Group 2

I'll start (Group 2 people, where are you?). My first brush with scales and music theory was when I started piano lessons when I was 9 years old.  My teacher taught some basic theory stuff and assigned workbooks and, of course, scales, along with Hanon and Berens (a book of left-hand etudes). I already knew how to read music before I started these lessons, so I picked all this up pretty quickly. Then when I was 12, I started learning cello and took lessons for that, and of course, learned how to play scales and arpeggios on the cello. I eventually went to college as a cello major and earned a DMA, so I guess I know quite a bit of theory by now!

But with all that, my first systematic scale practice on the piano didn't start until 10 years ago when I began lessons with my current teacher. He has a routine: 2 octaves, hands separate, hands together, parallel and contrary motion (both scales and arpeggios) in a few simple rhythmic patterns that combine wrist motion with finger action. Everything should be played as softly as possible, especially when it's fast.  This has served me well, but I'd like to improve. A few months ago, I recorded myself playing scales, and it was awful! So that's why I'm here.

Harriet, You beat me to the intro :). I envy you have a long musical journey. I started mine during Covid and have been with the current teacher for 7 months. I was taking online piano lessons from Community College, and did limited scales prior to this teacher. 

My current routine is very similar to yours but in four octaves. For each scale, I need to do 8th notes and 16th notes legato, then heavy and soft staccato. I have worked on C Maj, a min (3 forms), G Maj, e min (3 forms), and D Maj, B min (3 forms). B min has been a challenge for me, and I have been working on it for a month now. I am still not getting the consistency. Let alone the speed. 

I'm looking forward to improve my scales with everyone. 

Hello Group 2! I've had an on-again-off-again relationship with the piano since I was a kid. My dad taught me to play when I was in 2nd grade. No formal lessons. In 5th grade, I picked up the clarinet in school and played that and bass clarinet throughout high school. I knew all my scales and played them for various competition in high school. The piano was a side gig, just for fun (and stress relief). I still have the piano (Yamaha upright) that my parents bought when I was in second grade. I started playing again before COVID after retirement and started lessons during the pandemic. I have dabbled with a few of the scales lessons in Tonebase. I am familiar with the Russian scale technique that Dominic is teaching us. My fingers are REALLY slow, so I need a lot of work.  

What I do now is I work on the scale that my current piece is in. I am learning Spanish Dance #5 - Andaluza by Enrique Granados. It is in E minor, so I've been playing with that.

Looking forward to working on scales with you all!

By the way, I tried to upload my first video from YouTube and get the error message "Sorry, this embed code was not recognized." Anyone else having trouble with it?

I am one of those few anti-scales people out in the world, honestly if it has scales, I hate it: snakes, Clementi Sonatinas, fish (excluding eels), etc.

I can't seem to keep a scales practice, my teacher is Russian so I am asked to do Russian Scales/Grand Scales once in awhile, I will do 3 or 4 of the major scales and then get bored of it and discard it from my practice. Why do scales when you can spend precious time on repertoire?

I know that scales are so important! So I am hoping to trick myself into playing them more often than when they appear in repertoire. They're like the vegetables of piano playing, so maybe if we can dress them up I can make them a daily habit.

Excited to meet some old enemies in this class: Czerny for one.

Excited to make new friends as well: scales!

Hello to my fellow group 2ies. It’s wonderful to be here.

My musical journey has been somewhat slow, but being young at heart I am not deterred from attempting to climb the first few rungs of an extremely high and lofty piano ladder.

I’m 56 now (and just retired from work) and have  rediscovered my passion for music. As a child I learnt classical guitar, and when I was in my 30’s I had some piano lessons up to grade 4 (ABRSM). Unfortunately, I didn’t really have enough time to progress very well, work basically took over, and I didn’t play for 20 years after that. So I feel I’m almost back to square one again, but still very happy to be on any square at all, at the moment.

I happen to love doing scales, and any technique really. It’s the clarity and the fact that progress is somewhat measurable that I like. Until now I’ve only practiced straight scales, and focused on increasing tempo as a measure of success. Now I realise that there is so much more to scales practice. I’ve started the C Maj scale using the pattern that Dominic has demonstrated, and I’m finding it very challenging, especially moving from 4th finger to thumb. It really highlights the tricky areas that I would normally have just smudged and glossed over. My fingers aren’t as nimble as they used to be, but I’m already seeing improvement there. I’m planning to video my practice tomorrow, and will hopefully be able to upload it to share.

I’m looking forward to seeing how we all get on over these two weeks, good luck all!