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    Why do scales go up?

    Pedagogy
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    • T
      Trumpetsplus Qualified Repair Techs Credentialed Professional last edited by

      Just put this up on my Waiata page http://www.jaegerbrass.com/Blo/index.html

      Why do scales go up?

      When you ask someone to sing or play a scale why do they always perform an ascending scale? I do this experiment often and very seldom does anyone descend.

      Why is it so easy to recognize “Do-Re-Mi” from The Sound of Music as a scale even though it is very broken up, but not so easy to recognize that the theme of the Nutcracker “Pas de Deux” is a straightforward descending major scale?

      Could it be that the period of early concert music, early music pedagogy and early musicology was when string instruments dominated? String instruments are, by their nature, ascending instruments and ascending scales are amongst the first things played after open strings?

      If you ask someone why they play ascending they will often reply that they were taught that way. But why were they taught that way?

      We will never know the answer, but it’s an interesting question, isn’t it?

      neal085 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
      • neal085
        neal085 @Trumpetsplus last edited by

        @Trumpetsplus I wish I had an intelligent and factual response to that, but I'll just say I've never thought about it, and it is interesting.

        Now I need to go home tonight and spin the Nutcracker on my record player and pay attention to that.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • Kehaulani
          Kehaulani last edited by

          I never thought about it either . . nor care. 😁

          Why is it taught ascending could be because it's easier to play the lower notes which get more challenging as one ascends. Therefore, easier to harder. This is relative, of course.

          But the explanation above about violins being an added vs. subtractive motion may also have some validity.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • Bob Pixley
            Bob Pixley last edited by

            Higher, faster, louder... lol

            GeorgeB 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • fels
              fels last edited by

              a very useful study tool is the use of "upside down scales" learning them in the opposite direction. My wife (pianist) will always suggest that i play troubling passages backwards also.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • T
                Trumpetsplus Qualified Repair Techs Credentialed Professional last edited by

                Talking about backwards and wives, a friend suggested that when you get married you should film the whole ceremony so that when the disillusionment sets in you play the film backwards and end up single again!

                (It's my thread, I'm allowed to hijack it!)

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                • GeorgeB
                  GeorgeB @Bob Pixley last edited by

                  This post is deleted!
                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • GeorgeB
                    GeorgeB @Bob Pixley last edited by

                    @Bob-Pixley said in Why do scales go up?:

                    Higher, faster, louder... lol

                    Y E P !!! ☺

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • Kehaulani
                      Kehaulani last edited by

                      I just used the trade-in system every twelve years or so. 😈

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                      • Dr GO
                        Dr GO last edited by Dr GO

                        Personally, my scales are going up because I am eating more sweets.

                        Dr GO Kehaulani 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • Dr GO
                          Dr GO @Dr GO last edited by Dr GO

                          @Dr-GO said in Why do scales go up?:

                          Personally, my scales are going up because I am eating more sweets.

                          And on another note.... eating all that turkey, dressing and pecan pie (not necessarily in that order) isn't going to help either...

                          HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                          • Kehaulani
                            Kehaulani @Dr GO last edited by Kehaulani

                            @Dr-GO said in Why do scales go up?:

                            Personally, my scales are going up because I am eating more sweats.

                            sweat.jpg

                            😈 😈 😈 😈

                            😈 😈 😈 😈

                            Dr GO 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                            • Dr GO
                              Dr GO @Kehaulani last edited by

                              @Kehaulani said in Why do scales go up?:

                              @Dr-GO said in Why do scales go up?:

                              sweat.jpg

                              Oh, I believe I would scale down on that sweat morsel. SWEET!😈

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • Kehaulani
                                Kehaulani last edited by Kehaulani

                                . . . .😂 . . .

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • D
                                  djeffers78 last edited by

                                  Probably because strings go up the neck. Start from the bottom and work your way up

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • Kehaulani
                                    Kehaulani last edited by

                                    LOL. And if you start at the top?

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • Rapier232
                                      Rapier232 last edited by

                                      My scales go up when I stand on them and the reading never seems to go down.

                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                      • Kehaulani
                                        Kehaulani last edited by Kehaulani

                                        Play this!

                                        67df3951-b29a-4963-9953-b8fcf6f3497c-image.png

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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