MajorScalesandArpeggiosDr.MarkWatkins,BYU–Idaho

Thefollowingscalesareincludedforreferenceonly.Theyarenotintendedaspartoftheexerciseroutine.Thesameappliestothearpeggios.Workbeginswiththe“Five‐notePatterns.”ScalesCMajor FMajor GMajor

B‐flatMajor DMajor E‐flatMajor

AMajor A‐flatMajor Emajor

D‐flatMajor BMajor G‐flatMajor

F‐sharpMajor C‐flatMajor C‐sharpMajor

TriadsCMajor FMajor GMajor B‐flatMajor DMajor

E‐flatMajor AMajor A‐flatMajor EMajor D‐flatMajor

BMajor G‐flatMajor F‐sharpMajor C‐flatMajor C‐sharpMajor

PracticeSequenceDothefollowinginaselectedkeythenmovetoanotherkey.DONOTpractice5‐notePatternsin12keys,then9‐notein12keys,etc.CompleteallfivestepsinasinglekeyTHENmovetothenextkey.Selectionofkeysismostsequential(easiest)inthisorder:C,G,F,D,B‐flat,A,E‐flat,E,A‐flat,B,D‐flat/C‐sharp,G‐flat/F‐sharp;however,anyprogressisallowableincludingrandom.Reviewbyplayingthefull‐rangescaleswithvariousarticulations.

1. 5‐notepattern2. 9‐notepattern3. Fullrangescale4. Additivetriadexercisebottomup5. Additivetriadexercisetopdown

5‐NotePatternThisexerciseallowsonetofocusonalocalizedareaandaidsinutilizationofscalefragments,startingandreversingdirectionelsewherethantheroot(polarfreedom).Startonthelowestnoteavailableonthesaxophonethatiswithinthekeysignature:Cmajorkeysignature=lowestnote“B”.Playthe5‐notepatternrepeatedlythenmoveuptothenextscaledegreeinthesamekey.Donotthinkoftheseasmodes;theyareexercisingakeysignature.Playingtherootonapianocanhelpkeepthetonalcenterinmindandear.Eachscaledegreestayswithinthesamekeysignaturebutslightlyaltersthetechnicalconcern.Onemayuseaslightlyslowerorfasterpulse,butplayallkeysatthesametempo.Thisallowsthefingerstodevelopaneventechnique,increaseflexibilityforharderfingerings,andpreventrushingovereasiersegments.Repeatthepatternuntilitisreasonablycomfortable.Alwayspracticethisandsubsequentexerciseswithametronome.

MM.q=c.80isagoodtempo;slowerorfasterisdependentuponstudentskill.

Example:CMajor.Eachkeyisnotincludedherein.Studentsshouldinternalizetheconceptandplayallscaledegreepatternsandkeysfrommemory.

Ifitistoodifficulttostartonthelowestnote,beginfivenotesupandplaydown.

Ifthisisstilltoodifficult,changetherhythmto8thnotes.Tip1:Allrepetitivepatternsaretonestudies.Tip2:Watchone’shandpositioninamirror,whichismucheasierwithamemorizedpattern.FAMILIARTOUNFAMILIAR:EXTENDINGTHERANGEStudentsdon’talwaysgetopportunitiestodevelopthelowestnotesorthepalmkeyfingeringsbeforeenteringtheuniversity.Therecanbeproblemscrossingthebreakwithevenfingeringanduniformtimbre.Consequently,theabove5‐notepatternscanbeachallenge.ThefollowingexamplesareinBMajor.LowNotesReviewlownotetoneproductionprinciples,handposition,andfingeringconcepts.Pair1:Addanunfamiliarstep‐wisenotetoafamiliarnotewithinthescale.

Pair2:Playthenextlowestnotewiththenewnotefromthefirstpair.

Reviewpair1.3‐noteGroup1:Playfromthefamiliarnote(D‐sharpinthisexample)throughthetwodevelopingnotes.Pair3

ReviewPair2.3‐noteGroup2

5‐notePattern:Playfromthetopnotedownratherthanstartingonthelowestnote.

CrossingtheBreak.Reviewcrossingthebreaktoneproductionprinciples,handposition,andfingeringconcepts.2‐notePair:Usethestandardfingeringinthisexerciseinpreparationforcontinuedscaleprogression.3‐noteGroup1

3‐noteGroup2

5‐notePattern1:Practicewithstandardfingeringuntilproficient.Additionally,oneshouldpracticethisgroupwiththeC‐sharptoD‐sharppivotfingeringfromabove.Ifthepivotfingeringisunfamiliar,isolatethenotesandpracticeC‐sharptoD‐sharpasa2‐notepair.

5‐notePattern2

PalmKeysReviewpalmkeytoneproductionprinciples,handposition,andfingeringconcepts.Pair1

Pair2

ReviewPair1.3‐noteGroup1

Pair3

ReviewPair23‐noteGroup2

5‐notePattern1

5‐notePattern2

5‐notePattern3

AdditivePatternsThefollowingpatternsallowrepetitionwithinanunfamiliarrange,sequentialadditionoffingerings,andrepetitionofnewfingerings.Thisrepetitionwillstrengthenthelowandhighregisters.Remember,“Repetitionisthemotherofmemory.”Oneshouldnotpracticetheseattemposbeyondonescapabilitybutshouldalsopushthatcapability.“Perfectpracticemakesperfect,”butplayingwhatonecanalreadydoisonlyreview.Startthepatternonthehighestnotewithinthekeysignatureathand.Addonnewnotedescendingandreturn.Withoutstoppingdescendtothenextnewnoteandreturn.Continueuntilthepatternreachesanoctavebelowthestartingnote.Example1:E‐flatMajor

Followingthesameprocessbeginningonthelowestnoteofthekey.Example2:E‐flatMajor

9‐NotePatternFollowthesameconsiderationsasoutlinedabove.Nine‐notescalepatternswillextendonesconcentrationandphysicaldemandsintermediarytofull‐rangescales.Asabove,eachscaledegreerequiresaslightlydifferentfingeringconsideration.

Example:CMajor

Full‐rangeScalesUseadifferentarticulationeachtimeascaleispracticed.Eventually,throughworkonnumerouskeys,allthepatternsbelowshouldbemastered.

Unlikethe5and9‐NotePatterns,fullrangescalesareincludedinallkeystoinstilltheconceptoffull­rangeandtoensuremusicalresolutions.CMajor

FMajor

B‐flatMajor

E‐flatMajor

A‐flatMajor

D‐flatMajor

C‐sharpMajor

G‐flatMajor(withhighG‐flatkey)

G‐flatMajor(withouthighG‐flatkey)

F‐sharpMajor(withhighF‐sharpkey)

F‐sharpMajor(withouthighF‐sharpkey)

C‐flatMajor(withhighG‐flatkey)

C‐flatMajor(withouthighG‐flatkey)

BMajor(withhighF‐sharpkey)

BMajor(withouthighF‐sharpkey)

EMajor(withhighF‐sharpkey)

EMajor(withouthighF‐sharpkey)

AMajor(withhighF‐sharpkey)

AMajor(withouthighF‐sharpkey)

DMajor(withhighF‐sharpkey)

DMajor(withouthighF‐sharpkey)

GMajor(withhighF‐sharpkey)

GMajor(withouthighF‐sharpkey)

AdditiveTriadExerciseStudentmustinternalize(memorize)scales,arpeggios,andotherpatterns.Onlyanexampleofthe“AdditiveTriadExercise”isgivenbelow.Itisexpectedthattheconceptbeappliedtotwelvekeys.Startonthelowesttriadnotepossible.Addonenoteperrepetitionasbelow.

Convertto8thnotesifnecessary.Useametronome.Example:E‐flatMajor

Startonthehighesttriadnotepossiblewithinthenormalrangeofthesaxophone.Thisexercise

canbeappliedtodevelopingthealtissimoregister.Addonenoteperrepetitionasbelow.

Thisexercisecanalsobedonewithtriplets.