I was wondering how all of you practice your scales. I
have never really been in the habit of slurring them. When you practice your
scales tongue them or slur or both? Do you feel there is a benefit to one way
over the other ? Kim
Scale Practice
Moderators: Classitar, pied_piper, Phineas
-
fluteluversmom
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Sun May 11, 2003 10:22 pm
Scale Practice
Some
days you catch the bus and other days it runs over you.
days you catch the bus and other days it runs over you.
-
FluteDiddy
- Posts: 197
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2003 4:32 pm
Scale Practice
In competition they tell you which way they want them.
Often slurring on the way up and tonguing on the way down or the opposite. So
you need to practice both ways. Some teachers even have you alternate all kinds
of ways to nothing they ask will throw you. I think last all state competition
was all the majors with arpeggios slurred on the way up and tongued on the way
down in two minutes or less. So you really need to practice both. Also some
pieces call for slurring aome tonguing so you need to be good at both
Often slurring on the way up and tonguing on the way down or the opposite. So
you need to practice both ways. Some teachers even have you alternate all kinds
of ways to nothing they ask will throw you. I think last all state competition
was all the majors with arpeggios slurred on the way up and tongued on the way
down in two minutes or less. So you really need to practice both. Also some
pieces call for slurring aome tonguing so you need to be good at both
F-Diddy the Man with the Purple flute
-
FluterJenn
- Posts: 71
- Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2003 11:12 am
Scale Practice
In florida for all-state and all-county we have to
tounge up, slur down on the scales and arpeggios in 2 min. or less.
tounge up, slur down on the scales and arpeggios in 2 min. or less.
-
sakuramimato
- Posts: 95
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2004 3:39 am
Scale Practice
In California, All-State (you can download the required
audition scales on [cbda.org]) Honor Band requires that you slur two, and tongue
two with staccato. On scales, I usually spend about 15-45 minutes doing
different varieties. I start off doing long tones with a tuner to see how each
note is registering. (It's suggested that you spend at least 2-5 minutes tuning
on solitary notes.) I usually do long tones on all 12 major scales then cut the
time in half from whole notes to half notes to quarter notes with the major
scales. As a break down, I usually practice scales as follows: 1. Long tones
with whole notes (slurred) 2. Long tones with half notes (slurred) 3. Quarter
notes with different scale patterns and articulations - 1x through slurred - 1x
through tongued - 1x through alternating two slurred notes and two tongued notes
- 1x through alternating two tongued notes and two slurred notes - 1x through
alternating three slurred notes and one tongued note - Tetrachords (to get
fingers warmed up) 4. Repeat step 3 with 8th notes 5. Repeat step 3 with 16th
notes 6. Chromatic *7. Repeat without scales book or scale sheet (through
memory) With order of scales, I usually go according to the circle of fourths,
but I switch to the circle of fifths every once in a while, and sometimes, I
transition between scales according to the chromatic scale, or the note a half
step above or below the played note (doing this, I start with the lowest or
highest note and ascend or descend the scales from there). It's better to start
with an extensive scales routine at an early age to get all the scales engraved
in your long term memory (it's beneficial in the long run). I know my routine
seems a little bit too extensive, but it does help to improve some key elements
that flutists need help on most: intonation, tone, breath support, articulation,
rhythm, etc. You can find more info at [http://www.music2master.com].
audition scales on [cbda.org]) Honor Band requires that you slur two, and tongue
two with staccato. On scales, I usually spend about 15-45 minutes doing
different varieties. I start off doing long tones with a tuner to see how each
note is registering. (It's suggested that you spend at least 2-5 minutes tuning
on solitary notes.) I usually do long tones on all 12 major scales then cut the
time in half from whole notes to half notes to quarter notes with the major
scales. As a break down, I usually practice scales as follows: 1. Long tones
with whole notes (slurred) 2. Long tones with half notes (slurred) 3. Quarter
notes with different scale patterns and articulations - 1x through slurred - 1x
through tongued - 1x through alternating two slurred notes and two tongued notes
- 1x through alternating two tongued notes and two slurred notes - 1x through
alternating three slurred notes and one tongued note - Tetrachords (to get
fingers warmed up) 4. Repeat step 3 with 8th notes 5. Repeat step 3 with 16th
notes 6. Chromatic *7. Repeat without scales book or scale sheet (through
memory) With order of scales, I usually go according to the circle of fourths,
but I switch to the circle of fifths every once in a while, and sometimes, I
transition between scales according to the chromatic scale, or the note a half
step above or below the played note (doing this, I start with the lowest or
highest note and ascend or descend the scales from there). It's better to start
with an extensive scales routine at an early age to get all the scales engraved
in your long term memory (it's beneficial in the long run). I know my routine
seems a little bit too extensive, but it does help to improve some key elements
that flutists need help on most: intonation, tone, breath support, articulation,
rhythm, etc. You can find more info at [http://www.music2master.com].