Mastering Your Scales

Scales are an essential part of your musical education. Mastering your scales is not only important for successful future auditions, but also one of the quickest ways to improve tone, articulation, nger prociency and sight reading skills. Practicing scales really pays off!

Learning The Scale

Memorizing The Scale

1. Determine what sharps or ats are in the key signature of the scale you want to play. 2. Confer with a ngering chart if there are any new notes in the scale. 3. With your hands off your clarinet, name each step of the scale aloud. 4. Add the metronome, set to a slow tempo, and say the note names in quarter notes at your desired tempo. 5. Say and nger with the metronome. 6. Play the scale in quarter notes. 7. Increase tempo or switch to eighth notes only when you can easily play the scale correctly and without any hesitation.

1. Make sure you can play the scale easily and without errors or hesitation before attempting to memorize it. You don't want to memorize any mistakes! 2. Flip the scale sheet over on the stand (don't just close your eyes). 3. What's in the key signature? 4. Without ngering, say the note names of the scale in quarter notes with your metronome. 5. Play the scale with the metronome. 6. Flip the music over and play the scale with the music to check for any mistakes. 7. Repeat!

Mastering Your Scales by Laura Grant www.grantclarinetstudio.com