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 going to discuss:

• Scales
• Arpeggios
• Voicings

And how to break these down and learn them effectively.

Why Learn Scales, Arpeggios, and Voicings?

The simple answer is technique.

Improving our technique allows us to:

• Play more complicated pieces
• Sound better
• Play in time
• Enjoy the experience of being a musician

Benefits

• Scales: Help you play smooth lines.
• Arpeggios: Enable you to stretch wide distances with your hands.
• Voicings: Allow you to play chords that accompany yourself or others.

A significant part of being a jazz, pop, funk, or rock player is about playing chords and accompanying others. Scales and arpeggios are excellent techniques for improvement.

Making It Engaging

I know that working on scales and arpeggios can sometimes feel a bit dry, going up and down the piano over and over again. However, there can be something quite meditative about it.

Approach

• Explore: There are numerous ways to apply scales and arpeggios that can make it fun.
• Routine: I highly recommend going through the exercises at the beginning of your practice session.

It doesn't have to be something you dread!

Just give it five to ten minutes at the start, and then you can move on to the fun stuff, like playing and improvising.

Improvisation Development

Using scales and arpeggios is an excellent way to develop improvisation.

When I'm improvising or performing, I often use:

• Chord tones
• Patterns based on scales and arpeggios

While playing, I may not be strictly thinking about them; instead, I'm using the knowledge I've previously learned. When I play live, all that knowledge surfaces instinctively.

Quick Tip

This principle applies to any aspect of playing music, but particularly with technique, as it is the fastest way to enhance a good piece into something great.

Conclusion

I highly recommend you get stuck into scales. It's not all boring, I promise, and the payoff will be huge!