I thought I would share an idea for practising I have started, mainly because after years of frustration, I find it works!!! My problem, esp with scales and technical things, was always that I was never very thorough becasue I tried to do everyting and there was no routine. Consequently, I found I was not really getting much better at anything.

So, I thought I would try something new, esp with my Grade 6 in the autumn (this technique needs 3 or 4 months to work). Basically, I start in week 1 with A and do everything connected with A - scales, arpegios, contrary motion, chromatic starting on A and I also practise my jazz voicings and scales, only based on the note A (not for the exam). Then, in week 2, I move to Bb, but every day I still review A. Then in week 3, I try B and so on. I am now at C# and it is working a treat. My scales have never felt so solid and I feel I really know them.

It seems that it forces you to concentrate on a very small range of work and also, the reinforcing works each day becasue you KNOW you are reinforcing what you did the day before

I deliberately forced myslef not to start on C as that would have been too easy.

Any thoughts - am I missing something or maybe everyone practises this way!!!

Anyway, I have found it works and if anyone else tries it and it works, then that's great.

Richiscoul

That seems like a great way of practising. It breaks it down a lot! I wish i'd thought of it b4 lol ive always just jumped straight in with no routine and it seems much harder to learn scales etc.

wow~! that's a terrific idea~! thanks for sharing it with us. maybe i'll start practising with this method tomorrow.

v-good idea

I use the cycle of 5ths approach for major and minor scales.(Daily) However i'm not sure how good that is as i can play every major and minor scale(harmonic/melodic) in about 10 minutes with very little mental effort, they have just become patterns so to speak. It helps to play with them in 3rd's or arpeggios as well as improvising with them. This way you still need to think about the key structure and muscular paterns.

On the circle of fifths - I used to do this then my teacher told me how one of his students used this method and she was brilliant at the scales, but only played in that order. So, before the exam, they were doing a run-through and they found that while she could do them in order, if they were picked at random, she was hopeless!!!

When I did the circle of fifths, I was also too predictable and I always started on C which meant that I usually didn't give the attention to the less 'popular' keys.

Richiscoul

I know what you mean about order, I found I could only play scales in a certain way and that it's very important to do different things as the days go by. I really find adding lots of variety keps the interest up! Some routines I do are:

Work up the octave playing every major / minor scale (i.e. C maj & Cmin; Db maj & Db min etc)

Work up the octave playing major / relative minor (i.e. C maj & A min; Db maj & Bb min etc)

Work round the circle of fifths playing major, dominant sub dominant and rel. minor (i.e. C maj, Gmaj, Fmaj & A min; etc).

I vary these by either playing everything in parallel motion and then repeating in contary motion (not too good at contary motion black key starts), or playing parallel followed by contary on each key.

I also do 'Russian scales'. which are very good training although not in any exams. You start an octave apart and play in contary motion for 2 octaves so your hands are 5 octaves apart; then inwards for two octaves so you come back to the starting point, then change direction with right hand so you go into parallel motion for two octaves and back to the starting point. They're explained properly in the ABRSM Manual of scales & argpegois. You can work out quite a lot of different versions and play arpegios in the same pattern.

I like to use the Scale Game devised by Philip Johnston of www.practicespot.com to randomise scales. It works brilliantly, and really finds out the scales that don't work first time.

The full url is: http://www.practicespot.com/a/?26

It is easily adaptable to fit the scale requirements of different grades and instruments.

I ujsed to learn mine on a rota, so each day I would have, for example, all the maj and min arpeggios, scales etc of F, A and Bb, the following day another set etc.

Then when they were learned I used the old fashioned randomising technique of puttig them all in a bag and shaking it up and picking one out. Worked for me.

The main problem I see with your technique is that the later scales will not be as secure as the earlier ones. Fine i you have lots of time to learn them, but not so good if you are in a rush.

Hi Julie

I agree with what you are saying. I think my plan was that it would be a rolling programme so that when I was finished with all 12, I would start again so in time, each would be equal although once solid, each may not need a week of work, maybe just a day, then the sequence would be done within two weeks.

RC

I will be interested to see how it works out.

The boardgame's a good idea but a simpler way is just to write out all your scales on bits of paper and put them in a tub. Each day take out a number at random and practice those.