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From: Douglas Tate
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 20:49:55 +0000
Subject: Re: Learning scales

Hi Steve

Learning scales.... I put this in a note earlier today about this subject
###################
A very good friend of mine, who is now sadly dead, Ken Howell, introduced
me to a different way of playing and thinking about scales..... which is
relevant here.

He would play a C scale (C harp) two octaves
then he would play a Bb instead of a B and of course he was playing an F
scale (but starting on the nice familiar C
Then he would introduce the Eb C D Eb F G A Bb C D ..... and we
were playing Bb scale...
It was a painless way into the various keys using virtually the same breath
pattern each time...
Just another bridge approach ... but effective.

############################

There are two formalised ways of learning (OK,,, there are lots... these
two seem logical to me!)...
(1) learn scales in the circle of fifths. ie... C.... then G then
F (1 sharp and 1 flat) then D and Bb (2 sharps and two flats etc
(2) Learn by pattern,,,, C then C# (c with slide pressed) D D # (
nearly D with slide pressed) E F F# (nearly F with slide pressed) etc..

Both ways work... the first is musically logical the second is practically
easier!!!

It is worth while doing these without music in front of you... if you
remember that major scales have EVERY music letter in each scale yo can't
go far wrong

for example ... scale A has A B C D E F G A but some notes sound
wrong... you can ONLY have those letter but you can have sharps or flats
so ... when you come to a not which sounds wrong ( in this case C ... it
has to be C something... try C# ... it works ... D =OK F = weird, but
gotta have an F so try pressing the button for F# .. it works... etc.

(er... the above is how I learned... it wasn't til i had covered the
walls of my bedroom with charts of major and minor scales and millions of
chords that i realised there was an easier way !!! Duh!)

Douglas t


>Also, to those of you who publish instructional books - sprial bound
>books work much better than softcover books. With softcover books you
>have to flatten them out, which damages the spine and causes pages to
>fall out. Something to keep in mind to help potential students!

Steve.... my books are plastic ring bound..... your every wish is my
command!!

douglas t