Practice Your Scales!


On a calendar, plot a daily practice schedule of a different scale set each day.  That way you practice each scale in the circle of fifths, its arpeggio and relative minor with a group of picking patterns (for guitar and mandolin) and bowing patterns (for violin, viola and cello).

Practice 2 octaves, always use 4th finger, root the first finger in each position.  
  • For pickers, practice each scale and arpeggio with 4 quarter notes down up down up, 8 8th notes and 6 8th notes per note.  
  • For bowers, practice 1 whole note (frog to tip), 4 quarter notes (middle to tip), 8 8th notes (upper 1/3rd to tip), 2 triplets (upper 1/3rd to tip)

Calendar:
  1. Monday: C major, arpeggio; a minor, arpeggio
  2. Tuesday: G major, arpeggio, e minor, arpeggio
  3. Wednesday: D major, arpeggio, b minor, arpeggio
  4. Thursday: A major, arpeggio, f# minor, arpeggio
  5. Friday: E major, arpeggio, c# minor, arpeggio
  6. Saturday: B major, arpeggio, g# minor, arpeggio
  7. Sunday: F# major, arpeggio, d# minor, arpeggio
  8. Monday: C# major, arpeggio, a# minor, arpeggio
  9. Tuesday: F major, arpeggio; d minor, arpeggio
  10. Wednesday: Bflat major, arpeggio; g minor, arpeggio
  11. Thursday: Eflat major, arpeggio; c minor, arpeggio
  12. Friday: Aflat major, arpeggio; f minor, arpeggio
  13. Saturday: Dflat major, arpeggio; b flat minor, arpeggio
  14. Sunday: Gflat major, arpeggio; eflat minor, arpeggio
  15. Monday: Cflat major, arpeggio; aflat minor, arpeggio
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