Segovia Diatonic Major and Minor Scales

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by Wrighty

Just checking back in with an update on my scales practice...

Thanks for the progress report. Kudos for your putting in the time and effort to develop you skills.

In a few months, I'll be interested in hearing whether or not you found the activity helpful to your playing.

[Wrighty]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

Thanks for the progress report. Kudos for your putting in the time and effort to develop you skills.



In a few months, I'll be interested in hearing whether or not you found the activity helpful to your playing.

I think it’s helping me already when it comes to finger discipline and “automating” the alternation better.

[brushknee]

The PDF of this book is floating around out there. It's very nice. The earlier edition is a bit rough, then the color PDF published edition is great and includes all those alternate patterns notated very concisely at the first scale.

I learned modal positioning but find Segovia's patterns with the hand shifts required just sound better and are more satisfying to run through, so that's what I do now.

[Wrighty]

Thought I'd circle back again to report on progress after just under 4 weeks of scales practice at about 45-60 mins per day.

I am at 6 scales in now, having been working through all six RH patterns on every scale - 2 correct repetitions per pattern (so many repeats as I stuff it up and then go again) As I get more scales learnt I will gravitate towards Charles' recommendation of 4 scales to each RH pattern.

In terms of progress and skill development, I have really improved at being aware of my RH fingers and the finger to brain connection - I can think about a finger and instruct it with some sort of certainty I will then use it to pluck the string. Patterns that really challenged me such I/M/A/M I can now do with some consistency.

My left hand has also improved and seems to move with more flow and efficiency.

So far I am very pleased, and they also serve as a great warm up.

Thanks Charles.

[Don W]

Wow!!! Thank You

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by Wrighty

So far I am very pleased, and they also serve as a great warm up.

Thanks Charles.

I'm glad it is working well for you. Kudos for putting in the work. You should be starting to hear the improvements that the practice brings to the music you play, including better tone and greater fluidity.

To again quote Segovia,

In order to derive the greatest possible benefit from the following exercises, play them slowly and vigorously at first, more lightly and rapidly later. In one hour of scales may be condensed many hours of arduous exercises which are frequently futile. The practice of scales enables one to solve a greater number of technical problems in a shorter time than the study of any other exercises.

That classically trained musicians work on technical exercises, often including scales, is no secret. What is puzzling to me is why so few guitarists actively work on their technique. Improved technique benefits any type of music one wants to play.

The next technical exercises for classical guitarists are often slur ("hammer-on", "pull-off") exercises, followed by independence exercises. Those, too, do wonders for improving left hand technique and tone. If/when you are ready for those, we can discuss those too.

[Wrighty]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

I'm glad it is working well for you. Kudos for putting in the work. You should be starting to hear the improvements that the practice brings to the music you play, including better tone and greater fluidity.

To again quote Segovia,



That classically trained musicians work on technical exercises, often including scales, is no secret. What is puzzling to me is why so few guitarists actively work on their technique. Improved technique benefits any type of music one wants to play.

The next technical exercises for classical guitarists are often slur ("hammer-on", "pull-off") exercises, followed by independence exercises. Those, too, do wonders for improving left hand technique and tone. If/when you are ready for those, we can discuss those too.

I can certainly see and feel the benefit - I think prior to playing classical my focus was always on the music and learning new tunes, so that's where my practice time went. Now, albeit late to the party, I am a convert to technical exercises..

[rick-slo]

Personally I am almost always more direct and mainly just work on learning pieces of music and work through the technical
issues that may be within the pieces. Of course there are many etude pieces composed that specifically work on various areas
of technique.