Hi everybody. My new teacher is now training me to play the 4-octave scales (in all key signatures) using dynamics (from p to mf/f as I go up and the opposite in the descending section. Does anybody know what this is good for? Also, does anyone know whether examiners would welcome this as an "optional extra" which would gain more marks or whether they would see this as a sign of irregularity or something of the sort?
All comments welcome!
Juan

I am required to do the same, Juan.

I think this is intended to give musical shape to the scales, and also to practise control.
Another reason I was given was that the high notes towards the treble end are softer and "thinner", hence if you play with no dynamics, the scale will eventually sound softer on the treble end.

I know that many forumites are practising cresc/desc on their scales, so I am quite sure if it is done well enough, the examiner has no reason to view it as irregularity.

On page 38 of "These Music Exams", there is such a bullet:

Candidates will also be assessed on their abilities:

- to perform the prescribed technical exercises for the grade (e.g.
scales and arpeggios) with fluency, accuracy, evenness and musical
shape

Similarly, on page 41, there is such a marking scheme for scales and arpeggios (19-21 marks):
- Quick response
- Fluent and musically presented
- Confident and even tempo

Both pages talk about scales being "musical", so probably some dynamics will be really helpful in conveying your intention of making scales more than just a boring technical exercise.

LINK:-
These Music Exams: http://www.abrsm.org/resources/theseMusicExams0607.pdf

Yes it is nice to make a scale sound musical, and it is always good to show you can do musical phrasing and dynamics by applying them to scales as well.

I also find that giving scales musical shape makes them less boring to practice

I don't know exactly but perhaps my teacher's aim is what Teoani suggested (shape and a musical character). Hope to see other replies coming in ...

Also, don't you have to play with a particular dynamic if you're in an exam? It's always good to know that you can play them in whichever dynamic you need them.

Apart from the purely scale connection it will help to give you control generally and this will have a knock on effect on other things you play.
It also makes playing them more interesting and probably makes you engage your brain which you might not fully do if just plodding up and down.

Fortunately I expect never to have to play a scale in an exam ever again!

But practicing scales with dynamic shading is good for control. After all it is what you have to do in every musical phrase. But before you progress to practicing such a skill you should be able to play the scale fairly quickly with perfect even-ness and good legato.

For a real teaser try dim-cresc in one hand vs. cresc-dim in the other.

Thank you Mad Tom and the others. The different dynamics in both hands is an interesting challenge ... at the moment, my teacher is asking me to practise the contrary motion ones with a "ghost" right hand, i.e. only miming the right hand (not playing it) and playing only the left hand. He says this helps concentrate on the bass line and not be carried away by the right hand ascending "melody", which is the one we instinctively tend to focus on.
P.S.: By the way, Mad Tom, I am the same Forumite (living in Italy) that was registered as John some time ago (you PM'ed me some time ago on how to study pieces and have them stay in the long-term memory ... remember?)

No way. I'd completely forgotten. My memory is useless. Can't remember a thing!!

As for part of my previous post. I could be completely wrong about the even-ness thing. Here is what Harold Bauer (violinist turned pianist) had to say about it: "I could see no object in practicing evenness in scales , considering that a perfecly even scale is devoid of emotional (musical) significance".

He has lots more to say but his central point is that technical exercises should always be related toi the actual pieces you are studying. This is most efficient, because you learn the techniques you need, and guarantees that you do not become a mere technician devoid of musicality.

[/quote]
No way. I'd completely forgotten. My memory is useless. Can't remember a thing!!
[/quote]
Very interesting!
Ref my previous registration. Don't blame your memory so harshly! You couldn't possibly have remembered as I was under a different username and also used a different email address ...
I had to change piano teacher as the previous one seemed to want to mocve away from teaching the piano and started doing a different job. He continued to keep a handful of students but eventually I realised he was doing things a little half-heartedly and I wanted more. The new one (one of the very few ABRSM supporters in this area) dedicates all his time to his profession and also does concerts and, from what I've seen so far, has a very different, all-round approach to teaching the piano. First thing he said was the scales were all right, the pieces as well but that he noticed tension in the neck and back so started teaching me a sort of attitude when I play and some mental concentration to get ready before playing.
Bye for now,
John


well, the "very interesting" in the previous post refers to your comments on scale playing ...

Oh I remembered well enough. That was my feeble attempt at humour ... and irony

Dynamics are not an 'optional extra' when playing music. The only way you can play 'with no dynamics' is if you don't make any sound at all! If you mean 'without varying the dynamics', that is a different matter.

The salient point here is why do we learn and practise scales? It is not - or should not be - to pass music exams, as there is no point testing something in an exam situation if it does not have an inherent value.

The main point of learning scales is that they frequently occur in pieces (albeit sometimes only in short sections) and when they do so it is unlikely to be preferable to play them 'without dynamics' (i.e. with no gradation of tone) as that will sound flat and unmusical. The dynamic variation could be a crescendo, a diminuendo or some combination of these. Crescendos and diminuendos can of course change sharply or gradually.

As suggested above, it is also worth bearing in mind that a scale occurring in a piece will not necessarily start and finish on the tonic, so it is a good idea to practise starting on different degrees of the scale.