(piano)

I practice 1.5 hours a day, yet I never seem to have enough time for my scales.
How do you get all your scales all good (no mistakes)?

I practice random ones everyday, but I end up practicing the ones I like which isn't good.

If I practice them in order, that isn't good.



I have

The same thing again but in staccato

the 24 24 24 thing

the chromatic thing

those contrary motion things

those arpeggi

those dim 7ths.

and various bits

Hi David_t

Seems only two possibilities -
i) learn to play them all at double speed so you get twice as much in.
ii) increase your practice time.

Seriously the second is the only answer. I practice a limited amount of scales (to deal with a technical problem called 'sloppy playing') and include a couple of cadenza items, for which I had to increase practice time - not possible every day but I fit it in when I can.
I no longer have to practice scales but I still do for various reasons.

Why don't you start your practice with scales?! I always play some to warm up (on the flute) and I find it's a very relaxing way to start, rather than plunging straight into playing your pieces! And I think the only way to learn them is to really have some practices where you only play scales. As soon as you're reasonably good at them, they start to be really fun!

practise systematically, and play your scales first, or at least straight after you warm up.

make a list of the scale you need to know, and commit to playing all of them at least once over the course of a week (that's reeeeeeeeeeally not that hard and not that many scales)

learn them sloooooooooooowly... the only way to not make mistakes is to never make mistakes. play them at a speed where you can play them absolutely perfectly (however slow that is) until you actually know them. then, and only then, start to increase the speed.

learn some discipline... the only way you can learn scales is to make time and make yourself learn them

no way that you don't have time... you just need to realise that your scales have to have a priority, probably in some ways at least or more important than your pieces. scales will help your technique, your comfort in playing in every key, they will give you a real grasp on the geography on the instrument.

work out the scales you need (at present) to know, and commit to practicing each once at least once a week, which really isn't a huge commitment; learn the scales as slowly as you need to be able to play them perfectly every time, and speed them up only when you really know them (much easier to learn them well slowly and then speed them up than try and get rid of mistakes playing at a higher speed)

the ones that are real pigs - make a note of them and practice them above and beyond the "once every week" practice.

when you practice scales, don't play them once and leave them - PRACTICE them! Play them at different tempi and dynamics. Be certain that you are playing them as well as you can. Spot any mistakes and practice to iron them out.

apologies for all the double postings - didn't realise that the board doesn't get updated over the weekend!

I have a 4 day rota for scales (piano grade 8).
That way it is only about half an hour each day.

*nods*. I'm not doing for a grade particularly.... but I do (so far) all the keys in major, minors (both), arpeggios (obviously!) and harmonic minor & major contrary motion, also chromatic scales similar and contrary and in minors thirds on everything, and that weird grade 6 one (starting on C & E contrary motion) - all those at least once a week takes me no more than half an hour, and less if I happen to be on a day where the ones on my "rota" are ones I've got into more easily (for some reason the one I'm really stuck on is Bb minor contrary, it just seems so awkward!) I'm branching out into dominant and dimished thirds now!! hehe. and one of these days I will make a serious stab at doing stacatto scales, too. but I haven't yet worked them into the scheme of things. but really, once you're organised, it doesn't take up masses of time. if you limit it to the scales you actually need to learn then you will find you can get through a surprising number and learn them well without spending hours each day doing them. much better than coming up to the exam and realising you haven't learned ANY... or that you only know the easy ones!