I have been learning the classical way with proper and consistent fingering for all scales and modes including sight reading and different techniques(staccato, tenuto...) I am now at the point where I use all the basics as warm up to learn new things. One of these things is exploring the scales. What I mean by that is that I no longer ascend or descend on the piano(that's the warm up)but look for melodic inspiration through the scales. However, I sometimes find it difficult. I know I am training my brain do do a new thing and it feels like I am fighting my muscle memory. It also feels like I want I should abandon the fingering I've spent so long to learn and perfected. Can you all share your experience. Do I feel that way because I am breaking the rhythm of my practise? Also, I only see a glimpse of why I should practise scales. I know it has accelerated learning pieces of music and I can note patterns and difficult or important moments in the music. Am I on the right path? Will it become clearer soon?
3 Answers
That's the problem with scales - they require certain fingerings so that they work and are smooth to play. Trouble is, in tunes, there may well be snippets of scales, say four or five consecutive notes from a scale, but there's often no good reason for using the actual fingering that you've become so used to for playing those notes, (due to the fingering either side).
An idea would be to take ,say, five consecutive notes from any scale, and play them in order, but, with different fingering from that that you use in a regular scale session.
You are on the right path. It sounds like you are beginning your journey into improvisation ('exploring the scales'). It is a tough journey, but keep at it and fluency will come. When you play something that catches your ear, stop and play it again. Figure out why you liked it. Reproduce it. Maybe try a variation of it (changing the notes or rhyme slightly). Finally, find other people's music that inspires you: learn it, mimic it, experiment with it. There are tons of great major scales ideas out there to add to your musical vocabulary!
Actually, the fingering scary when you are in different modes. I have no problems at all when picking up a new piece of music... in fact, because all music is based on scales, these patterns appear in all music...( I read a lot of music practising sight singing to help with sight reading) I understand fingering can vary. However, in my experience the basics are all so important. In fact, for example, there's no real set fingering for pentatonic scales or bebop... it's what you feel is best. But all is based on classic... or most of it and I was always able to sort out fingering and dexterity for new things. I like the first answer but would like more scared experienced