Posted by Rick Denney on February 21, 2004 at 19:20:36:
In Reply to: ensemble scales posted by Kenneth Sloan on February 21, 2004 at 19:04:15:
I've only played in one ensemble that used scales in the warm-up, and that was the San Antonio Municipal Band under a former conductor.
When he (wisely) instituted the practice, there was considerable bleating from the assembly, many of whom were band directors and other people with degrees in music or music education. I took it as the impetus I needed to finally go ahead and learn the fool things, and I lament the years I played without having taken on that simple discipline.
We played the 12 major scales, in one octave, following the circle of fifths. We repeated the Bb scale, where we started, at the end, up an octave. It took about three minutes. This was between a Remington-style warmup and the tuning note (which, by then, was largely superfluous). We occasionally played the BBb scale in canon, which is an exercise other conductors have also done.
After a few weeks when everyone had restored (or established) their memory of the scales, the complaints stopped. The first time, I could not do it, and the fact that I couldn't embarassed me.
It's been 11 years since I moved away from San Antonio, and none of the groups I've played in since (or before) use scales in the warmup. I suspect it's because the conductors are a bit afraid to demand it.
Rick "who thinks not only high-school kids hate playing scales" Denney