I want to start memorising my Grade 8 scales when my exams finish, but it just seems so daunting, especially the minor scales, when I do practice them, I just seem to forget them by the next day. Any tips?

Have you tried splurting the minor scales? I found that helpful. I still found them more difficult that majors - they're more awkward fingerings.

Splurts

I'm assuming from having read your previous posts that you actually know the notes of all the scales and that what is a problem is your fingers remembering how to do them on the flute. In which case maybe my oboe teacher's suggestions might help.

I initially tried practicing scales on the oboe the way I did on the piano and did them note based (I think like the Trinity exams) so I would take "D" and play D major, D minor (melodic and harmonic, the arpgeggios etc.) My oboe teacher (who is also a pianist) said this is actually counter productive on a wind instrument because of the fingerings.

His advice was the following. Play a major scale (which I presume you know) over the whole range of your instrument slurred and tongued. When you can do this happily play it down only starting on the tonic note of the relative minor and stopping on the tonic note of the relative minor. (ie if you have worked on C major, start on a high A and play down to the lowest A possible). This gives you your melodic minor descending. When you can do this happily (both slurred and tongued and whatever other aritculation you want to do), go up sharpening the sixth and seventh. This gives you the melodic minor going up. Stop on the highest tonic for a breath (you may not need it but the pause does separate in your mind the ascending and the descending) and then come back down. When you can do this comfortably miss out the pause in the middle. The first time you try this you may need to spread it over a couple of practice sessions but I have found it gets quicker after a while.

Once you are sure you can play the melodic minor up and down move on to the harmonic minor where you just have to sharpen the seventh.

I am not learning the oboe scales for an exam so I am not particularly stressed about them but I do remember when I was learning piano scales I started by making a list of all the ones I could play comfortably and then drew up a calendar and marked when I hoped to learn each of the scales I didn't know. Once a week I used to test myself on all the scales I thought I knew by picking bits of paper with the scale written on them out of a hat. Any I found I didn't know had to be put back on the learning calendar somewhere.

I think it is important not to be put off by what seems a huge task and to break it down into do-able chunks.

Couldn't agree more with this, it seems so daunting when you go "ack, I need to know all of those??" but when you break it down and also when you realise which scales you already know, it becomes less terrifying.

use 5 mins to practise 1 scalesand only learin 1 scale per day . Use dotted rhythm , it really helps.

Even when I omit the majors, it still seems like a pretty long list!



Ok, thanks I will try that

You know some of the minors too - and some of them are nice and straightforward. Whole tone scales aren't too bad once you figure out the pattern... and so on

Take it one scale at a time instead of worrying about the whole bunch, and don't jump straight into playing it at exam speeds but give yourself time to learn, and you'll be fine.

Started practising G# minor melodic yet?

Well, not really.

I did some whole tone scales for my Guildhall grade 7, I tend to listen to the sound once I have it rather than the notes.

Nope, haven't even picked up my flute today - it'll probably be as bad as my revision is going

Agree. Do make sure that the scale you are playing is totally accurate before trying to speed it up. A lot of the scales are straightforward, as Sarah's said, so you can focus your attention on some of those scales you're currently less happy with.

Also bear in mind that there is only really one chromatic scale you need to do - the three octave one starting on C - because if you can do that, you can do any chromatic the examiner asks you for.

The chromatics should be alright....just the icky minors

Take them one at a time.... you've got plenty of time to get there.

Are you happy with the dominant and diminished 7ths? I think it's well worth looking at Sarah's complete guide to scales and arpeggios on Viva Woodwind too.

diminished 7ths!

Yeah, I'm weird

I actually understand dominant 7ths now (as opposed to grade 5 when I didn't)

I don't know how many I know, I am very bad with scales, I should practice them mroe

I love them too!

Have you played the second movement of the Handel Am sonata, Sarah? Lots of spooky dim 7ths in that.

Glad it's not just me

Ooh now I didn't know that - that'll be in the 11 Sonatas book won't it? I'll have a look!

ps: is that the flute one rather than the one that's written for recorder? just had a quick look through and it looks like that's the one but haven't got time to have a play.

thanks for the tip

It's the recorder one, HWV 362.

I've just had to disturb the dog, who had gone to sleep on a pile of music including the Handel.

Yep, good idea .

I had a v quick run through of the flute one before I went out and went, oh, must be the other one!

Apologies to your dog...

I recorded G# minor (melodic) for you Sarah

Well done! That means I need to record it for you too...

Whilst we're on the subject of scales, what are "scales in thirds"? I don't think I've ever heard of these before (unless they also go under some other name (arpeggios???)), but my teacher said to me a couple of lessons ago, "next time we'll try some scales in thirds" and I worried about it for a whole month (I only have monthly lessons...). Then in the next lesson she forgot / ran out of time!

So this month, I'm thinking like a Girl Guide - Be Prepared!! But since I don't actually know what they are, it's a bit tricky

Hazel

On the flute?

They're where you do jumps in 3rds...

*thinks*

So for instance, F major you would play F A G Bb A C Bb D etc etc

Make sense??

For some reason I can play them no problem going up but have trouble coming back down!

Thanks! - yes I did mean flute, sorry I forget that things like that can mean something entirely different on say a violin or piano. I had toyed with the idea that it was something to do with harmonics and the "third" note you get when you overblow an octave, but that just seemed too complex - thank goodness it wasn't that

So, I think I understand it now...by thirds you mean two notes further up the same scale, interspersed into the scale itself....but I'm now wondering , "why?" Is this a common device in any particular type of music? I've just cleaned my flute out thoroughly before putting away for the night so I don't want to get it out again to try and play one, and I just can't "hear" it properly in my head until I've played it, to work out what's going on. I'll have a bash tomorrow and let you know how I get on!

Thanks

Hazel

I guess it's just another way of getting to know your flute really well, I haven't seen a straight scale in 3rds in music, but bits of them or almost-them aren't uncommon.

Hi Sarah, tried to PM you about this but it bounced back!

Just wanted to say thanks for helping me get to grips with "scales in thirds" - I think they sound lovely. And once I'd played a few I started to think of several pieces where bits of them appear - Gossec's Tambourin has a bit of one, as does the Gavotte from Handel's sonata in C major. No doubt I shall find more as I keep playing!

Thanks

Hazel

Sorry - my inbox was full!

Glad you're getting on OK with them - I agree they sound good when you get them going I should practice them more...