Scales Plus

Rhythmic Scales and Arpeggios

  1. Scale groups of 5, 7, 9 with all possible bowing and combinations
    • Example: groups of 5 = CDEFG – ABCDE – FGABC – …
    • Example: bowing combinations for a five-note group = 1-4,4-1 or 2-3,3-2 or 2-1-2,2-1-2
      1-4,4-1 ( C – DEFG – ABCD – E ) -( F – GABC – DEFG – A ) – (B – …
      Change bow where you see (-)
  2. Alternate number of notes in beat
    • Example: (3, 5) at Quarter note = 100; triplets in one beat and quintuplets in the next
    • Multiple combinations (3, 8, 5), (2, 7), etc.
  3. Whole tone and other interval pattern scales (minor thirds, major thirds, perfect fourths, quartertones, whole tone/half tone)
  4. Thirds, sixths, and octaves with even continuous vibrato
  5. Arpeggios in octaves

Vertical work: Up the fingerboard

  1. Scales and arpeggios on one string using one finger only.
    • Try the same idea, returning to tonic after each additional pitch
  2. Scales and arpeggios on one string with many finger patterns.
    • Again, try the same idea returning to tonic after each additional pitch.
  3. Scales in sixths with varying finger patterns up two strings
  4. Start on any given tonic and play in one position across all strings, ascending and descending. Move up one position, staying in original key, and repeat procedure until top tonic is reached.
  5. 3-octave scale in which you repeat your starting point, adding one note at a time.
    • Try doing this in reverse, starting from your top tonic!

Horizontal Work

  1. Start on any major sixth, then open from the knuckle line to a minor seventh, major sixth, minor sixth, minor seventh, minor sixth, minor seventh, major sixth. Use all (1-2, 2-3, 3-4) finger combinations.
  2. Start on any perfect fourth and expand and contract interval the same way.
    • Then try this with an extra wide and parallel motion vibrato!
  3. Play a scale in double stops, alternating fourths, fifths and sixths

Left, Right Coordination and Independence – Vibrato and Bow Combinations

  1. Speed increasing in bow with:
    • Vibrato width decreasing
    • Vibrato speed decreasing
  2. Speed in bow decreasing with:
    • Vibrato width increasing
    • Vibrato speed increasing
  3. Bow weight and speed increasing with:
    • Vibrato speed decreasing
  4. Bow weight and speed decreasing with:
    • Vibrato speed increasing

Colors in Bow: Study combinations of Speed, Weight, Resistance
1) Much speed and much resistance = ponticello
2) Much speed and little resistance = flautando
3) Much weight and resistance and less speed = core sound
4) Change contact point with diagonal bow