Posted by Sean Chisham on May 05, 2003 at 22:33:51:
In Reply to: Re: poll posted by Mark Wiseman on May 05, 2003 at 17:01:35:
I would disagree. I think scales are more important for interval reinforcement in the brain as well as muscle memory for the fingerring patterns. If in the key of C#, which is rare BTW, and you have a sixteenth note accending line in the key, then the muscle memory will do wonders to help you go through it without thinking. This is very helpful in sight reading when common patterns pop up in fast technical passages. The scales come in handy cause you don't have to read each note. Just scan the pattern, try to catch any accidentals and pass through the blur of black notes.
When I play through my scales or arpeggios I don't think of the notes. I just pick a first note, play down the pattern, then go chromatically to the next starting note. Rinse, lather, repeat.