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  • #9948
    Anonymous

      Since last December i set aside half an hour after doing Johnny’s daily
      practice routine just to practice major scales C/G/D/A/F/B/E, relative
      harmonic minor scales A/E/B/F#/D/G/C, and their Arpeggios(14).
      Some of the scales i practiced across 2 octaves, some by a 12th,
      and some just an Octave.
      I always practiced them 2 ways each with a metronome, one by memory,
      and the other by sight reading. Sometimes i played them tongued,
      sometimes slurred, sometimes i played them swing style,
      sometimes i played soft to loud increasing volume as evenly as possible
      or the reverse loud to soft, or played the scale starting at the other end.
      Why just these scales – no other reason than just to manage scales up
      to 3 sharps & 3 flats with the intention of adding another sharp & flat every month.
      I’ve been doing this everyday for 2 months not counting illness or family interruptions.
      After the scales i then practice various sight reading songs and a couple of
      songs i’m learning to play.

      It’s only now that i am actualy starting to notice the difference in my
      playing that practicing scales with a metronome has!

      2 months ago i would plod my way through a scale , now i can work my
      way round them more flowingly.. the effects show up when playing sheet
      music in these scales – less plodding around!
      Doing the arpeggios is good, as i now know the intervals 1,3,5,7,12.
      the 12th is just the 5th an octave higher.
      The 1st 3 intervals gives the chord for a key!

      #13462
      john
      Keymaster

        Yes and good for you, sounds like a solid routine that you can handle and is working for you! I grew up hating the metronome but was told to use it. They do make a difference. When we work without them we’re missing out.

        #13463
        Anonymous

          Yes working scales for at least half an hour with a metronome, is like marching in time for half an hour,
          one two three four one two three four ..

          So afterwards when you play a piece of sheet music, you sort of naturaly fall back into the scale beat,
          without realising it.

          you get this in built timing clock .. like when you’ve been on a ship for a few hours and you walk onto
          land you get this swaying sensation when you walk,

          Stop the pre-scale metronome exercises and you find yourself unnecessarily having to concentrate
          more on the timing – in my case.

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