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Peghead - Posted - 09/26/2012: 08:58:06
"The student who wishes to acquire a firm technique on the guitar should not neglect the patient study of scales. If he practices them two hours a day, he will correct faulty hand position, gradually increase the strength of the fingers, and prepare the joints for later speed studies. Thanks to the independence and elasticity which the fingers develop through the study of scales, the student will soon acquire a quality which is very difficult to gain later: physical beauty of sound…In order to derive the greatest possible benefit from the following exercise, play them slowly and vigorously at first, more lightly and rapidly later. Many hours or arduous and frequently futile exercise can be condensed into one hour of scales. The practice of scales enables one to solve a greater number of technical problems in a shorter time than any other exercise."
Andres Segovia
Preface to the booklet “Diatonic Major and Minor Scales”
KCFiddles - Posted - 09/26/2012: 09:42:47
Yeah, but what did he know? I saw him in Springfield, MO in 1963, and he didn't even know one Chuck Berry tune.
Peghead - Posted - 09/26/2012: 09:54:09
LOL -I hope you asked for your money back. BTW -are you going to Fiddle Hell?
KCFiddles - Posted - 09/26/2012: 12:01:50
Planning to be there..
p1cklef1sh - Posted - 09/26/2012: 19:45:17
One of the great dangers of our fast, modern tempo is that we will become so occupied
with incidentals, nonessentials, and minors that we shall neglect the fundamentals, essentials, and majors.
The "fun"damentals are no fun at all but are functional in shoring up our foundations.
I agree, disagree and compromise all at the same time with all the points of view possible, probable but not necessarily pragmatical.
You have to have a solid grip on the basics for every tune. Its absolutely essential. Every beginning has a starting point, I hope you didnt start from the middle.
Addie - Posted - 09/27/2012: 15:59:52
Leopold Auer says scales play slowly and softly. He didn't know any Chuck Berry either.
KCFiddles - Posted - 09/27/2012: 17:12:02
quote:
Originally posted by Addie
Leopold Auer says scales play slowly and softly. He didn't know any Chuck Berry either.
Not even "Roll Over, Beethoven"?
Kidding aside, scales are a huge help in learning to play, and especially in keeping your chops fresh for improvising, IMHO. Scales, broken scales, arpeggios, straight and broken, In every key and with every different bowing you can think of. Wish I did more of them. They're even kind of fun, if you want them to be.
OTJunky - Posted - 09/27/2012: 17:49:16
quote:
Originally posted by Addie
Leopold Auer says scales play slowly and softly. He didn't know any Chuck Berry either.
Who's Leopold Auer?
--OTJ
Addie - Posted - 09/27/2012: 18:01:47
quote:
Originally posted by OTJunky
quote:
Originally posted by Addie
Leopold Auer says scales play slowly and softly. He didn't know any Chuck Berry either.
Who's Leopold Auer?
--OTJ
The guy who said play scales slowly and softly, and who didn't know any Chuck Berry. 
KCFiddles - Posted - 09/27/2012: 19:46:05
quote:
Originally posted by OTJunky
quote:
Originally posted by Addie
Leopold Auer says scales play slowly and softly. He didn't know any Chuck Berry either.
Who's Leopold Auer?
--OTJ
Heifetz's teacher, as if you didn't already know. Also taught Elman, Milstein, and Zimbalist (Sr.). Violins -
giannaviolins - Posted - 09/28/2012: 02:31:22
I spent years practicing scales etc on piano, then on guitar. When I bother to practice (hardly ever) I integrate scale and similar work into the daily routine. I have heard rather well known professionals warming up with scales.
Mandogryl - Posted - 10/05/2012: 07:43:00
In my cello lessons we have been working on scales in the major keys of C, D, G, A, F, Bf, Ef, and Af so far.
Now we are working on the minor keys of Am and now Em - with scale work in natural, melodic, and harmonic, and what makes them as such. Part of the study is practising thirds and simple arppegios. I always warm up my morning hour of practise with the scales we are studying at the moment. I actually enjoy doing it; I also feel it is great for intonation.
martynspeck - Posted - 10/05/2012: 08:06:30
I find scales are useful when warming up to get the fingers to remember where they belong on the fingerboard.
Addie - Posted - 10/06/2012: 14:00:54
quote:
Originally posted by Mandogryl
In my cello lessons we have been working on scales in the major keys of C, D, G, A, F, Bf, Ef, and Af so far.
Now we are working on the minor keys of Am and now Em - with scale work in natural, melodic, and harmonic, and what makes them as such. Part of the study is practising thirds and simple arppegios. I always warm up my morning hour of practise with the scales we are studying at the moment. I actually enjoy doing it; I also feel it is great for intonation.
I do the Major scale, arpeggio, broken thirds, then the three relative minors... all in a row. Playing scales to a metronome makes my hands relax as well. Except my left thumb! 
