• ONE OCTAVES SCALES IN SERIES are a collection of major and minor scales from three sharps to four flats–all the keys needed for Grade 3 repertoire.  They are scored and fingered for violin, viola, cello and bass alone or in any combination.

• If all players could master this material by the end of the 7th grade, they would be truly equipped to handle most middle school performance material.

• Ability to play in eight different key signatures requires the mastery of the four finger patterns in the first position.  Students need to know how to produce all the chromatic pitches.  All the major method books address these concepts by the end of Volume II.   If mastery of the basic finger patterns has not accomplished by using a method book, THEN THEY MUST BE LEARNED SOMEHOW!

• Refer to the finger pattern charts as a guide for teaching the various finger patterns.  Students need to move easily from one pattern to another.  A pattern is used on one string may need to change on a neighboring string.  Mobility and agility are required.  Listen carefully.

• Teachers who neglect this crucial stage of learning are doomed to many years of bad intonation.  The music industry cranks out loads of arrangements in D major.  As a result the students fail to learn other finger patterns;  every C natural, F natural and G sharp is a discord waiting to happen.

• Remember this: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS OPEN A-FLAT  (or E-flat, or G-sharp).   Frequent mistakes like these are a sign of incomplete teaching.

• All scales will sound in octaves in an orchestra setting.   Violin and Viola parts are in first position.   Cellos will have forward and backward extensions and an occasional shift.

• The bass parts are necessarily the hardest since the span of an octave in some keys goes beyond first position.  Nevertheless, no attempt was made to “dumb down” this part.  All too often editors will jump suddenly down an octave to avoid shifting.  Good bass players have to learn to shift earlier than players in other sections.

• Teachers will want to begin by playing every note at least four times so that players can adjust pitch.

• Gradually, reduce to twice, then once.  Finally, the tempo can be raised to any practical level.

• Teachers may want to begin with D major or some other convenient key and work to the key with one more sharp or one more flat.  It shouldn’t be long until the sequence of whole and half steps can be recognized as being the same in any key.

• If students are not familiar with the melodic minor form,  some instruction will be required.

• Five minutes of scales at the start of an orchestra rehearsal make a good warm-up.  Choose keys that pertain to the orchestral repertoire.

• An assigned scale makes a convenient add-on to a chair audition or a report card test.  The entire series makes a good final exam or a “rite of passage” into the next more advanced orchestra.

• Midi accompaniments for this series of scales at several tempi are supplied for individual practice.

Practice Tracks – One by One
Key Signature	Scale	Practice track-plain	Practice track-harmonized
3 sharps	A major F# minor	Play Play	Play Play
2 sharps	D major B minor	Play Play	Play Play
1 sharp	G major E minor	Play Play	Play Play
no sharps/flats	C major A minor	Play Play	Play Play
1 flat	F major D minor	Play Play	Play Play
2 flats	B flat major G minor	Play Play	Play Play
3 flats	E flat major C minor	Play Play	Play Play
4 flats	A flat major F minor	Play Play	Play Play

• Audio files are in MIDI format which open in iTunes, RealPlayer, Windows Mediate Player and a number of other applications. Dedicated midi players such as Sweet Midi Player and Qmidi can be downloaded free. Google “midi player” for your computer or tablet.
• Some midi players allow tempo and instrument tone to be altered.
• Practice suggestion: In addition to playing along with the practice tracks, try playing in canon with the track. Begin two beats before or two beats after the recorded track.

Title	Violin	Viola	Cello	Bass
One Octave Scales In Series-notation	Click to Download	Click to Download	Click to Download	Click to Download
Midi accompaniments (all scales in series)	Slow Tempo Click to Download	Medium Tempo Click to Download	Fast Tempo Click to Download