"Why should I learn to play Scales?" Here's 5 reasons. (+ 1)

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If you have taken any music lessons your teacher had to say "Practice and Learn your scales."

Sadly a large majority of students never get past learning their scales. Perhaps it's because they run into the understanding that Music is... gulp... WORK!  If they'd press forward they'd find a lot of use for a simple scale.  Here are 5 simple reasons to learn those scales!

#5 Play by Ear
Being able to play by ear is valuable. The ability to recognize scale intervals by hearing them makes you a valuable musician! This ability will shorten your prep time on all the new music you will learn in the future!

Knowing your scales will stop you from incorrectly landing on that F natural when you are playing in the Key of D Major!

Behold the Grand Staff!

 

#4 Sight Reading
Scale knowledge directly correlates to the names of the Lines and Spaces of the Grand Staff. This knowledge (with the addition of understanding note rhythmic values) will make you a sight reader.

#3 Technique
Whether you are playing guitar scales, piano scales, trumpet scales, or playing the Glockenspiel... Practicing your scales is a great way to learn the technique of your instrument.

Technique is often not an exciting word for beginners... so I tell them "Every time you see the word Technique think the word SPEED and ACCURACY!  Those words always seem to make a beginners eyes light up.


#2 Transpose
Do you want to learn to play music in any key? Scales are essential!
For example you want to play a song that you normally play in C Major in the key of G Major. These two keys relate to each other through the scale. Instead of playing the C note or chord, play the G note or chord. C and G are both the 1st Scale Degree of their particular key. Transposing is THAT easy... if you know the scale and corresponding scale degree.

Wrong Scale...

C scale

C D E F G A  B  C

G A B C D E F# G

G scale

For more information on transposing, look up the Nashville number system.

#1 Create Music

Creating Music is to Scales  as   Language is to the Alphabet  as  Arithmetic is to Numbers  as  Cloning sheep is to DNA!

Turn it to 11 & Practice your Scales

Everyone, who sits down and practices a musical instrument, dreams of the day they will create music of their own. Attempting to create music without the simple music theory, that is scales, is like trying to write the great American novel without learning to spell.  Without scale knowledge it's guess work, luck, and always recreating the wheel.



PLUS ONE
Communication
If you want to communicate with other musicians you MUST know the language!

It's not much fun waiting around in a band rehearsal for someone to figure out the noted to their solo... It's even less fun being the guy that says "no it's A-G-F#-C#-D...  NO!  F#- C#-D... Not F natural... F#!  AHHHH!"  :)
  
If you and other people in your band have a basic understanding of the theory of music, you are that much closer to communicating like real musicians. 

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These are just a few reasons to learn your scales, believe me there are many more. Thanks for  taking the time to check out my blog. Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think or to ask me a question.