Are Scales That Important??
January 31, 2004 in Articles
jazz-addicted writes “Hey, I’m 13 years old and I’ve been playing the alto for two years. I really like playing the alto and I really like jazz. Are scales so important?? My teacher wants me to learn them all but I just want to play songs, because playing scales is… boring. Could any of you tell if they really are so important?? And why??”
Basically, scales are the building blocks of music. Have completely, instant access to recall a scale is invaluable. Think being able to look at a run of notes and instantly knowing that is it a Db Major scale. Or the first 6 notes are Db Major, then the next 6 are in A Major.
Plus, learning all your major scales is easy. Sit down and take a couple of hours and do it. Knowing all 12 major scales makes relative minor scales ( vi minor), dorian minor scales (ii minor), and phrygian minor (iii minor) scales a piece of cake. Then you can learn harmonic and melodic minor scales, whole tone (just two of those), diminished (3 of them), etc, etc. It is all part of the vocabulary of music, and you especially know all these scales for Jazz. Your ability to play jazz will be impeded if you do not have full command of all your scales. How can you even hope to be able to play chord changes?
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zibalatz said on February 22, 2004
Overall, yes, scales are important, and is important to internalize them at an early stage. I don’t think your teacher is wrong in emphasizing their practice.
Basically, all melodies are derived from scales, and the more you practice them, the more easily you’ll be able to play melodies, and the more easily you’ll be able to come up with them yourself during improvisation.
As boring as scales might seem now, there are always ways to make scale practice more fun, however. For example, let’s say one of things you’re supposed to practice is all of your major scales in the “cycle of 4ths/5ths” (e.g.: play your C major scale up and down, then F major scale up and down, then Bb major up and down, etc). To make it more fun, try improvising on those scales instead of just playing the scales mechanically. How about playing a single pattern that links the subsequent scales together? (Try something like this: C E G E -> F A C A -> Bb D F D -> etc )
Anyway, yes, scales are important, but you can always create ways to practice them that are more enjoyable than pure mechanics!