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ONE OCTAVE SCALES IN SERIES
- ONE OCTAVES SCALES IN SERIES are a collection of major and
minor scales from three sharps to four flats--all the keys needed for
Grade 3 repertoire. They are scored and fingered for violin,
viola, cello and bass alone or in any combination.
- If all players could master this material by
the end of the 7th grade, they
would be truly equipped to handle most
middle school performance material.
- Ability to play in eight different key signatures requires
the mastery of the four finger patterns in the first
position. Students need to know how to produce all the chromatic
pitches. All the major method books address these concepts by the
end of Volume II. If mastery of the basic finger patterns
has not accomplished by using a method book, THEN
THEY MUST BE LEARNED SOMEHOW!
- Refer to the finger
pattern charts as a guide for teaching the various finger
patterns. Students need to move easily from one pattern to
another. A pattern is used on one string may need to
change on a neighboring string. Mobility and agility are
required. Listen carefully.
- Teachers who neglect this crucial stage of learning are
doomed to many years of bad intonation. The music industry cranks
out loads of arrangements in D major. As a result the students
fail to learn other finger patterns; every C natural, F natural
and G sharp is a discord waiting to happen.
- Remember this: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS OPEN A-FLAT
(or E-flat, or G-sharp). Frequent mistakes like these are a
sign of incomplete teaching.
- All scales will sound in octaves in an orchestra
setting. Violin and Viola parts are in first
position. Cellos will have forward and backward extensions
and an occasional shift.
- The bass parts are necessarily the hardest since the span
of an
octave
in some keys goes beyond first position. Nevertheless, no attempt
was made to "dumb down" this part. All too often editors will
jump suddenly down an octave to avoid shifting. Good bass players
have to
learn to shift earlier than players in other sections.
- Teachers will want to begin by playing every note at least
four times so that players can adjust pitch.
- Gradually, reduce to twice, then once. Finally, the
tempo can be raised to any practical level.
- Teachers may want to begin with D major or some other
convenient key and work to the key with one more sharp or one more
flat. It shouldn't be long until the sequence of whole and half
steps can be recognized as being the same in any key.
- If students are not familiar with the melodic minor
form, some instruction will be required.
- Five minutes of scales at the start of an orchestra
rehearsal make a good warm-up. Choose keys that pertain to the
orchestral repertoire.
- An assigned scale makes a convenient add-on to a chair
audition or a report card test. The entire series makes a good
final exam or a "rite of passage" into the next more advanced orchestra.
- Midi accompaniments for this series of scales at several
tempi are supplied for individual practice.
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