practicing scalesYes, it certainly is!

While it may not be your favourite thing to do, practicing scales and arpeggios is an important technical exercise, particularly during the first couple of years of playing.

Trust me – you’ll thank yourself later for sticking with it.

Why Practicing Scales and Arpeggios is Important

Before we get started, let’s clarify the difference between scales and arpeggios.

A scale is a series of notes within a single octave that adhere to a set pattern. The pattern can consist of whole, half, and even third steps. An arpeggio is the notes of a chord played in a sequence, instead of all together.

These kinds of technical exercises will benefit your overall ability to play music in numerous ways. First and foremost, repetitive exercises will help you develop muscle memory, and a great muscle memory makes for a great musician.

In addition, practicing scales and arpeggios is important for the following reasons:

  • Provides a practical introduction to music theory
  • Helps you begin to recognise common patterns in music
  • Assists in your understanding of composition

Not only will these benefits make music easier to memorise, they will also give you a fantastic technical foundation so that you can write your own music.

Tips for Practicing Scales and Arpeggios

Regardless of which instrument you play, these few tips will help you practice scales and arpeggios more effectively.

Practice All Pitches

Try practicing your scales beginning from all pitches. Sure, you may never need to play those particular notes, but the ability to move through pitches is beneficial to any musician. Plus, being super methodical can help give your practice session a clear direction, so you’re less likely to give up half way through or become distracted.

Practice a Variety of Scales

Add interest to your practice session by having a go at other scales, not just standard major and natural minor. Blues scales, for example, are great fun to mess around with once you know them well.

Don’t Overdo It

Yes, technical exercises are important, but don’t over do it. Only spend about 10 – 20 percent of your practice time on them, and then move on to the more exciting stuff.

Learn a Musical Instrument

There is so much more to playing a musical instrument than practicing your scales. It’s a fun, challenging, and rewarding journey that we believe each and every person can benefit from. If you’re ready to uncover your inner musical genius, give us a call on 02 9602 9774, or fill out the contact form on this page.