead of going from g to a, b, c, d etc. he tells him to start with g, B, A, g ( or something like that...) -- then up the scale in the usual way and finishing with the same flourish.

I'm not questioning this, just curious as to the reason..

Thanks

Teachers who have been taught some of the Ivan Galamian techniques and methods often do this. I believe it has something to do with establishing intonation and finger patterns.

ah...ok then, thanks!

I would assume that it is to establish the base position of the scale before starting it to help the player find it, and at the end to re-establish it if it had become slightly out-of-tune. I've heard of similar things being done for those reasons.

that sounds logical -- thanks!

This type of flourish is expected in our scales on my syllabus for all scales... I found it strange when they suddenly changed it as well.