Intro to scales, arpeggios and voicings - why they're useful

Technical Exercises for Rock School

Hey, guys, it's James here. I'm going to take you through the technical exercises for Rock School.

Overview

This is a general video that applies to all grades. We're basically going to talk about:

• Scales
• Arpeggios
• Voicings

Why Learn Scales, Arpeggios, and Voicings?

So, most importantly, why do we even need to learn scales, arpeggios, and voicings in the first place?

The simple answer is for technique.

Benefits of Learning

• Improves Technique: It allows us to play more complicated things.
• Enhances Sound: It allows us to sound better and play in time.
• Enjoyment: It enhances the experience of being a musician.

Functions of Each Element

• Scales: Provide the function of playing smooth lines.
• Arpeggios: Allow us to break our flow within the hand, enabling us to stretch wide distances.
• Voicings: Help us play chords that either accompany ourselves or accompany others.

A big part of being a jazz player, pop player, funk, rock, or any of these other disciplines is about playing chords and accompanying ourselves and other people.

The Meditative Nature of Practice

Scales and arpeggios are great for improving technique. I know they can sometimes be a bit dry, going up and down the piano over and over again to get it right. However, there can be something quite meditative about it.

It doesn't all have to be boring! There are many different ways to apply scales and arpeggios that can make practice fun.

Practical Tips

I highly recommend that you go through the exercises and really work on them. They can be:

• Done at the beginning of your practice session.
• Completed in just five to ten minutes.

Knock a few out at the start, and then move on to the fun stuff: playing, improvising, etc.

Improvisation and Technique

One thing I'll mention is that using scales and arpeggios is a great way of developing improvisation.

When I'm improvising or performing, I often use chord tones and patterns based on scales and arpeggios.

Now, I'm not strictly thinking about scales, arpeggios, or voicings while I'm playing, but the knowledge I've already learned comes to the surface and instinctively happens.

This is true for any aspect of playing music, but particularly with technique, as it is the fastest way of making a good piece sound great.

Final Thoughts

You'll have more fun playing as a result. So, I highly recommend you get stuck into scales. It's not all boring, I promise, and the payoff will be huge!