Scale Exercises
These can be done for any scale in any key, starting at the tonic (1).
Indian Method
Play each series ascending, then descending. (First count up from 1 in the lower register; then count down from the 1 of the higher register.) (-) means hold the preceding note for one extra beat.
1 2 1 2 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Note:
reverse of above, counting down, could also read:
8 7 8 7 8 7 6 5 | 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 3 4 5 - 1 2 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 | "
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | "
1 2 3 4 5 4 6 5 | "
1 2 3 4 2 3 4 5 | "
Jazz Method
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | 9 > reverse
1 2 3 4 5 - - - | 5 4 3 2 1 - - -
1 - 3 - 5 - - - | 5 - 3 - 1 - - -
1 - 3 - 5 - 7 - | 7 - 5 - 3 - 1 -
1 3 5 7 9 - | 9 7 5 3 1 -
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | 9 - 9 7 5 3 1 -
1 3 5 7 9 - 9 | 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Jazz thirds:
1 3 2 4 3 5 4 6 | 5 7 6 8 7 9 8 -
3 1 4 2 5 3 6 4 | 7 5 8 6 9 7 10 8
1 3 4 2 3 5 6 4 | 5 7 8 6 7 9 10 8
3 1 2 4 5 3 4 6 | 7 5 6 8 9 7 8 -
Jazz fourths:
1 4 2 5 3 6 4 7 | 5 8 6 9 7 10 8 -
4 1 5 2 6 3 7 4 | 8 5 9 6 10 7 11 8
1 4 5 2 3 6 7 4 | 5 8 9 6 7 10 11 8
4 1 2 5 6 3 4 7 | 8 5 6 9 10 7 8 -
Jazz chromatic:
1 7 1 3 2 3 5 4 | 5 7 6 7 9 8 9 11
9 8 9 7 6 7 5 4 | 5 3 2 3 1 7 1 -
1 2 1 3 4 3 5 6 | 5 7 8 7 9 10 9 11
9 10 9 7 8 7 5 6 | 5 3 4 3 1 2 1 -
