Im in 9th grade and my band teacher recently had us play all major scales 2 octaves, in 2 minutes. I can play them all I just couldnt get through all of them in 2 minutes, and i was just wondering how many of you can.

i can...


dont worry if you can. Just make sure you can play them in tune first. If you cant, well theres no point in playing them fast. Cheers!

Word Mas. Playing scales is one thing, make sure you can play them well, in tune, and accurately, then go for speed. The high school I teach at does the same thing, and not all the players can do it. So go for accuracy first, make sure they are all correct and sound good, then go for speed.

Oh and yeah, I can too. But then, I already have my B.A. in music. And no, in high school I could not. Not in 2 minutes at least.

I remember the first time i had to do that. I think i got like 2 of the scales right.
Major/Minor scales are a great way to build your reading and improv skilz. I got a clue for you. Learn the pattern, it helps you to learn the scale.(somone will disagree with that probobly) In scales if you learn the basic 3 patterns (small changes for some of them so be careful)you can kill the scales.
So does your band do them in the circle of fifths or do you play the Bflat then B scale then C scale ecct?

just to add... do them on piano. that tottally killed it for me. I became SEEING the steps and half steps in the scales. although then again. IM a visual learner.

i would try the piano thing out.

Oh I agree. Learn the pattern. It makes the rest much easier to learn. Learn the pattern for all 4 scales; major, as well as natural, harmonic, and melodic minor. Chromatic and whole-tone are much easier. Visualizing it on the piano is by far the best way to do it, since you can see each note and the steps between. If you don`t have access to a piano, just really get that pattern stuck in your head. That`s all you really need, and you can play any scale starting on any pitch.

lol im also in the 9th grade and i just had to do the same thing in my school. although we had to learn the first 6 one week and the second six the next week but once we come back from christmas break i gotta do all of them. as much as i have been told that scales are "good for you" its just like vegitables...it might be good for me but i hate it.

when you talk about patterns there a couple diferent kinds there are the steps of the scale forinstance "root then whole whole half whole whole whole half" major scale and then there are the position patterns. There are 3 basic patterns for major scales for instance f scale start in first then 4 then 2 then 1 3 1 2 1 or somthing to do the e scale move every thing out 1 position this will give you experience with alternates and force you to tune faster as your alternates can be harder to tune. once you know the major scale pattern to make it a minor scale(melodic or harmonic) just change 1 or 2 positions. I let you figure out which ones.

ok playing them in 2 octives can make the position pattern thing a little diferent but well im not going there today cause im not that smart

My school does them chromaticaly from G so G Ab A Bb B C Db D Eb E F Gb