Reality Check?! Practicing scales? Do it the right way!

 

 

 [written version]

I want to talk about the importance of practicing scales.

Well….., 

You might have heard that a million times.

And yes, it IS important to practice scales. 

BUT, 

I want to tell you about a danger that comes with it.

If you practice a scale a million times with wrong intonation, 

Your ear will get used to the wrong intonation.

 

This actually happened to me.

After years of not taking lessons and practicing on my own,

I took a lesson from a person who is a notable violinist whom I respect very much.

He told me straight up, my intonation is off on this note and that.

And I didn’t notice right away.

I went back home and had to listen to the recordings, and I realized that he was right.

Then, I realized that I played the note out of tune so many times

That I couldn’t perceive it as out of tune anymore.

This was a big reality check for me.

And I’m not the only one here,

I’ve witnessed from years of freelancing that

this happens quite a lot among string players.

So, I highly recommend you do a reality check for yourself sometimes.

 

How?

I do that by practicing scales with play-along tracks. 

You can tune in to the play-along’s reference pitches which is a great way to train your ear.

I recommend all my students to practice scales with play-along tracks that I have in this channel. It’s all available for free.

So, please check them out and practice with it and let me know how it goes.

Happy playing!