when do you come down in c major, or doesn't it get a look in?

I managed to come down in C major at the end

The same happens to me so I try and learn the fingering rather than the notes

I'm amazed that you think it does matter!!

Why do you feel the need to say your scales? What benefits does it have?

Surely what really matters is the sound which emerges...?

I'm amazed you've asked the question, seeing as I've said several times on this thread why I wanted to do it

And we all learn in different ways, don't we - this is my way of learning even if it's not yours or anybody else's, again as I've said elsewhere on this thread

Indeed...

But what I asked was what benefits you feel you get from using this method...

I can think of some.

It could help with key awareness meaning less time trying to work out what the sharps or flats you need.
It makes scale related questions on theory papers easier.

And isn't it a good idea to actually know what notes you are playing?

I don't think it's something you necessarily need to do at speed.

You may not understand what I've said already, but please don't worry any more about it .... just put it down to a personal thing that you don't need to puzzle over

Thanks everybody for your helpful advice. I'm very grateful for the suggestions you've all given me

Not necessarily... After all, when I play scales on clarinet, I don't usually know what notes I'm playing... I know I start on a certain note, and then play a major (or minor) scale... It's just about knowing what a major (or minor) scale sounds like and then making sure that what you play sounds like that...

Ok... not necessarily to be able to recite them at speed but if you stopped on one would you know what it was?

This is where I think there is a difference between playing scales for exams and using scale patterns to play music. In an exam you can just wizz up and down the scale and just listen to make sure the pattern is right. When you are playing music, however, you need to be able to recognise and play a scale starting and ending on any note. (What I mean is the piece may have a bit of an E major scale, for example, starting on C# and finishing on B for example). To do this you cannot rely just on the overall sound of the scale pattern and having the finger patterns fluently under your fingers is only helpful if you can instantly start and stop whenever you want. Also, as someone else has said, knowing how many sharps and flats there are in the differenty keys helps considerably when sight-reading.

it's a very good point Kerioboe.
... about playing a scale in a particular key but not necessarily starting on the tonic!

There is a brilliant book* for sax players (and the idea clearly can be adapted for other instruments) which shows scales in all keys and starting on all possible notes of the scale. It's quite a big volume, but so comprehensive that if you use it conscientiously what amazing technique you would have.

I have found from time to time that I choose a key to work in for that practice session, play some of the exercises and then perhaps I make a slip up; so I start again and I can't play it. In other words, let's say it's Eb major day, I suddenly find I struggle to play Eb major if I have to start on any note other than the tonic. It seems like a scale I've not seen before!! To me it means I don't know it well enough

and how often do composers help us by putting scales that start on the tonic into their compositions?


* It's a great book for sax players, by ... .... . . . Joe Viola

Is this what it looks like, SaxFan?

Yup, I agree. Being able to whiz up and down scales, and being able to know exactly where you are and where you're going, are different sides of the same "coin" and are both useful. I wouldn't worry about someone not being able to name all the notes in their scales at speed (though I wouldn't consider it a bad thing) but if they only knew the scales aurally, and didn't have some understanding why they were the way they were, and what they look like on the page, then they are surely missing some of the theory behind the notes, and have missed out on the "useful for sight-reading" side of scales.

SaxFan: the book sounds like a great idea, and I agree, it's possible to know a scale up and down over two octaves and still not really know it well enough for it to be optimally useful.