The Chromatic Scale - Introduction and Exercises

Chromatic Scale Lesson

Introduction

Now to the chromatic scale. The word chromatic in general terms means coloured or colourful. In musical terms, it refers to a scale that ascends or descends in half steps (semitones).

It's used frequently in music and serves as an excellent way to exercise every key on the saxophone or any instrument that involves keywork.

Sound of the Chromatic Scale

That's how the chromatic scale sounds. It's quite easy to spot. If you miss out a note, it sticks out like a sore thumb.

If I play, you can hear there are gaps, and we've got to eliminate those gaps.

The Importance of Slow Practice

Slow practice is definitely the order of the day with the chromatic scale. A good way to learn it is to:

• Play each note twice. This gives your brain a chance to regroup and think about what's coming up.

This technique can be applied to any tricky scale. By repeating each note, you give yourself time to think ahead.

Putting It All Together

When you put the whole chromatic scale together, it results in a very nice sounding scale.

The next exercises are just little workouts based on the degrees of the chromatic scale, all the way up to the top while maintaining a clean action. Remember:

• Do not squeeze the key. Firmly press it to ensure a smooth connection.

Exercises Overview

1. Exercise 3: Slightly bigger pattern run.
2. Exercise 4: Just a chromatic scale again to develop a natural chromatic scale.

After a while, you'll be able to play a chromatic scale without thinking about it. It will become second nature. Just think of your starting note, the top note, and your final note, string the other notes in between, and they will fall into place.

1. Exercise 5: The same scale but in triplets. We talked about triplets earlier:

   • Triplet, triplet, triplet, triplet, triplet, triplet.

Alternative Fingering for F to F Sharp

I want to show you another fingering that some people use for transitioning from F to F sharp. Instead of lifting the F key, hold it down and use the key adjacent to turn the F into F sharp. This creates a nice smooth connection.

• Recommendation: Learn the conventional fingering first.

When you feel confident, you can add the chromatic fingering, which, while slightly harder to master at first, becomes faster and smoother in the long run.

Flute Players' Technique

Flute players have a more complex F sharp fingering, yet they exhibit excellent agility. If they can do that, I believe we can manage it much easier.

• This technique uses the middle F sharp, which is a small detail but can come in handy.

If you have a fast passage going from F to F sharp, it's much easier to use the alternate key than the conventional method.

Conclusion

That's the alternative F sharp key. Practice these techniques, and you'll gain confidence with the chromatic scale in no time!