How Fast do Your Scales Need to Be?
I was asked today about what tempos and articulations I suggest students work their scales to.
Before I answer, a question–why do we work on scales anyway? They are a very effective form of “cross-training” for performance of music of all types, an important underlying technical foundation that must be mastered. In terms of orchestral horn literature you can play virtually anything if you can tongue all of your major scales at 126 in sixteenth notes, preferably single tongue scales at 126 plus. Think about Mendelssohn 3, third horn. To play this excerpt you will need to be able to single or double tongue scales well at 126.
That said you need to in fact over train your scales beyond 126. There is a level of tonguing that most horn students can hardly even imagine as not much of our music requires very fast tonguing.
Working on editing The Brass Gym for horn one thing that was very impressive was first hearing authors Sam Pilafian and Patrick Sheridan, on the CD that comes with the publication, single tonguing scales at 144! This is very fast on any brass instrument and amazingly fast on tuba. The CD has the specific exercise that has these fast scales, “Brumm in sixteenths,” at three tempos as models, 100, 120, and 144. Personally I can do the 120 easily but can’t quite get out of the 130s single tongued. I can do 144 plus double tongued.
In short, there is always a “next level” for tonguing but scales at 126 are a good goal and really a must if you aspire to win an orchestral audition.
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