The Pianist's Guide to Scale Mastery with Lewis Kesterton
The title says it all! Lewis Kesterton: Pianist, Teacher and Writer, recently released his book "The Pianist's Guide to Scale Mastery". He is here today to speak about his most important advice and tips from his work and research!
Check out his book right here!
Follow this event link to tune in!
https://app.tonebase.co/piano/live/player/pianists-guide-scale-mastery
We are going to be using this thread to gather suggestions and questions!
- What questions do you have on this topic?
- Any particular area you would like me to focus on?
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Consider this position: i will never practice scales (i.e. finger patterns). These are things given to children who can't write music or write exercises for themselves. Instead, write these patterns as phrases into new original music and practice that music. Thus, the finger patterns are given context. Thus, original pieces are also ready to perform. No one buys a ticket to hear scales, but they do buy a ticket to hear music. Now given this position, explain why I should ever practice scales; or alternatively, agree with my position and explain how to embed these finger exercises into my own original etudes.
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I like doing scales to warm up, and I can do them for long periods of time. Sometimes I think there is a length time which is beyond useful. Thoughts?
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I grew up doing the RCM exams every year, so scales have been part of my practice routine forever!! I find practicing all the categories as part of a practice warm-up very helpful - any repertoire I am then working on is made so much easier in that many of the patterns are easily recognizable.
