Scale It (analysis)
With
Kay CharltonKay Charlton walks through Scale It, a practice piece that runs up and down every note you've learned so far, with tips on smooth playing and breath control.
What's in the course
16 lessons (0h 51m) · 1 free
01. Welcome to Are You Ready
1:17
02. I Can Play In Three (performance)
1:36
03. I Can Play In Three (analysis)
Free lesson3:16
04. How Many Bars in a Blues (performance)
1:40
05. How Many Bars in a Blues (analysis)
6:23
06. Lay Down The Bass (performance)
2:51
07. Lay Down The Bass (analysis)
5:01
08. Eastern Promise (performance)
2:23
09. Eastern Promise (analysis)
4:40
10. Are You Ready (performance)
2:32
11. Are You Ready (analysis)
5:49
12. Scale It (performance)
2:48
13. Scale It (analysis)
You are here2:03
14. Question and Answer (performance)
2:52
15. Question and Answer (analysis)
6:05
16. Congratulations on finishing the course!
0:40
Lesson transcript
Track Scale Practice
This track scale is just a practice piece, really. The backing track goes on for quite a long time. It's all about using all the notes that you know so far.
Key Tips
- Play Smoothly: Try to play the notes smoothly.
- Breath Control: Make sure you take a good breath. Aim for a straight sound on your note.
- Wobbling Notes: If it's wobbling, you might need to blow a little bit harder.
- Lip Position: Practice getting your lips in the right position.
- As you ascend your scale, make your lips a bit tighter for more breath control.
Creativity in Practice
You can also change the tune. It's not really a tune; it's just a scale going up and down. Instead of focusing on long notes, consider the following variations:
- Repeated Notes: You could do some repeated notes.
- Quick Movement: Move more quickly up and down again.
Word Phrases
Think of some word phrases that might help you, such as:
- "Climbing up the scale"
- "Going down the scale"
- Anything you like!
Rhythm Examples
I'll give you a few quick scale rhythm examples:
- Instead of the long notes at the beginning, try to do a different rhythm on every single note. Be as creative as you possibly can.
In the second section of the tune where I played three repeated notes:
- Instead of doing each note the same, you could change between other scale notes. Anything you like!
Warm-up Routine
This is a really good track for warming up, so you could put it on at the beginning of your practice session.
Focus Areas
- Practice playing your scale.
- Get your lips warmed up.
- Coordinate your fingers and tongue.
- Ensure you're tonguing all the notes.
- Move your fingers smoothly to achieve a really smooth sound on your scale.
16 lessons
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Kay is a trumpet player, composer and teacher of brass and curriculum music, specialising in primary classroom teaching - KS2, First Access/WCET (whole-class ensemble teaching, where a class learns an instrument together) and teacher CPD (continuing professional development). She completed a Masters in Music Education - 'Teaching Musician' at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in 2018.
Kay plays trumpet with the Bollywood Brass Band, a 9-piece band of brass and drums whose 2017 CD Carnatic Connection was nominated for a Songlines Magazine 'World Music Award' and given a 5-star review in the London Evening Standard. Kay composes and arranges for the band and leads on their education work, founding the Bollywood Brass Academy in 2017.
Kay has presented her research into whole-class teaching at the Music Education Expo and the First Access Forum. She has designed and led CPD for LSO Discovery, Trinity College London, Music Education Solutions and the Bollywood Brass Band, and is an education consultant for Warwick Music.
Kay's book of beginner repertoire, 'Are You Ready?', is published by Warwick Music; in 2017 Kay was commissioned by Warwick Music and Music Education Solutions to compose songs for a new KS1 scheme of work for the pBuzz, which was nominated as 'Education Resource of 2018' by the 'Education Awards'.
Other publications include pieces for Trinity's Initial (2015/2018) and Grade 1 (2018) piano syllabus, Bollywood Blast! (Spartan Press) - a series of brass and wind tutor books with backing tracks in a Bollywood style - and Whole Class Bollywood Blast with David Rose (Bedford Music Hub), which is aimed at teachers of whole-class instrumental lessons and includes an Arts Award Discover programme.
Her MusicGurus courses bring that classroom experience straight to you: from your very first trumpet lesson through two sets of tunes for beginners, Kay sets out exactly what to play and how to play it.
